I would be lying if I told you that I was not caught up by the allure of algorithmic shortcuts to make better stuff: art, music, photographs, and words.  Heck, I’ve spent my own share of time coding generative scripts (not nearly a fraction as sophisticated as modern LLMs) to randomize writing prompts for myself or mad-lib dialogue for games or prompt ideas for art projects.

But having the machine do the work for us? That’s the curious milestone we’ve encountered along the roadside of this creative journey.

I would also be unfairly shirking my own self-credit if I told you that I had not put in countless hours towards technical mastery. I have worn out a dozen cameras. I have shelves stuffed with sketchbooks. My word count for unpublished novels is in the millions.

It is a nihilistic curiosity that has me reaching for the button that could replicate that all in a few moments.

I don’t think any of us yet comprehend the gravity of what happens when we stop learning the hard way—of what happens when technical mastery becomes optional.

What happens when all software is generated by copilots, when all stock photos are imagined by algorithms, or when all music is churned out of a virtual instrument untouched by human hands? 

Once I would have told you that the journey is far more important than the destination, but when there is money to be made, likes to be had, influence to be thrust into the socials, whose got time to actually learn the skills anymore? I’ll be exploring this more under the topic Apotheosis & Craft as I continue writing on this blog. Stay tuned.