{"id":8635,"date":"2025-03-12T13:21:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T13:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/?page_id=8635"},"modified":"2025-03-26T15:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T15:00:30","slug":"essay-2-human-creativity-and-a","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/?page_id=8635","title":{"rendered":"Human Creativity and AI"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a id=\"top\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/?page_id=8074\">Go to theme table of contents<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/vjic.org\">Go to VJIC table of contents<\/a><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; vertical-align: top;\">This second of several essays on artificial intelligence (AI) explores its potential relationship to creativity. The authors see writing these essays as a creative exchange that recognizes the future of AI to be unpredictable.<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; vertical-align: top;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1065035616? width=\" height=\"169\" frameborder=\"0\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_end\">\ufeff<\/span><\/span><span style=\"display: width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><\/span><\/iframe><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Theme editors: Edward Bateman and Robert Hirsch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>True creativity is caring enough about what<br \/>\nyou do that you are willing to take risks.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u2014<\/strong><strong>Edward Bateman<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Have you ever asked yourself the question: Do I consider myself to be creative? Curiosity is a primary force that drives much creativity. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a human creation and, like Mary Shelly\u2019s <em>Frankenstein<\/em>; <em>or, the<\/em> <em>Modern Prometheus<\/em> (1818 and 1831), its examination is likely to tell us more about ourselves than its professed subject. This will be reflected by the authors who see writing these essays as a creative exchange with a few contributions from AI. As the future of AI is not predictable, we do not know where these essays will take us or even what the structural form they may take down the road. We find this uncertainty exciting as this is often how discoveries are made.<\/p>\n<p>Creativity may be simply defined as any act of creation and\/or as an act of self-expression. We say that we value creativity; but do we really? Would you want your child to grow up to be an artist? Or marry one? Singing in the shower, playing the piano, cooking, taking selfies, painting along with Bob Ross (1) or a child playing with crayons might all be viewed as being creative. Yet, these can seem troublingly close to a trivializing the act of play. Nevertheless, there does appear to be a difference in what we experience in a museum or concert hall. Perhaps, creativity is one of those words like love that has an overly broad definition? Are we talking about differences in kind or in degree?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8639\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8639\" class=\"wp-image-8639 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.1-RossCougar-Variant.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.1-RossCougar-Variant.jpg 650w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.1-RossCougar-Variant-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.1-RossCougar-Variant-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8639\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.1 \u00a9 Edward Bateman. <em>Bob Ross Mistakes a Cougar for a Squirrel<\/em>, 2025. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the author. <br \/>An AI generated image of Bob Ross, the much-loved artist and host of <em>The Joy of Paining<\/em>, seen here meeting a cougar. Ross had a pet squirrel, Peapod, who made appearances on the show. Art practices today can be so diverse that it is unfeasible to anticipate every risk.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>While all of those personal acts of creation certainly enrich our lives and make the world a more<\/strong> <strong>fascinating place, they seem just as often labeled as hobbies or recreation. (Interestingly, \u201crecreation\u201d is metaphorically about renewal, just as creation is about bringing new things into existence.) Nonetheless, the creativity that truly impresses us is when it shows us something new, something that has never been seen before \u2013 something that transforms our understanding of a situation. It is an act of surprise \u2013 one that can amaze the creator as much as anyone else. It is a discovery, which often expands the territory of its exploration in new dimensions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Creativity should not be seen as valuable to only the arts. In many ways, the thinking processes of the best artists and scientists are quite similar. They both involve imagination, research, experimentation, and testing. Whether in art or science, the effort of creativity can sometimes be discounted by labeling the creator as a \u201cgenius\u201d \u2013 thus bypassing the ordinary human processes of creativity. At its best, creativity is seen as a leap of insight, in whatever field it occurs. Even constructing artificial intelligences can be seen as a creative act as it was made by people. So how does AI fit in \u2013 can it replace human creativity? How does an AI define creativity?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>Creativity can be defined as the ability to generate new and original ideas, solutions, or products that are both valuable and relevant. It involves the capacity to think beyond conventional patterns, connect seemingly unrelated concepts, and explore possibilities in ways that are imaginative and innovative. At its core, creativity is about transformation\u2014turning abstract thoughts into tangible outcomes, whether in the form of art, invention, problem-solving, or storytelling. It\u2019s a dynamic process that blends intuition, curiosity, knowledge, and a willingness to take risks or embrace uncertainty<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 120px;\">\u2014ChatGPT <span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">40<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Risk taking emerges as a regular companion to creativity. It appears in both the quote at the beginning of this text and in ChatGPT\u2019s definition. Artists often speak about risk. What really is that risk? Might that define differences in what we call creativity?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8640\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8640\" class=\"wp-image-8640 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.2-Viking-Cruise.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.2-Viking-Cruise.jpg 650w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.2-Viking-Cruise-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.2-Viking-Cruise-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8640\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.2 Unknown maker. <em>Viking Cruise<\/em>, circa 2023. Dimensions variable. Digital file. <br \/>Appearing as both Gertrude and Edna, this image is unlikely to have existed before AI. The ease of AI image creation makes it ideal for humor since the time required by traditional means would be prohibitive. When released into the wilds of the internet, an image can morph in ways making the original author difficult to identify.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>A child playing with crayons does not experience or pose a sense of risk to itself or others, except possibly to the kitchen table or walls. <\/strong><strong>Is it because the stakes are so low, <\/strong><strong>or because play is seen as a simple engaging distraction? <\/strong><strong>Is it because nothing of consequences is seemingly accomplished? A child\u2019s drawing is rarely critically evaluated. An adult painting along with Bob Ross likely does experience a sense of risk. This might be why Ross constantly reassured and encouraged his viewers. Risk in art really seems quite minimal \u2013 especially when compared to skydiving or even driving to the market.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8641\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8641\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8641\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.3-Cow-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.3-Cow-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.3-Cow-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.3-Cow.jpg 650w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8641\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.3 \u00a9 Tom Curtis.<em> Cow by Al<\/em>, from the series Things <em>I Have Drawn<\/em>, 2020. Dimensions variable. Digital file.<br \/>While the drawings of children are often praised at the time of their creation and proudly exhibited on family refrigerators, they rarely survive into their makers\u2019 adulthoods. <em>Things I Have Drawn<\/em> imagines a world in which kids\u2019 drawings reflect their reality. What started as a modest project between dad, Tom Curtis, and his sons Dom and Al, received widespread recognition and was featured in <em>Vanity Fair, HuffPost, Vogue Italia, and The Indian Express<\/em>, among other venues. See: www.thingsihavedrawn.com\/press<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Frequently the concept of risk can include not merely a failure but actual harm. While art rarely poses physical risk, some would argue it might risk potential emotional or intellectual disturbances, which can lead to censorship. But if one is not concerned or wary of the mental turmoil, then art poses little risk. Science can often be seen as dealing with potential dangers or rewards on a massive societal scale, which could possibly materially affect a multitude of people. What then, is that risk that artists link to creativity?<\/p>\n<p><strong>In art making, the <\/strong><strong>sense of risk is always personally defined. While it can go beyond ego and self-image, its consequences can be public and professional \u2013 especially for those who are invested<\/strong> <strong>financially <\/strong><strong>in art-making or other creative fields. Are you seen as something of a genius or a derivative hack? It really depends on one\u2019s personal ambitions, what one\u2019s ego can support, and the identity one wishes to create. In the words of filmmaker Bradley Corbet, director of <em>The Brutalist <\/em>(2024): \u201cYou really have to dare to suck. I really think it\u2019s so important. If you\u2019re always trying to color inside the lines, you are not advancing the conversation.\u201d<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">(2)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8642\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8642\" class=\"wp-image-8642 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.4-Brutalist.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.4-Brutalist.jpg 650w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.4-Brutalist-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.4-Brutalist-150x90.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8642\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.4 \u00a9 A24. <em>The Brutalist<\/em>, film still, 2024. Dimensions variable. Digital file.<br \/>Directed, produced, and co-written by Brady Corbet, <em>The Brutalist<\/em> was nominated for ten Oscars including Best picture, Best Director, Best Director, and Best Actor. Here, Adrian Brody movingly portrays fictional architect and Hungarian-Jewish immigrant L\u00e1szl\u00f3 T\u00f3th, a character perhaps loosely based on the lives of Marcel Breuer and Ern\u0151 Goldfinger. Brody was nominated for best actor for this role.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong><strong>It\u2019s our expectations that new technologies, such as AI, will repeatedly \u201ccolor inside the lines.\u201d At present a machine, even one that mimics human emotions, does not have an imagination, feel passion, or experience risk. Does this make creativity the sole domain of humankind? Can creativity arise from other processes \u2013 even ones that are not intentional?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are other systems that seem to generate variety and new outcomes. Evolution is one example. It does not take a great leap of the imagination to look around us and see the wide diversity of flora and fauna, interacting as a complex system, to think of this as a type of creativity. Aside from the mechanisms of adaptation and fitness, evolution has no specific intentions or goals, yet it seems to be innovative and dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>When asked, \u201cCan evolution be said to be creative,\u201d Chat GPT 4o responded with this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>Yes, evolution can be considered creative in a metaphorical sense. While it doesn\u2019t involve intention or consciousness like human creativity, evolution produces new and diverse forms of life through natural processes such as mutation, natural selection, and genetic recombination. Some of the ways how evolution aligns with the concept of creativity include: Generation of Novelty; Adaptation and Problem-Solving; Exploration of Possibilities; Iteration and Refinement<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>Just as creative processes often involve trial and error, evolution operates through a continuous process of experimentation and refinement. Organisms that survive pass on their genetic \u201c<\/em><em>solutions,<\/em><em>\u201d while less successful variations are naturally filtered out<\/em>. <em>However, unlike human creativity, which is intentional and directed toward a specific goal, evolution is an undirected, non-conscious process driven by chance and necessity. It doesn\u2019t aim for novelty or solutions; it merely follows the rules of natural selection. In this sense, evolution is <span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">\u201ccreative\u201d<\/span> in a functional, rather than an intentional, way<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Since evolution does not involve directed intention and results in new forms that are wondrous, many people consider this to be creative. They ascribe that creativity to something that possesses awareness. And thus, religion is born\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This sounds like it might allow an opening for AI to possess or develop modes of creativity. But might we discount those as being more like a child coloring with crayons? What is lacking? Passion? Or does the problem really need to be reframed? Often, we judge AI simply by its results. For many, the use of AI will be an issue of expediency, rather than art. So is AI as a tool really the issue?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>This is where the question of degree enters. Simple uses such as asking for a definition or help with a first draft of a paragraph is not particularly problematic. Responsible use is an inherent expectation in the nature of all tools. Their capacity to create transformative change is when ethical questions arise. Ideas are cheap.<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> (3)<\/span> Especially in our current art climate, where ideas are often more valued than physical forms. This could make for provocative times, including the secret use of AI by artists. But for many, \u201ceasy\u201d is not what they are seeking. It seems that creativity may arise from inquisitiveness along with surprise and uncertainty. When thought of as a tool used in those ways, AI might have a fascinating role to play. Where will the risk be then?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Perhaps risk and the aesthetic experience are motivations in themselves. (<span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">4)<\/span> With risk, there is also a sense of accomplishment \u2013 of going beyond what you believed were your own capabilities. In an interview, Academy Award nominated director, screenwriter, and photography professor <\/strong><strong>RaMell Ross said:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>There\u2019s something about photography that is like that in which you, like, need to prove that you can do it again to yourself. You\u2019re, like, trying \u2013 you\u2019re chasing something. You\u2019re in pursuit, you\u2019re on some treadmill, like, it\u2019s &#8211; and it\u2019s ineffable, and you want to do it forever, and you&#8217;re never satisfied, and it&#8217;s essentially not about the thing itself. It\u2019s doing something else for you. And yeah, I just needed that<\/em>.<em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"> (5)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ross\u2019s statement, <\/strong><strong>echoed by many artists, <\/strong><strong>is something to celebrate and share as it denotes why artists<\/strong><strong> seek<\/strong><strong> to <\/strong><strong>exhibit their work.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8643\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8643\" class=\"wp-image-8643 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.5-RaMell-Ross.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.5-RaMell-Ross.jpg 650w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.5-RaMell-Ross-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.5-RaMell-Ross-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8643\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.5 <em>RaMell Ross<\/em>, on the set of his film <em>Nickel Boys<\/em> (2024), 2025. Dimensions variable. Digital file. \u00a9 MGM\/Courtesy Everett Collection. <\/p>\n<p>RaMell Ross on the set of his film <em>Nickel Boys<\/em> (2024), which was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay (by Ross from Colson Whitehead\u2019s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel). Interestingly, Ross is also an Associate Professor at Brown University where he teaches photography and art.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In his classroom at the University of Utah, Professor Bateman gives his students an assignment to use AI to make work that would easily be recognized as their own \u2013 work that would reflect their ongoing themes and visual styles. During critique each was asked two questions: Do you claim this work as your own? And do you feel the need to present the work as having used AI? Their answers varied, but themes did emerge. It seemed to depend on the amount of effort \u2013 going beyond a simple AI prompt \u2013 that determined if the student claimed the work as their own. Even for one student whose work was remarkably identical to their typical imagery, the ease with how it was made was their reason for rejecting authorship. The need to credit AI followed a similar principle of involvement and degree of the contribution to the work made by AI. As a group, they also observed that if the use of AI was not important to the meaning of the work, then it was less likely to be stated as AI derived. It appeared they distinguished between the tool and the maker as separate roles. The expression did not rest in the tool, but in the creator.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8644\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8644\" class=\"wp-image-8644 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.6-Logue-Living-room-flooded.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.6-Logue-Living-room-flooded.jpg 650w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.6-Logue-Living-room-flooded-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2.6-Logue-Living-room-flooded-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8644\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2.6 \u00a9 Sally Logue. No title, 2024. Dimensions variable. Digital file. Courtesy of the artist.<\/p>\n<p>This image was made for an assignment in Bateman\u2019s <em>Advanced Digital Imaging<\/em> class at the University of Utah. Students were challenged to use AI to make an image that resembled their own work. The class found this image to be remarkable and immediately identified its creator. Logue, who constructs and photographs miniature sets, declined authorship of this image. It simply did not meet her personal criteria of being her own creative work. This explains why this image was not given a title \u2013 a symbolic act of conferring the status of art onto an object. There is a unique aspect of digital images that differs from other mediums. Unlike a ceramic work or a painting, a digital image must be given a name in order for the file to be saved (in this case Living room flooded.jpg), which is not the same as the work being titled.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>This discussion seems abstractedly reminiscent of the debate surrounding Charles Darwin\u2019s theory of evolution that <em>The Origin of Species<\/em> (1859) ignited. For most artists, <\/strong><strong>in making <\/strong><strong>their work, they are <\/strong><strong>metaphorically \u201c<\/strong><strong>Creationists\u201d<\/strong><strong>. This should not be taken in a strictly religious sense, rather as a way to take back this term and give creativity greater import, in contrast to the advertising agency use of \u201ccreative\u201d to designate a <\/strong><strong>narrower <\/strong><strong>skill set. <\/strong><strong>While mechanistic processes, such as <\/strong><strong>evolution or tools and \u201ccraft,\u201d may <\/strong><strong>play a role in how they work, that is not the objective for many artists. Indeed, the tropes of religion seem to better fit the thinking of many. A sense of the profound, inspiration, meditation, and <\/strong><strong>sometimes even the divine or profane <\/strong><strong>seems strangely apt.<\/strong> <strong>In the academy this aspect of being an artist is more whispered than discussed, which maintains an active mistrust of that which is not a product of rational, intellectual processes, including the non-conscious, but very <\/strong><strong>real functioning of the brain. The deeper realms of the human mind remain mostly inaccessible for direct examination. Does this make art a narcissistic act? A misguided quest to be a modern Prometheus? Or could it be a fervent desire to repair the world? To bring into existence something new and valuable? All of these aims are evident. Intentions and motivations have consequences \u2013 as do the random events that fill our everyday world. We tend to see intentionality in both, even when it does not directly exist.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Finally, creativity is about leaving a mark that you were here in this world. Having a vision is risky as it means deciding to blend in or to stand out, but without this risk nothing changes. Thus, creativity is a form of dreaming \u2013 an amalgam of multiple associations of entwined relationships that provokes interpretation and concentrated action that is at the heart of culture that has integrity. It is how one articulates a focused, imaginative, inner life. No doubt, the rise of AI will offer similar challenges for many to resolve.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Our next essay will examine AI and its potential impact in how we see and understand photography.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; vertical-align: top;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1065035663? width=\" height=\"169\" frameborder=\"0\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><span style=\"display: width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\"><\/span><\/span><\/iframe><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; vertical-align: top;\">Readers may provide feedback via the author\u2019s websites.<\/p>\n<p>Edward Bateman<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebateman.com\">http:\/\/www.ebateman.com<\/a><br \/>\nRobert Hirsch<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/lightresearch.net\/light\/\">https:\/\/lightresearch.net\/light\/<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Endnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Bob Ross (1942-1995) was an American painter and art instructor, who created and hosted the instructional television program <em>The Joy of Painting<\/em>, which aired from 1983 to 1994 and continues to be seen on reruns. Ross became known for his light humor, gentle demeanor, and distinctive hairstyle.<\/p>\n<p>2 Alexandra Schwartz, \u201cBrady Corbet\u2019s Outsider American Epic,\u201d <em>The New Yorker<\/em>,<br \/>\nDecember 13, 2024, www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2024\/12\/23\/brady-corbet-profile<\/p>\n<p>3 Like talk, ideas are cheap. This explains why this idea takes so many forms. \u201cTo me ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.\u201d While widely attributed to Steve Jobs, there is not a single documented instance of Jobs saying this exact phrase. In his book, <em>Measure What Matters<\/em> (2018), American investor and venture capitalist John Doerr wrote: \u201cIdeas are easy. Execution is everything.\u201d See: Robin Bruce, \u201cEven The Best Ideas Are Cheap, But Execution And Lessons Learned Are Priceless,\u201d <em>Forbes<\/em>, December 18, 2017, www.forbes.com\/sites\/robinbruce\/2017\/01\/18\/ideas-are-cheap-execution-and-lessons-learned-are-priceless\/<\/p>\n<p>4 Aesthetic experiences can enhance creativity. It is easy to imagine a self-reinforcing feedback loop in the interplay of artmaking and creativity. It also appears that creativity has a positive effect on keeping the mind malleable to new experiences. For more information see: Welke, D., Purton, I., &amp; Vessel, E. A., \u201cInspired by art: Higher aesthetic appeal elicits increased felt inspiration in a creative writing task.\u201d <em>Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 17<\/em> (3), 261\u2013277, 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Faca0000393\">https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Faca0000393<\/a> Also, Van de Cruys, S., Bervoets, J., &amp; Moors, A., \u201cPreferences need inferences: Learning, valuation, and curiosity in aesthetic experience,\u201d In M. Skov &amp; M. Nadal (Eds.), <em>The Routledge international handbook of neuroaesthetics<\/em> (475\u2013506), Oxford &amp; New York: Routledge, 2023.<\/p>\n<p>5 Tonya Mosely, \u201c<em>Nickel Boys<\/em>\u2019 director RaMell Ross says the American South \u2018makes you question what time is\u2019, NPR, <em>Fresh Air<\/em>, February 13, 2025, www.npr.org\/2025\/02\/13\/g-s1-48641\/nickel-boys-director-ramell-ross-says-the-south-makes-you-question-what-time-is<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#top\">Top<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Go to theme table of contents Go to VJIC table of contents This second of several essays on artificial intelligence (AI) explores its potential relationship to creativity. The authors see writing these essays as a creative exchange that recognizes the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/?page_id=8635\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88910,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8635","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P2KsSU-2fh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/88910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8635"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8678,"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8635\/revisions\/8678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vjic.org\/vjic2\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}