What We Stopped Reaching For

There used to be this sign painter not so far from where I stay, just like a fifteen-minute walk. And just with her set of brushes and paint mixtures, this guy can turn names into something very beautiful and lovely. Can I call him Hand of God because his works are always perfect and his hands are magical in a way his mouth can't say? I usually turn around to see his works whenever I pass through his place.
Then not long after, like two shops before him, a printing shop was opened, and this was how this sign painter slowly disappeared, not because he was not good, but from what I see and hear, people want something very fast and cheaper, and they can get it almost immediately. Nobody always asks what's left with them.

And anytime I see anyone discuss AI and creativity, that is one thing I always think about. The major point they usually bring out is always convenience, speed, or quality. I hardly see anyone talk about the difficulty it was before we were able to remove it. Because to me, that is not just an obstacle; it is something that forces us to search ourselves. Take, for instance, when a situation comes very hard, I have no other choice than to seek a solution in places that I have no idea about or know existed. And this is where those original thoughts start coming from.

In my architectural work, I use AI sometimes to break down some hard tasks, and to be honest, I noticed how it is quicker to use when it comes to assisting, especially when I am struggling with something. Before, those blank pages used to be very uncomfortable and, at the same time, productive. But now, it always looks like a difficult situation that needs urgent help. Maybe that is not growth. Maybe it is just a slow erosion that I am too comfortable to see.

Some always say that AI will replace human creativity, but in the real sense, that is not even the problem. The problem I see is that if not all, then some humans might start to forget what creativity used to be, and they will be calling it convenience. Take, for instance, now, these Aso Oke weavers from Oyo State usually weave different patterns with their hands, and it's hardly possible to recreate them anywhere else because of how technical this is. I have seen how they do it. And when those hands are replaced with machines, well, the patterns might be there, but one thing I know is that the knowledge does. Another example is the tie-dye Kampala clothes and the factory ones that look almost the same. But when you look very closely, one takes longer hours and processes to design, while the other doesn't, and the two are not the same even when they look identical.

What I usually say is that, when it comes to staying creative in our world today, it is not even about using technology. But looking at it from the perspective that ease is not the same as ability. Because now that we have a simpler way to do things, the person who is choosing the harder path is simply safekeeping something that most people are almost throwing away without them realising it.

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