Revolutionizing Creativity with Jonathan Ijzerman, the Maestro Behind 'RobotCandy'

Introduction

Embark on a thrilling journey where technology intertwines with imagination, and the boundaries between art and innovation blur into a mesmerizing spectacle. Welcome to the realm of AI/CC :: Artificial Intelligence Creative Community , a global hub where generative AI and creativity converge in an exhilarating celebration.

In this space, conventional norms are defied, and creativity isn't just unleashed—it's downright rebellious. Picture the fusion of art and tech in a dynamic tango, and you find yourself in the front row of the coolest show in town.

Our mission is as simple as it is epic—we are here to throw the grandest celebration for the dynamic duo of innovation and artistry. AI/CC is the stage where artists boldly challenge conventions, leading us on a journey where creativity transforms landscapes.

Before we delve into the captivating world of Jonathan I. 's creative journey, let's take a moment to express our gratitude. The AI/CC community, a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of positivity, curiosity, and kindness, has been the driving force behind the unfolding narrative of innovation and collaboration.

A special thanks to all the visionaries, collaborators, and enthusiasts who contribute to this dynamic community. Your collective energy fuels the spirit of exploration and propels the AI/CC :: Artificial Intelligence Creative Community into uncharted territories of creativity.

Jonathan Ijzerman: A Symphony of Art and AI

Please tell us about your background and how you got started in your creative field?

I've always believed that we all inherently belong to the creative field. Since childhood, the idea of inventing and creating has been a driving force for me. I remember drawing maps for my custom board games and weaving together intricate stories. My curiosity about the world around me was insatiable, and I found myself deeply fascinated by even the minutest of details, marveling at the beauty of it all.

In terms of my background, I've always seen myself as a thinker, a problem solver, and a builder. These are the qualities that led me to software development. I'm passionate about using critical thinking and creativity to address complex problems and then bring those solutions to life with my technical skills. My journey in this field has been about merging my innate curiosity and inventiveness with the practicalities of building and problem-solving in the digital world.

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What is your creative process like, and how has it evolved over time?

My creative process typically begins within my mind. I tend to mentally map out every step of the process before bringing it to life. This approach has significantly evolved with the advent of AI. AI-based creativity, for instance, with platforms like Midjourney, often feels more like an open-ended exploration rather than working towards a predetermined goal.

Sometimes, I start with a specific idea that I want to bring to life and then work on refining it. Other times, my process is more exploratory - I probe the system and experiment with inputs to generate unexpected outputs. I find it particularly interesting when Midjourney creates unexpected relationships and results from simple or unconventional prompts, like emojis. This unpredictable aspect of AI continues to intrigue and fascinate me.

Who are some of your biggest influences and inspirations, both within your field and outside of it?

Nature, biology, science fiction, future thinking, and love are some of my biggest influences and inspirations. These elements not only shape my perspective but also drive my creativity, both within and outside of my field.

How do you balance the need to be innovative and experimental in your work with the need to appeal to a wider audience or market?

Balancing innovation and appeal is an art form in itself. Since I don't identify as a traditional artist and currently share my work primarily on LinkedIn, I find the varied reactions to my work quite intriguing. Sometimes, people get really excited about a post that I personally consider not up to the mark, and other times, it's the reverse.

I share my work for two reasons: firstly, I love creating beautiful things. Secondly, I want to show people the potential of AI. My hope is that my stories and images not only give people a brief moment of respite but also make them realize the power of this technology.

In essence, I want to help the world prepare for the technological revolution that's just around the corner. I believe we have a lot of catching up to do.

Can you share a project or piece of work that you're particularly proud of, and what makes it stand out to you?

I've created many AI-generated images that are special to me, but one particular project truly stands out: the synthography shoot of Sofie van der Sterren for Masters magazine. In this project, we produced a full photorealistic shoot of a fictional model using AI. The outcome was so lifelike that most people couldn't tell she wasn't real, illustrating the astounding realism and potential of AI in art and photography.

How do you stay motivated and inspired when facing creative blocks or challenges?

I've been posting my work every day for quite some time now, and the creative freedom these tools provide is such that I rarely run out of ideas. However, when I do face a creative block or am pressed for time, I find brainstorming with ChatGPT to be incredibly helpful. It's a great tool for generating fresh ideas.

Additionally, I find the Midjourney community and the works of my AICC family to be a constant source of inspiration. They motivate me to keep exploring and pushing my creative boundaries.

Please share a little bit about your cultural background and how it has influenced your work.

As a Dutchman, I believe exploring and forward-thinking are quite characteristic of my culture. The Netherlands also boasts of some renowned painters, and I can't say I'm entirely unaffected by their influence.

How do you incorporate your personal values and beliefs into your creative work, and why is this important to you?

That’s a bit of a secret. Sometimes, I simply enjoy creating random or beautiful pieces. Other times, I embed hidden messages into my work. These messages aren't meant to be seen or understood by everyone - they're there for those they're intended for or those who know me very well.

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Exploring the Creative Universe

How do you see emergent technologies evolving in the next few years, and what impact do you think they will have on your creative process?

We're truly in for an exciting ride. All the big AI players are going full throttle, and we're starting to build these emerging tools on top of other tools, accelerating things at an insane pace. They're going to reshape not just how we work but even how we think. We'll have to approach a lot of things differently. Creativity and knowledge are being democratized to a large extent and it's up to us what we do with that power. For me, I'm planning to just 10x my output for now and pivot along the way as things continue to emerge and solidify.

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What advice would you give to someone who wants to incorporate emergent technologies into their creative work but needs to know where to start?

Just start! Seriously, create a trial account and see what you get. If you get stuck, there are resources out there - read some docs, visit a forum or a community like AI/CC, or just ask someone. There are so many great people in this space who are more than happy to help you get started.

There are videos, tutorials, and books being made all the time. I've even had the pleasure of co-authoring a book on using ChatGPT in generative AI with our favorite community teacher, Brian Sykes , and other brilliant minds in our space. You can check it out here A.I. Explore: Collaborations, Book 1?

Proud Moments and Artistic Triumphs

Can you share your first and last AI creation with us?

My first image was created with Dall-E, and although I don't have that one anymore, I can share an image from my first go with MidJourney . It was mid-2022, and it's crazy to think about how much has happened in this field in just one year!

One of my most recent Midjourney images is a character study for an AI-driven visual detective novel that I'm working on called 'The Story of Neverington'. I'll delve a bit more into that later.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is one of my favorite ways to express myself. But it's also about mental gymnastics and challenging myself. I love thinking outside of the box and being creative in ways that go beyond just art. Creativity is a big part of problem-solving, using or combining existing things in novel ways to achieve or express new things.

Describe the best piece of art you've created?

Ha! I've got a fun secret to share. Remember when I mentioned The Story of Neverington? Here's more on that! I love pushing the limits of this new tech, exploring its capabilities in unique ways, and even trying to break it (like my extensive experiments with emoji prompts).

One day, I ran a prompt that turned out to be priceless: "Scene in the style of Joop Klepzeiker." Now, a word of caution, don't Google that name while you're at work! Joop Klepzeiker is a fictional character from a very vulgar Dutch comic with a very distinctive drawing style.

To my great surprise, something completely unexpected happened... the AI-generated absolutely gorgeous, picturesque images in a style that I hadn't seen it do before. Besides that, the images were extremely diverse in the subjects they depicted.

I was fascinated, it felt like an amazing discovery, and it kept me up at night trying to figure out what was going on. I think the AI model didn't know Joop Klepzeiker, so it created art to match that by best guess. As the name sounds Dutch, it presumably drew inspiration from old Dutch master painters. This theory is strengthened by the occasional windmill in some of the scenes. Other prominent features in the outputs were old-timer cars and ships.

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I ended up rendering hundreds of these images, all with the exact same prompt. The output never ceased to amaze me with its incredible variety.

The idea for a detective story was born there. I wanted to know what was going on in that town. This was before ChatGPT, but I did have access to GPT3 already. The idea was to explore this AI-created town with the help of more AI and build that world.

A while later, I got access to ChatGPT, which gave a new boost to this story. I set it up as an interactive narrator of the story. I explained the outline and setting and would go back and forth with ChatGPT to advance the story. I started by having it create some characters for me, which I revised until I was happy with them. I would then take responsibility for the actions of just the protagonist, the detective. The rest of the story would advance around the detective based on my lines or actions.

Getting it into the right mode was tough. But once I struck the right chord with GPT 3.5, it was unbelievably good. Once I found the right mode, I was up all night advancing the story on my phone. By the time I realized how tired I was, it was 5 a.m. The writing was so good, incredibly thrilling, and took turns that I never saw coming.

How do you define creativity, and how do you approach it in your AI-generated art?

Feeling appreciated for my work feels pretty great, but the response can vary quite a bit. It's strange when I spend a lot of time perfecting a piece or a series, only for it to reach a small audience due to LinkedIn's algorithm. On the flip side, there have been times when I've just randomly created something quick, and people go nuts over it like it's a masterpiece, haha.

The appreciation of AI art is an intriguing topic. There's been a lot of debate around it, especially because many people don't fully understand the amount of work involved. Some, particularly those who have never used the technology, tend to think that the AI does all the work and that it can magically produce images exactly as I envision them.

As someone who has always aimed to showcase the power of this technology, I might have contributed to this misconception by downplaying some of the work I've posted as if it was as simple as typing a few words and getting incredible results. But the reality is different; it took me countless hours to understand these models, how they respond to certain words, and their capabilities and limitations (like hands, for example).

There's also the ongoing debate about whether or not it's art. For me, the answer is simple: by all known definitions, it can be art. Not all AI-generated images are art, just as not all photos, drawings, or paintings are art. But they can be. The Story of Neverington, in my view, is undoubtedly art.

Professionally, what’s your goal?

In my professional life, I am dedicated to both software development and AI education. My goal is to create innovative AI-driven solutions, making tasks more efficient and less monotonous. Additionally, I am actively involved in conducting AI workshops and presentations, educating hundreds about the transformative impact of AI technologies like ChatGPT. This dual role as a developer and educator allows me to not only innovate but also to guide others in understanding and leveraging AI's potential in various industries.

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What is your dream project?

I have many dreams. In the short term, I'm set on creating successful AI-centric software products and fully realizing my Neverington story in the creative realm. As for the big picture, I dream of a fair world of abundance. AI and education in AI can help there.

Ethics and Collaboration: Guardianship of Narrative Integrity

How do you ensure that your use of emergent technologies doesn't compromise the integrity of your creative vision or message?

I'm the final gatekeeper of what I choose to display and the narratives I want to narrate. I've crafted 100,000+ images using AI, but you've likely only seen less than hundreds of them.

How do you approach collaboration with other creatives when using emergent technologies, and what are some of the benefits and challenges of working in a team?

There's something uniquely rewarding about bouncing ideas off a fellow creative, something that AI just can't match. I've had a blast collaborating with talents like JnGospel Ebere , Amr Tahtawi , and Brian Sykes , and I'm excited about future collaborations with folks like Aedin Christopher ? and Fabian Schlosser . Not to mention, the creative jams in the AI/CC with Seth P. , Ben Currier ?? Ben Roffelsen , Aaron Goldsmith , and Robert Sprude are always a blast.

In what ways can emergent technologies help to address issues of diversity and inclusivity in the creative industries?

AI provides an opportunity to establish fairness, honesty, and inclusivity. Unlike humans, AI, once programmed to uphold these values, will consistently adhere to them.

Can you discuss any ethical considerations that arise when creating art using AI technology and how you address them?

The benefits of AI shouldn't be exclusive to a select few who control the technology but, instead, should contribute to the collective good.

Future Horizons: Navigating Change and Inspiring Others

How do you see your work and creative field evolving in the next few years, and what impact do you hope to have?

The pace at which things are changing right now is intense, specifically with the rise of AI. We're going to see not just the creative field but our entire world looking incredibly different in the next 5 years. I'm committed to playing a part in this change, helping educate and guide people so they're not blindsided by this tech tsunami.

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How do you stay up to date with the latest developments in AI technology, and how do you see those developments influencing your future work?

I have a strong passion for AI, and I make it a priority to stay updated on the latest developments in the field. I keep a vigilant eye on any advancements, as they directly impact my work. My goal is to educate and inform others about the potential of AI, and my work serves as a reflection of the current state of this technology.

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Any closing words?

I would like to thank all the people in the AI/CC :: Artificial Intelligence Creative Community space for their positivity, curiosity, and kindness. AI will be our legacy, but at this stage, it is just a tool. It can be used for good and bad. Please use it for good.

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Follow Jonathan on Linkedin: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/jonathanijzerman/

Jonathan's Gallery: https://aicc.pixieset.com/jonathanijzerman/

Join AI/CC Discord: https://discord.com/invite/aicc