“Mom, I wanted to become an artist.”
“Then who’s going to pay the bills?”
It’s a cliché for a reason. Most designers or anyone whose favorite class was art probably have had some version of that conversation. Many of us didn’t end up becoming full-time artists, not because we didn’t love it, but because uncertainty is expensive. (your adult friend gotta pay the bill).
Frankly, my parents were supportive. They encouraged me to attend three art schools. Still, somewhere along the way, I felt the pressure to choose a major that came with a clearer path, a safer landing. I didn’t unwillingly pick graphic design and UX…but I also didn’t have the courage to choose the messier, riskier version of the journey.
That’s where Midjourney/Chat GPT/Nano Banana enters the picture.
My approach to it wasn’t technical or strategic. it was emotional.
What if, in some alternate universe, I did become a goddamn good artist? An art director. An illustrator. A photographer. A painter.
What if I could finally explore the visuals I’d only ever carried loosely in my head, the ones that never quite made it past the sketchbook stage? Some people call this stealing.
And as a retired or never started artist, I can NOT fully argue against that. But Aristotle once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” We’re living in an era where AI is the necessity…and it’s hard to ignore the creative wave that comes with it.
I’m not here to fight the tide. I’m just trying to surf it.
Do I call this my art? I hesitate. It feels strange to claim ownership when I’m still figuring out whether I’m riding a wave or just getting knocked over by a really big splash. But maybe that uncertainty is the point. Maybe this is less about authorship and more about permission: permission to explore, to play, to make something without knowing exactly where it fits.
And maybe, in this small corner of the internet, I finally get to answer that old question differently
“Then who’s going to pay the bills?”
"I {with AI} do."
Let’s start with two things I’ve always liked: classic Japanese anime and sneakers.
I asked my old buddy Chat to help me reverse-engineer the vibe, summarize the illustration language of that era and translate it into Midjourney prompts. Then I did what any responsible adult would do: burned through credits like they were Vegas slot machine tokens, iterating until the style finally snapped. Then, I got picky with micro prompting such as angle, perspective, color palette, motion, that specific “freeze-frame” energy that makes a still image feel like it’s moving.
Once I had a solid base, I brought the best outputs into Nano Banana for cleanup and spot-tweaks, tightening details, removing the weird extra objects that AI loves to hallucinate, and handling the parts that need a human hand. Especially anything involving brand logos, where “close enough” isn’t good enough and “random letters that look like an "exotic" letters.
Then It got me thinking… what if sneakers with the master pieces in art history?
From japonica to Rococo oil painting styles I would’ve never had the chance (or patience) to seriously explore before. And honestly? That’s the fun part. This could be nothing, or it could be something, but either way it feels like permission to wander into art history without needing a lifetime to earn the right tools.
In this alternate universe, I imagine Gustav Klimt getting hired by Nike to paint the newest Jordan collection. Gold leaf, ornamental patterns, sneakers treated like icons instead of products. It’s absurd, indulgent, and kind of beautiful. and that’s exactly why I keep going.
Tools Used: Chat GPT, Midjourney, Nano Banana
“Mom, I wanted to become an artist.” “Then who’s going to pay the bills?” It’s a cliché for a reason. Most designers or anyone whose favorite class was art probably have had some version of that conversation. Many of us didn’t end up becoming full-time artists, not because we didn’t love it, but because uncertainty is expensive. (your adult friend gotta pay the bill).