Flourishing Creativity

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⡲⢄⠂⡀⠀⠀⢹⢫⡶⡁⢙⣷⣿⣿⡝⣿⣿⣿⢳⣿⣮⣍⠸⢞⡷⢠⡴⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⠯⣿⣿⣿⠯⠳⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀

⢉⣟⢂⡤⡀⠹⢆⠁⢳⣵⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠈⠙⢿⣯⣿⣿⣿⣽⣳⠹⣧⣹⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⡿⠋⠁⠀⠀⠐⠸⡻⡿⣿⣾⣿⣻⣿⡀⠃⠄⠀

⠀⠨⢯⠳⠌⠀⠀⢀⣴⣿⣿⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⣻⣿⣿⡷⢵⡈⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⢋⠂⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⢄⠌⠣

⠉⠄⢀⠀⠈⠳⡔⣁⣾⣿⣟⣩⣕⣂⣀⠰⣶⣶⠶⣝⣿⣿⣏⣆⠎⣿⣿⣿⡿⢡⠃⢀⠠⣐⠖⢑⣁⠀⠄⠀⡀⠚⢻⣷⣟⣿⣿⣃⡆⠀

⠂⠀⠱⣒⠀⢀⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠁⠀⠟⠙⠊⠙⢉⡟⠋⢸⡟⣿⠼⡀⣿⣿⣿⢗⣳⢖⣦⣠⢄⣜⣫⣶⡶⠦⠦⢴⠚⠉⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣅⠠

⠀⠀⢄⠀⠀⠘⢝⢿⣼⣿⣯⢠⣁⢦⠄⢈⠡⣊⣠⢴⣬⣾⠃⡄⢩⣿⣿⣿⢞⣛⡻⣟⡿⠈⢷⠏⠐⠃⠑⢃⠈⠀⠀⢸⣿⣹⣿⣿⢧⠐

⣀⠊⠐⢠⡃⢰⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣧⡸⠏⣫⠩⡫⣻⣜⡿⢋⣰⢒⢿⠕⢫⣿⣯⣆⠀⢨⢾⡔⠀⠀⠑⠖⣄⡒⠁⠀⠀⠀⢀⣪⣿⣿⣿⡧⠖

⠀⠙⡕⠉⠀⠘⣻⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⣀⣴⣵⡟⣞⣿⣄⣡⠡⣈⣪⡿⣿⣿⣮⠆⣯⢋⠞⡴⠈⡉⠀⢙⣴⠦⠀⠀⠀⣾⣿⣿⢟⣵⡿⢽

⠁⢶⣸⣇⠀⠀⠈⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣎⣹⣿⣿⣿⣷⣎⣰⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⡈⠏⢿⡏⠷⠈⠏⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⡿⣾⡾⢱⣰⢏

⣄⣼⢿⣽⠀⠀⢄⣿⣿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣜⢂⠦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣟⣺⠟⣫⢾

⣿⢯⣟⣯⠀⢁⢸⢿⢟⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣆⣀⠀⣀⡠⡂⠁⠀⠀⠙⣿⡾⣏⣾⢉⣾⡵

⣯⣟⡾⣿⣏⠔⠉⠖⠉⣠⢿⣯⣷⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⢿⣽⠎⣿⣧⣷⠟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣱⠆⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⣯⢳⣿⢡⢺⣾⢃

⣿⣞⣿⠟⠁⠀⠁⠀⠋⣀⣼⡿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⣩⢏⣿⠞⣡⢾⣿⣿⣧⢫⣝⢻⣻⣿⣿⣾⡿⣿⣟⡂⠀⠀⢄⣴⣿⠿⣥⢟⢎⣳⣿⣏⣧

⣿⡻⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣉⣤⣴⣟⠻⡯⢭⡳⣥⠛⢾⣹⣽⣾⡷⣿⣟⣳⣌⢟⡼⢿⣿⡿⢿⣾⣿⣷⣖⠚⠉⣵⣿⣿⡵⢋⣦⣿⣿⣿⢾

⣿⠁⠀⠀⢀⣤⣤⣾⣿⣿⡿⠿⢯⠷⣘⢣⡙⢶⣋⠞⣽⣛⣿⣿⣿⣿⣗⡳⢮⣻⡍⣿⣿⣿⠿⣯⢻⣟⠂⣱⣿⣿⣳⠽⣩⣿⣿⣿⣛⣿

⣿⣦⣀⣀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⢗⠫⠷⣌⡳⢌⡖⣹⢢⢝⢮⣹⣯⣾⢿⣿⣽⣿⡽⣊⢷⡿⣼⣿⣟⣿⣿⣧⢻⣼⣿⣿⡷⣋⢧⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣽

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So last night my current host student was showing me how she makes stunningly beautiful collages to post on Instagram - using an array of different apps, tools and media - all very fascinating stuff I had no idea about.

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And then I quipped, 'So, you know, we used to do this too, back when I was your age, but we would cut stuff out of magazines and print photos and hang them on our bedroom walls or make journals.'

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This led to a discussion about how it's amazing that young people are chasing a particular aesthetic from the past while also making it uniquely theirs by turning it entirely digital.

As much as there is all this doom and gloom about AI - I also think there is hope in the creativity that is flourishing in other pockets of the internet - like girls making digital makeup collages, and then hand-painting sparkles, unicorns and lovehearts with apps on their phones or spending an hour on a single tiny animation of sparkles blinking. I mean, it's not my thing, but I can see the parallel to the creativity I had at that age, first starting out on DeviantArt and Elfwood and learning writing and art.

I will continue to believe that beneath it all, human creativity will always emerge victorious, and I am so excited to see how it keeps changing and growing, while also remaining oddly the same.