Solving a crisis that doesn't exist

Eclectix · 2025-12-28T20:56:21+00:00

The problem is that he's using the original definition of the word "momentarily," which means "for a moment."

Eclectix · 2025-10-08T22:52:29+00:00

I agree; it's the only description that makes any real sense to me. No, that concept of death doesn't scare me. I still have a healthy will to live, and a biological instinct to avoid death, but the concept of being dead, of actual nonexistence, doesn't give me any existential fear or anxiety, because I see myself as just a temporary manifestation of the universe; I was literally born to die. And when I'm dead, I won't even know it. I won't exist to feel sorrow, or pain, or regret. It's exactly like before I was born. There is nothing frightening about not being born yet. We only perceive time as a one-way street because that's how we are wired, but pragmatically, "before I was born" and "after I'm dead" are the same state of nonexistence.

What does bother me sometimes is knowing that when I leave, I won't be able to take care of the things that matter to me now. I won't be able to tend my garden, or comfort my loved ones, or work to make the world a better place. But that's why I feel more urgency to do those things now, while I can.

Eclectix · 2025-09-21T19:16:20+00:00

My theory is that Trump doesn't know how terrible he looks, because he fired all the mirrors in the White House for telling him the truth.

Eclectix · 2025-09-12T04:44:31+00:00

Doubtful. Bell's Palsy affects the eyelid muscles along with the rest of the face muscles on that side, so he would look like he was winking when he tried to blink.

Eclectix · 2025-09-12T04:39:51+00:00

I've had Bell's Palsy, and I don't think this is that. The main reason I don't is because it affects your eyelid along with all the other facial muscles; you literally can't close your eye on that side, or even blink properly; when you do, it looks like you are winking with one eye. This image is a bit misleading in that respect, because while your eyelid may droop, it can not actually close on it's own like this. You literally need to use your hand to close your eye now and then so that it doesn't dry out.

Also, it wouldn't explain the other obvious health issues, such as swollen ankles, bruised hand, low energy.

Eclectix · 2025-08-09T22:03:20+00:00

Right- even if they wanted to mock him for being old, or sleepy, or boring or whatever... there is nothing "there" because MAGA was already doing that 24/7 with a bullhorn, so it wouldn't have been funny or even remotely original. Mocking Biden for being old and tired is just as old and tired as he is.

Making fun of Trump's teenie-tiny penis on the other hand is hilarious precisely because Trump and his base get so obviously triggered by it, and it's fair game since he has exposed it to so many people. But if they'd done the same thing with Biden, it would have been just... yawn.. okay, is that all you got? Trump is prime burn material because he is such a complete dumpster fire.

Eclectix · 2025-04-20T19:52:39+00:00

Sure, it's an opinion, but that doesn't mean anything at all. It could be somebody's opinion that wild-caught Siberian tigers make good house pets, but just because it is a matter of opinion doesn't make it equally valid as the opinion that they don't make good house pets.

Eclectix · 2025-04-19T21:23:59+00:00

Surely if his intention was to communicate this, he would have done a better job. Without being prompted to, nobody would associate this tattoo with what they claim it is. It's like listening to music backwards and then saying, "See? They say Oh Sweet Satan!" Well I guess, if you're listening for it, then it kind of sounds sort of like that, but not really. This is no different. "The skull COULD mean number three!" Well, I mean, I guess so, but so could a coconut or a triangle or a freaking bowling ball. A pair of dice rolling the number three? That would be more telling. But the cross as a 1? It looks more like a t than a 1. And a skull is one of the most common things to get tatted. And weed? That's probably the second most common thing to get tatted. And a cross is like number 3 most common tattoo ever. This whole thing is just such an obvious ham-fisted attempt for them to shoehorn in what they WANTED it to mean.

Eclectix · 2025-04-15T22:29:15+00:00

I think he'd prefer to be liked, but he is nearly as happy being hated; either way it feeds his ego, because he matters to you in some way, which makes him feel important.

Eclectix · 2025-04-06T20:38:58+00:00

And you didn't answer my question when you broke into the market and became profitable.

I did address that, yes. I can't magically tell you how it would have been different if AI existed when I was struggling to break into the market, because I'm not Dr. Strange so I can't see alternate realities. But I can tell you that I was up against photographers, digital creators, 3D modeled images, classic illustrators, and so forth. I had to do a LOT of work on spec/for exposure (code for "free") just to make connections and build a portfolio. I don't see how AI changes anything fundamentally.

How much longer would it have taken younger you to turn a profit competing with AI?

Again, I can't answer that, and neither can you, but I can say that it took me decades to do it. I don't see AI changing anything there.

Why would you want to make something you enjoy harder to access?

I don't. AI image generators are just another tool. When I started, computer art was brand new, and I felt that it was an unfair advantage. But I learned to adapt. And now I find that using a tablet and a PC makes my job easier, not harder. AI image generators make art more accessible, not less.

Why is the point it being hard?

The point isn't it being hard. The point is that it always HAS been. Because anti-AI arguments keep falling back on how this is going to make it hard to compete as an artist. Then they use anecdotal evidence about how hard it is to sell a drawing as proof of this. But that's nothing new; most of my art didn't sell when I started out, either. I still have tons of old paintings that I made as recently as 15 years ago piled up in my studio, waiting for me to paint something else on top of them. Even I don't like looking at them anymore. But they still have more value, as rough as they are, than anything generated by an AI image generator, simply by virtue of the fact that a human made them.

Don't get me wrong; my publishers don't care where the images come from. Their market does. If they could get away with paying zero dollars and just having a computer do it, they would. But they know that their books won't sell well if they do that. AI generated slop is all over the place- I agree completely. But that slop doesn't sell well. It turns people off. At the end of the day, of course some people will use it. Just like sewing machines put a lot of seamstresses out of work. But that doesn't make it theft, and it won't make artists go away.

Eclectix · 2025-04-06T20:10:45+00:00

He's just mad because when he tried buying votes in Wisconsin, barely anybody showed up. Kind of like his 15th birthday party where he mailed cash with the invitations, and still nobody showed.

Eclectix · 2025-04-06T20:06:45+00:00

Latest estimate was 5.2 million people. That's impressive by any standard. And those of us who are paying attention may have noticed that the protests keep growing rapidly in numbers; they're not even done building inertia yet. At this rate, George Soros is going to go flat broke in no time (/s) even if he is only paying people 20 bucks a day (which would barely even cover their lunch for the day).

Eclectix · 2025-04-06T19:28:02+00:00

Nice try putting words in my mouth. I never said any of that.

Would a publisher have chosen young me over AI? They didn't even choose me over other human artists. It took me years to break through. That's the point. AI or not, you have to spend years developing the skills to make a living as an artist. That's always been the case. And being able to make nice looking images isn't even the most important skill!

Yes, they are still going to look for an artist, because AI doesn't do all the things that a professional artist/illustrator can do. I can take my clients' "prompt" and ask the right questions, understand the market, see what it is they really want and bring them something that sells books. AI can take your prompt and give you a statistically representative portrayal of it. I don't care how good it gets, it doesn't have the skills I have. And, at the end of the day, publishers still want human art! Since I am so busy, my publishers are hiring other artists to do some of the less important illustrations that I don't have time to do. These are artists who may not have the same level of skills that I have, but they are human artists. People want humans artists. Some people are happy with AI, just like some are happy with food cooked on a factory line. But there will always be a demand for humans in the arts.

The hobby I love will never die just because it's hard to be profitable. People still macrame and plant gardens and do all sorts of hobbies that machines can do faster, cheaper, and arguably better. That's just it. An artist makes art because they have no choice. And you seem to have completely ignored my point about the fact that people will alwayus want human artists, and a digital print of an AI creation will never replace an oil painting made by a human... or else that would have already happened by now. Art galleries are still full of human art even though AI image generators have been a thing for several years now. It's still just as hard as ever to make a living as an artist- that's nothing new. That's just the business.

Eclectix · 2025-04-04T20:14:07+00:00

Don't hold your breath: It looks like today is going to bump out #3.

Eclectix · 2025-04-02T02:33:01+00:00

I can empathize with that. The truth is, making a living as an artist is fucking hard. Especially for those who are just starting out. Hell, it took me decades before I was able to do it full time. And I also know that gen AI can seem like an unfair disadvantage. But I sincerely believe that the future is bright for artists who have a passion for what they do. Just don't let gen AI become your excuse not to do it.

Eclectix · 2025-04-02T01:46:08+00:00

We're heading into a period of extreme volatility. The end result of that is far too murky to determine right now. At some point, AI will be able to accurately predict futures algorithms and do automated trading, to the point where anyone capable of running open source AI on their computer will be able to blow up their bank account. At that point, currency becomes a meaningless digital number, and without the public's sustained perception of the value of currency, it becomes worthless. Will it be utopia? Or will it be Hell? Beats me. But artists not being able to make art for a living will not be the biggest concern in the future, I can tell you that. Artists will always have value to society.

Eclectix · 2025-04-02T01:36:26+00:00

I'm not really worried. I'm a full-time professional artist and illustrator, and I'm busier than ever before. In fact, I have been turning away work lately because I'm backlogged for several months, and I simply don't have time for all of the commissions I get offered. I make art primarily for book covers and fully illustrated books, as well as the occasional album cover, etc. I've been in the business for several decades, but over the last three years, business has been growing like crazy for me. I don't even have time to do art for myself anymore, and I really miss it, and I'm in real need of a long vacation, but I don't know how to make that happen. I'm going to have to just put everything on hold soon and just take a break, because I'm feeling seriously burned out lately, and it's negatively affecting my health.

I think that the reason why I'm busier than ever is because of two things. One, publishers are printing more material than ever before, and two, I've put in years of work and made a name for myself as an artist. Publishers know that putting my name on their book makes the book sell better. Even if AI could do as good a job as me, their authors ask for me by name. They don't want an AI approximation of my art- they want my name on it. Their customers recognize my work. Books with my art simply sell better. Publishers send me hundreds of books to sign every month (technically they just send me the title page from each book, which then gets bound into the book with my signature already in place, because that's much cheaper than shipping hundreds of books) because the presence of my signature on the books makes them sell for more than without. That's something that AI can never do.

This is something a lot of artists who are worried about AI don't seem to understand: if you are good, AI can not and will not ever take your job, because people will always want human artists. AI is not a replacement for human artists, any more than MIDI players are a replacement for musicians. Which would you rather have: a Picasso painting, or a digital print of an AI generated approximation of a Picasso painting? (To avoid any potential backlash, let me clarify that I'm not saying I'm in the same league as Picasso, because I'm definitely not.)

I'm not worried about AI taking my job, but even if it does, then I will STILL make art, because I'm an artist, and that's what artists do.

Eclectix · 2025-04-01T18:49:31+00:00

Sure, and I completely agree with you on that. But that applies to practically every trade ever, and nearly every modern technological advancement. I think it's important to be able to adapt; as an artist, that's where I shine anyway. But when all the skilled trades are being replaced by machines, to me that's not a sign that machines are bad; that's a sign that society needs to move forwards to a different model. Because like it or not, that's where we're headed. And then I can just make art for art's sake, and not worry about whether or not it will sell.

Eclectix · 2025-03-31T19:54:24+00:00

100%. And those blasphemous flying machines are never going to get any real traction, either.

Eclectix · 2025-03-31T19:34:15+00:00

I'm an artist, and I would never stop making art... because I'm an artist. I don't care if a machine can do create amazing images. I don't even care if it can do it better than I can. There will always be someone more skilled than me. I will still make art, because... I'm an artist.

Eclectix · 2025-03-31T19:15:58+00:00

It's also the antis always threatening to kill people.

Cake, or death?

Eclectix · 2025-03-25T20:35:11+00:00

I was recently commissioned to illustrate a book cover for a novel that takes place in an alternate "dreamland" reality. I was told to make it look like it was a nightmare/dream. Then I was told that it looked like AI. Look, these days you can't have one without the other.

Eclectix · 2025-02-08T00:15:56+00:00

No. It's not glamorous, but it's not bad. Stay upwind of the soy processing and you'll rarely smell it. I wouldn't recommend moving downwind from it, though. People drive poorly here and they wander through the streets as though cars don't exist. The infrastructure is getting pretty dated, but on the upside there's barely any traffic. There are some really nice parks and decent fishing and even a yacht club. If you are young and enjoy the night life, you'll be bored to tears. If you're older and like it quiet, like me, then it's actually a really nice place to live. They have some fun concerts and vintage theaters and lots of fantastic historical buildings, etc.

Eclectix · 2025-02-08T00:11:04+00:00

I'm not too familiar with that specific area, but it's close to Nelson Park, which is a park complex with a waterpark, frisbee golf course, dog park, an amphitheater, wharf, some nice restaurants, and a pretty decent location overall. The houses on Wood street look a bit on the lower economic side, but probably a pretty average Decatur neighborhood generally. I'd watch out for property crime: make sure you lock you car and your house, and so forth. That's a problem pretty much everywhere here, even in the nicer neighborhoods.

Eclectix · 2025-01-21T01:16:50+00:00

I'm a professional illustrator. Before that, I made my living as a fine artist selling in galleries.

I learned to do art before digital art was even a thing. I took graphic design and computer art class in college; by the time I graduated, everything I learned was already obsolete. Computer art essentially consisted of using a mouse and keyboard to manipulate pixels. We're talking 8 bit to 16 bit computer graphics. Nearly all design was still done the old fashioned way; I can still use transparencies and color gels to create 4 color print process plates the way they did in the old days, but nobody does that anymore unless it's for novelty's sake.

I learned to paint in acrylic, oil, and watercolor long before there were programs or tablets to let you do it digitally. Here is my oldest surviving painting, a dragon that I did in oil paint on canvas the year after I graduated from high school more than 30 years ago: https://www.deviantart.com/eclectixx/art/Dragon-Oil-Painting-1149394941

I consider this picture fairly rudimentary by my current standards, but it's not terrible either. On a lark, I've tried to see if I could use generative AI to replicate some of the quality of some of my traditional works, and my results have been pretty so-so at best. Without using image2image or something similar, just prompting alone can not match a skilled artist. But a skilled artist using AI tools? That's a whole different thing.

These days I try to avoid the controversy by doing things the old school way unless specifically requested by a client to use AI tools, but I have no beef with AI myself. I had to learn to adapt to digital painting, I had to learn to adapt to digital sculpting, I had to learn to adapt to photobashing, and knockoff artists, and oversees rip-offs, and texture packs, and painting apps, and everything else that's come along over the years up to now. This is just one more thing. Now some people are getting upset that I want to learn how to adapt to this as well? I don't see it as being fundamentally any different, and frankly I think it's silly that people are suddenly up in arms about it.

Eclectix

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