dali: Digital Arts Lab, Iscte

Luís Miguel (botelho) wrote about the creative process:

I asked several AI-based image generation systems and also the large language model (LLM) chatGPT to generate frustration images, using the prompt

Create an abstract image conveying repeated frustration, ending with an ink scream. Light darkish background. Graph-like color lines that get interrupted, which causes frustration. Ink scream: dark colors

I got proposals from the several systems. I selected the image generated by a Copilot agent as a starting point because, although promising, it had yet a few aspects I wanted to change. As the generated image background was too dark, I told the system I wanted it lighter. And the interaction continued.

Eventually, I entered the following prompt, which gave rise to an acceptable image (from my point of view):

Let me explain my idea. The curved lines, which should cross more often, represent (in an abstract language) some work / task / activity that is being performed by someone. Interruptions are points in time where the person failed to do whatever they intended to do. When they fail, they feel frustrated.

Generated image:

As the image was quite acceptable (according to my creative intent), I decided to use it, preserving most of its identity. I copied several of its elements (maybe all of them) and I used them to create the final composition. Basically, I sought to display two interrupted activities running concurrently. The final burst of anger resulted of the two processes being interrupted / failing.

Although the most part of the final image was drawn from this AI generated image, I felt the need to use other images from my image database or from my previous work.