My Creative Equaliser
(Not facehugging incubus)

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence has changed how I create and I’ve never felt so empowered. Every day, I look forward to the next weird, wonderful collaboration between me and the machine.

Some people call AI “cheating” or “soulless.”

I don’t buy it.

I’ve been creating digitally since 1993. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in Photoshop trying to force raw ideas into shape not because I loved the process, but because it was the only way to get anything close to what was in my head. When generative tools finally came along, they didn’t replace my creativity. They freed it.

Now I can build things faster, with less eye strain, and more space to create instead of endlessly clicking and tweaking.

AI Is Not a Button — It’s a Process

People who’ve never done digital art often assume it’s all button-pressing and automation. And now that AI’s in the mix, they assume it even more.

Sure you can just generate something and post it. But that’s not what I do. When I create whether it’s an image, a blog post, or a story it’s a loop:

Write. Refine. Reject. Start again.

I often draft a full piece myself, then hand it over to ChatGPT or Gemini to interrogate, extend, or challenge. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s always part of a conversation. The tools don’t think for me — they think with me.

Like a musician learning a new instrument, or a writer sparring with an editor, I collaborate with AI. But the vision, intent, and spark? That’s mine.

The Double Standards

Here’s where it gets a bit absurd.

AI tools are everywhere promoted in ads, embedded in apps, offered as premium subscriptions. Yet many of the same spaces quietly penalise creators for actually using them.

Some platforms bury AI-generated content. Others flag it as “inauthentic,” while boosting filters, branding, and influencers whose work is anything but raw or human. It’s digital gatekeeping disguised as purity.

I’m not here to play by those outdated rules.

What Actually Matters

Ask yourself this:

Does it move you?

Does it make you think, smile, or feel something strange?

That’s the only test that counts.

I don’t hide my process. I believe in being transparent. Everything you see on this site is a blend of instinct, curiosity, experience, and AI. That blend is the point. That’s the joy.

So no, I’m not pretending I drew every pixel or wrote every word by hand. I’m not chasing tradition for tradition’s sake. I’m exploring new territory with my AI wingman — and doing it honestly.

Thanks for coming along.

Aric and the Gang

aiwarpanda.com