Meet Zoë!
Meet Zoë, a London-based artist sharing stories through her AI art on Instagram as @adventures.in.the.void. Her creations, that empowers women and LGBTQ+ folks, invite us into colorful worlds that echo the eclectic vibes of the 90s while exploring meaningful modern narratives. Despite a journey that took her away from art and into academia for a while, Zoë found her way back to her passion with AI. Her work, often inspired by ideas and images she wishes her younger self had seen, melds fantastical, surreal elements with potent, real-world themes, presenting a realm where underrepresented individuals shine in their ethereal beauty. Zoë seeks to use AI art not only as a personal creative outlet but also as a tool to explore, challenge, and celebrate various countercultures, while navigating the inherent biases and potentials of AI as a medium.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in AI art?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved creating art but my time at an academic school instilled in me the idea that being an artist wasn’t a viable career option. Instead, I focused on other subjects and suppressed my creativity for many years.
It wasn't until university that I began designing tattoos for my friends, which rekindled my love for art. After graduating from my master’s degree in history and returning to London, I felt the pressure to secure a stable income. This led me to my current role as a digital learning designer at an e-learning startup.
I first discovered AI art in May 2023. I was amazed by the quality of the art and felt compelled to uncover the process behind it. After some research, I stumbled upon Midjourney and decided to give it a try. Since then, I haven't looked back. It feels as though I've finally discovered a medium that enables me to have a creative outlet.
How do you approach the creative process when working with AI?
My creative process often begins with an idea for a powerful depiction of underrepresented individuals. I tend to think about images that I would have liked my younger self to see. I never stay too attached to these original ideas though, as I find that MJ has a peculiar way of guiding me down unexpected paths. I enjoy the anticipation of seeing how it will interpret my ideas. Most of the process revolves around trial and error!
When trying to create unconventional scenes in MJ, I focus on prompting the character(s) first and then using those images as prompts for more detailed scenes. I use the ‘vary region’ function a lot to change facial expressions or add details. I’ll often make tiny changes to the characters, such as their gender or ethnicity. This enables me to manipulate and tailor images to achieve my desired result. Personally, I don’t reference artists in my prompts as I don’t want my creations to be reliant on a certain artist’s style or work. For me, learning to prompt is about finding original word combinations that allow me to develop my own style.
How do you balance your work in AI art with other professional or personal pursuits?
I wouldn’t say I’m doing the best job of balancing my personal life and artistic pursuits. With a full-time job, most of my time on Midjourney is in the evening after work or on the weekends. I’d definitely say my social life and sleep have taken a hit! But upon reflection, I am not too concerned with this at the moment, as I’m gaining a lot of personal satisfaction from AI art. I love that my brain is now encouraged to think creatively all the time - I wake up excited with new ideas from my dreams. I’m very excited about this new trajectory in my life!
How has working with AI in art influenced your mental and emotional wellbeing?
To finally have a creative outlet has been so personally fulfilling. I find the collaborative process with AI exciting rather than frustrating. The only thing that can get slightly stressful is the social media element. Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to generate the best images I can, as they become public the minute I post them. The criticism of AI sometimes gets to me too, which causes me to have moments of self-doubt.
In your opinion, how does AI redefine the concept of creativity?
I believe that creativity is intrinsic to all humans, so while I don’t think AI itself redefines the concept of creativity, I do think that it allows more people to explore their creative side. Despite all the criticisms against AI, it is great at opening the creative playing field to those who don’t have professional art training. It is somewhere where those of us who didn’t pursue it for whatever reason can still play and enjoy the process of creation with no restraints. I think in this way, AI can play a role in democratising the art world. It can give everyone, no matter their background, the chance to create something beautiful. As I believe AI art is all about the concept, it removes all the traditional barriers to art, such as financing artistic supplies and having access to a studio.
I’m grateful to be part of the AI art community during this exciting time. I would like to continue experimenting with Midjourney but I’m keen to spend some more time learning different software to make my work more unique. I’m also beginning to collaborate with non-AI artists and looking into more multimedia approaches. I’ve been working with a couple of photographers to create reference images for photoshoots and I hope to continue doing this. I think AI can be a tool that is used by all artists in many different ways, so I want to keep learning and finding out where I can contribute.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or not, who would it be and why?
조기석 Cho Gi-Seok is one of my favourite photographers. His flower studies, where he compares the human body to different flowers, are gorgeous. He uses stunning bold colours and creates surreal dreamlike portraits. I think our styles align really nicely and we have a similar love for the fantastical.
What role do you think AI art can play in highlighting social issues?
My primary objective is to craft empowering and thought-provoking imagery that celebrates various countercultures and their communities. I aim to construct a fantasy world where my characters possess ethereal qualities and otherworldly beauty. Personally, I cherish how art serves as a means of escapism. The potential of AI lies in its ability to effortlessly conjure imaginary realms, temporarily whisking us away from the prejudices of reality. Within these settings, we can perceive characters for their intrinsic selves, unburdened by real-world contexts. As we are well aware, AI carries inherent biases stemming from its knowledge base. I believe it's vital to use it in a manner that seeks to rectify this inequality.
Certain social issues I’d like to depict in my images are restricted by MJ moderation, forcing me to find more creative ways to represent them. This challenge reminds me of the historical limitations faced by artists, particularly female artists, working in traditional mediums like painting, where societal norms dictated what they could depict. As time passed, artists broke down these boundaries and ventured into uncharted subject matters. I'm intrigued by how a similar evolution might occur with AI. Given our innate rebellious nature as humans, I can see that as AI becomes more widespread, more individuals will attempt to use it to address social issues.
What advice or encouragement would you give to aspiring women who are interested in pursuing AI art?
Give it a go and ask for advice! The AI community is so friendly and most people are more than happy to share advice and tips. More women AI artists are needed to disrupt the AI gender gap and for AI to be used as a tool to empower rather than misrepresent women.
For more of Zoë’s incredible work, make sure to visit her Instagram account: @adventures.in.the.void