The Shadows
My first cohesive art series, "The Shadows," is inspired by stained glass and created with AI. I dreamt about the foundation of my creative universe and have always been fascinated by stained glass as an art form. It brings out colors and adds light to any room, and I aim to recreate this feeling with my art. I create AI artworks with a stained glass aesthetic for those unfamiliar with my art. The first recorded connection between my passion for stained glass was made when I wrote a short poem in elementary school as a 2nd grader. Stained glass has an insanely powerful effect in person, and I hope to capture this essence in my art. I’ve created a collection called The Shadows, which consists of 20 1/1s, each with a unique name and character traits. I have previously minted only 4 1/1s on ETH, so this was a great opportunity to think through what I want to build and who I want to bring along for the journey. I decided to create "god-like" creatures who "rule" over the stained glass universe that I am building. Each Shadow represents a specific archetype with distinct characteristics and traits. For instance, Artimus is dedicated to uplifting the arts and supporting the creative process and its creators, while Nexus is a master of connections, weaving intricate networks and building bridges between realms, uniting different elements into a cohesive whole. Each Shadow is imbued with an emotional and symbolic trait inspired by human traits and real experiences. I consider the Shadows the first step in my creative universe, and Shadows collectors are the stewards of said universe.
What makes this collection special?
Great question! This collection is special to me for a couple of reasons; however, I urge you to think about what makes this collection special to you. The first “reason” is that it enabled me to explore my creativity in a way I never imagined possible. I despised going to art class as a kid, it felt like I couldn't accomplish anything and that my art teachers would constantly shame me for not being able to do the work they were looking for. And that basically planted a seed in my head that I was a “non-creative” person. I feel extremely lucky that I ended up finding crypto/web3 and therefore art. After many conversations with people in the space, I learned that creativity comes in all forms and applications. In late 2022, Dalle was released, and I felt inspired to test it out; the rest is history. AI-enabled me to unlock my creativity and bring my visions to life. It feels like a superpower, as AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Magnific have become my creative partners, helping me conceptualize, create, and promote the collection. These tools democratize the creative process by making it easier for anyone to access and use the basic elements of creativity. This shift means that the real challenge now lies in developing compelling concepts and creating cohesive worlds. The 2020s mark the beginning of a new era where digital art and AI art will thrive, empowering everyone to unleash their creativity. The second reason, closely related to the first, is the evolution of technology. For context, I was born in 2002 and grew up during the rise of modern technology. This background makes my current collaboration with AI tools especially astonishing to me. I received my first phone in 2nd grade and my first laptop in 6th grade from my school district. By the time I was 8 in 2010, Facebook was peaking. I signed up for it, then experienced the height of Instagram, and spent my teen years on TikTok. All this to say, I have been deeply intertwined with technology my whole life. Yet, even three years ago, I couldn't have imagined creating AI art, let alone collaborating with a whole toolkit of AI tools to bring my first-ever art collection to life. The rapid pace of technological advancement blows my mind. How many new creative mediums will we discover in the next 15 years? Probably more than we expect. I want to be there for the ride, experimenting and creating with as many of them as possible. "The Shadows" is my first step in taking that action. There is something special about the relationship I've developed with the AIs I used throughout this journey. I can't fully convey this experience, but I can share the story and the outputs. If you feel it, that's wonderful. If not, that's okay too. It means you still have the chance to experience it yourself one day. I hope everyone gets to feel that unique chemistry with inanimate technology.