1191 views on YouTube with AI Assistance, and what do I get? Just one backhanded compliment from a non-existent person hiding behind a username. No videos, no images, no music—nothing. Just a username. She/he/it—or should I say SHiT—has nothing to back up their opinion.
Check out “Galactic Glamour: Alien Runway Fashion Show by Music and Video by The Haus of Legends.”
I’ve been a creative artist for all my 50 years on this planet. From my first pack of Crayola crayons, I’ve dabbled in countless creative outlets. Ive done internships with a professional artist, writer and director. I eventually landed in School for Graphic Art Design and Communication, along with Photography. Perfect timing, right? Just as Photoshop decided to make my expensive software licenses obsolete by morphing into an overpriced cloud-based service.
I built my first pinhole camera as a high school freshman. By 16, I was shooting daily with my father’s professional Nikon.
I spent my 20s as a professional Drag Queen Entertainer and writer. I have been successful event producer and community activist helping to establish a local LGBTQ Community Center, and produced a Queer Prom for my local San Gabriel Valley High Schools. Over the years, I’ve designed ads for local bars and clubs, brochures and flyers for nonprofits, comp cards, business cards for friends, portraits, weddings, and special events—you name it. I even shot a home layout for an architect featured in Architectural Digest. I’ve had the honor of presenting my work to several companies for national ad campaigns. I haven’t sold one yet, but I will soon with my new AI Assistant.
I make no apologies for using AI assistance in my work or creative process. For this unknown she/he/it—or SHiT—or anyone else who dares to criticize an artist for using AI assistance, here’s my response:
“Oh, what a delightfully backhanded compliment you’ve offered me. Since AI is the only thing you seem to think is ‘very good,’ I’ll take that as a nod of approval from a faceless algorithm with zero credentials—no videos, no history—nothing that would remotely qualify it to critique, let alone criticize, an actual artist like me. But hey, you’re right, AI is fantastic—especially when wielded by someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
So here’s the reality: step up or get steamrolled, because this is what it means to be an artist in today’s world. I make no apologies for using AI to express myself. Over the years, I’ve been gradually pushed into obsolescence as a professional freelance graphic designer and photographer. The digital revolution turned anyone with a camera or a cell phone into an instant ‘photographer,’ armed with filters, effects, and now AI.
So yes, AI is great! It’s boosted my productivity and opened up new avenues for me to reclaim the freelance design market—once hijacked by any kid with a phone. It’s given new life to an older artist like me. AI art is here to stay, and unless you adapt, you’ll be left in the dust. The trick is finding a niche and making it work. So, thanks again for the compliment—such as it is.”
Yours truly,
Iain Smillie
Artist, Designer, Photographer, Writer, and user of AI Assistance
PS Ive also been designing websites since Microsoft Front Page with html. I am currently designing and building my own website located at;
https://www.TheHausOfLegends.com
