/imagine: A Ball Gag for Your Eyes

Social media mornings are filled with misguided fantasies, unworldly concepts, and beautifully detached from reality. A.I. imaginings that see "client" logos but have no regard for the actual brands, disregard the laws of physics, budgets, genuine creative processes, and nearly all logistics in their supposed solutions. So, rather than marketing or with a mission, they’re porn—stuff people usually watch in shame with the laptop camera covered. Yeah, nice stuff, but is attributing them to clients cool?

Seeing discussions on the death of creativity from A.I., they’re akin to pondering why our shallow and client-pleasing ideas are being overshadowed by plotless and explicit content. It's not that generative A.I. poses a threat to creativity; it's because most of humanity forgot how to appreciate and recognize real creativity as many opinions became not theirs but those of everyone else. Maybe A.I. is just the new "put a bevel on it" solution.

Once upon a time, we were creative, curious, and focused on making it memorable rather than made to measure for the algorithms. Our work elicited emotions, not just from ourselves but also from our audiences—not just to share but to love; genuinely feel something, not just a fleeting "affinity" towards a brand. We’re still doing it, but we’re forgetting why it’s different.

Okay. I admit that some of the artificial creations are wonderfully satisfying and inspiring. They do things with a set of prompts that would take a team hours or days to create. However, I return to the core issue: just like masturbating, there are things we shouldn't indulge in publicly. And if we do whip them out for all to see, just accept that maybe it’s all for pretend and has only prurient value. Sure, we can say they’re just for “inspiration,” but I do still enjoy “reading the articles.”

I use things like MidJourney, not behind closed doors and not as a guilty pleasure, and it’s exciting, but not in a sweaty way. It’s not so I can put one over on my clients; when they’re in the mix, it’s with knowledge of reality, the brand, and the everythingness that surrounds the work when I present them as an answer to something. Yes, I confess that I’m more than a “casual user.” When in use, they’re a tool that comes with reason and at least a heavy flirtation with reality—I know I can find someone to build it and any permits to make it happen.

Throughout my meanderings, I've encountered many smart people and, like A.I., I've absorbed both good and bad from them, making both my own. I've read, listened, experienced life and fostered curiosity to shape my understanding. The distinction between us and machines (keeping in mind my definition of "us" as those capable of genuine learning and critical thinking) lies in the power of having ideas. As I often remind people, an idea is the most dangerous thing in the world. I start with just one word: “if."

We can now all be at least average. Despite ever-changing developments, what I see is that we find ourselves at an intriguing juncture. Post-COVID, we have a chance to reimagine much of what we've been doing. For me, it's a chance to rediscover the power of doing things for reasons AND allowing for some reckless but informed ideation. Yes, we have incredible new tools at our disposal, which will force equality for the work of below-average creative people. But for those who are truly curious, intelligent, and imaginative enough to create beyond pretty pictures, sentences, or structures, there is immense potential for good again. Yes, we can now rethink things because the only thing A.I. has immediately perfected is poseurs.

I now live in the Experiential category, where the "if" questions consume my thoughts. There's a shift happening here, transforming a production-centric model into one that emphasizes critical thinking and creativity. Some of the A.I.-driven visual indulgence we witness on social media may aid people in reimagining the category with their own versions of "what if." While these posts on LinkedIn may lack physical feasibility, budgetary realism, or strategic insight, they possess the attention-grabbing power of just enough naked skin for people to settle into a good story. As for those of us who still possess genuine ideas, we can guide people toward understanding the true measure of "good" once again. If history or cinema teach us anything, when the machines eventually fall, some of us will need to know how to adapt and create. And if you ever find solace in this thought, remember that everyone experiences chafing if they overdo it.

“If” only.