Absence

Sometimes it’s the absence of something that expands your understanding.

I have a few left over images from my last project, and I like to leave a few out as I always revisit later. I save some for times when I just feel like creating, so I have a few things readily available to work with.

How this one started

Let beginnings be cringey. Let yourself be awkward. A little ridiculous. Just go with it, however it lands.

I layered a self-portrait over this scene, needing only just a little bit of adjusting. As if it was meant to be right there. I love when things like that happen!

When I got to a place I liked, I sent the image over to Insight. (check last Blog to read more about how I have been using this AI-assisted creative tool).

This is what I got back.

While I find these beautiful, they did little to expand things for me. I didn’t feel anything here. I asked Insight to try again, and got back more of the same. So I went back to my image to keep working. Something else was needed here to get to the next level. I thought I would add another layer, something between the subject and viewer. I ran it through Lens Distortions and I loved how this one filter landed, without much adjustment at all. Again, like it was meant to be there. I added another layer from a different painting and ended here.

Out of curiosity, I sent this one to Insight and got these back.

And I thought, yes! Here is something that resonates! And it leaves me with so many thoughts and questions. How interesting that the emotional tone of what I received back changed in this way with the addition of that layer of separation, and the absence of my facial expression. How interesting, also, that this more broad idea of how the absence of something can help expand your understanding relates closely to conversations shared earlier this day.