Substack Re-Stack (Nov 3-8)

Here is a breakdown of the articles by subject, a standalone summary of each article, and a contextualization of my Substack posts from this past week on the subject of AI and the Creative Professional.

This is the NotebookLM ‘podcast’ summarizing all the Substack articles from this week with a high level overview and a few micro-dives.

Breakdown and Summaries of Substack Articles

Subject 1: Dall-E/GPT Vision

• "Creative AI: Transforming Design with ChatGPT & Beyond (3)": This article explores the use of Dall-E 3 and GPT Vision for image creation within ChatGPT. The article walks through a scenario of image creation using a list of unlikely characters, humorous situations, locations, time periods, and fashion styles to generate creative prompts. It emphasizes the importance of clear and specific prompts in guiding the AI to produce desired results.

• "Creative AI: Transforming Design with ChatGPT & Beyond (3b)": This article focuses on image revision capabilities in Dall-E 3 and GPT Vision. It revisits a previous image prompt and uses GPT Vision to observe the image and refine the prompt for a better result. It explains the process of feeding images back to ChatGPT for observation and highlights the limitations of Dall-E 3 in performing true inpainting. The article also discusses the various personalities of ChatGPT, GPT Vision's ability to comprehend images, and the evolution of Dall-E 3 with its integration into ChatGPT.

Subject 2: Using AI to "RAMP up" learning

• "98% of Personal Branding Creators are Frauds: Takeaways from Chris Do": This article utilizes a combination of AI tools (YouTube, Study.New , Unstuck AI) to analyze and summarize a video by Chris Do on personal branding. The article includes a detailed breakdown of the video's key points, analysis, and actionable steps, demonstrating the "RAMP" method for rapid knowledge acquisition and practical application. It highlights the power of AI tools in streamlining learning and making complex topics more accessible.

Subject 3: Adobe Firefly

• "Produce NewArc.ai Renders - with Adobe Firefly? Yep!": This article demonstrates the capability of Adobe Firefly in recreating images generated by NewArc.ai . It provides a step-by-step process of using Firefly to produce renders from reference sketches in various design categories (fashion, footwear, accessories). The article emphasizes the importance of prompt specificity, composition reference weight, and the understanding of AI interpretation for achieving desired results.

Subject 4: Midjourney and Camera Terminology

"Camera Angles + CREF in Midjourney (1)": This article introduces the concepts of camera angles, compositions, and character consistency (CREF) in Midjourney prompting. It focuses on the importance of purposeful prompting to achieve desired results and emphasizes that success lies in obtaining even one desired element. The article uses a character prompt example with a focus on background simplicity and maintaining character consistency.

"Camera Angles + CREF in Midjourney (2)": This article expands on the previous one, providing a comprehensive glossary of camera angles, directions of viewing, shot types, lens techniques, and bird's-eye view variations for prompting in Midjourney. It aims to equip readers with the necessary terminology and understanding of different camera techniques to enhance their visual storytelling and prompting skills.

"Camera Angles + CREF in Midjourney (3)": This article dives into practical application, guiding readers through the process of achieving various camera angles and compositions using Midjourney's image editor. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the limitations of AI and adapting workarounds to achieve desired results, focusing on achieving success "in-app." The article demonstrates techniques for creating Dutch angles and helicopter views through prompt manipulation and image editing.

"Camera Angles + CREF in Midjourney (4)": This article explores the enhanced capabilities of CREF (Character Reference) in Midjourney with the introduction of external image editor capabilities. It showcases the use of reference images from Pexels.com to create character-consistent renders in various settings and styles, demonstrating the improved accuracy and versatility of CREF.

"Camera Angles + CREF in Midjourney (5)": This article continues exploring CREF, providing specific prompt structures to achieve desired results. It reiterates the importance of clear descriptions, settings, and parameters in crafting effective prompts, using examples from Pexels.com images to create character-focused renders in different scenarios. The article encourages readers to explore and experiment with their own CREF images and share their creations.

Brian Sykes as a Creative Thought Leader

Across these articles, I continuously seek to position myself as a creative thought leader in the realm of AI and creativity for professionals. Several key themes emerge:

• AI Amplification for Creative Professionals: I consistently advocate for utilizing AI tools, not as replacements for human creativity, but as powerful amplifiers to enhance creative output. My "AMP/RAMP" approach, introduced this week in analysis of Chris Do's video, emphasizes using AI to amplify existing skills and rapidly accelerate knowledge and productivity. This approach is consistently demonstrated in my exploration of various AI tools for design and visual storytelling.
• Practical Application and Workflows: I go beyond theoretical discussions of AI's potential, providing detailed walkthroughs and practical tips for utilizing AI tools in real-world creative workflows. My step-by-step guides for Midjourney prompting and Adobe Firefly image generation empower creative professionals to apply these tools effectively in their own projects.
• Emphasis on Prompting and Understanding AI Limitations: Recognizing that AI is a tool that requires skilled guidance, I places significant emphasis on the art of prompting. I emphasize the importance of clear and specific prompts, understanding the limitations of different AI models, and developing workarounds to achieve desired results. This focus on mastering the human-AI interaction underscores my belief that AI should be a collaborative partner, not a replacement for human creativity.
• Accessibility and Community Engagement: I promote accessibility and community engagement by sharing my processes, insights, and even the reference images I use, encouraging my readers to experiment, create, and share their work. I believe this open approach fosters a collaborative spirit and demystifies AI, making it more approachable for creative professionals of all levels.