Jared Henderson on AI artwork
One of the things I wrestle with as a person with a somewhat creative vocation 1 is the simple fact that people seem enamoured with AI-generated “artwork”. I am fairly certain that I’m with Tolstoy regarding a definition of art. However, I can see someone making the argument that there is still human intent and emotion there in something generated by a machine because the source ideas are human. I would add that there has to be direct human involvement in the actual mechanism of bringing the artwork into existence.
Jared Henderson shared a really helpful viewpoint on his Substack about how we should feel about AI-generated artwork.
This is how we should approach art. Even if the machines can do a damn good job, we should keep doing it ourselves. Because it matters for us that we keep doing it.
He argues that the very fact that human-created art is human-created is enough of a reason to keep doing it. I couldn’t agree more.
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I have a source text in the Bible but I have to be creative in how I work at teaching it. ↩︎
A new devotional habit 🚶
One of the habits I’m trying to get into (for a variety of reasons) is getting up early and going for a walk while listening to a Psalm or something on repeat with a minute or two between for meditation and prayer. I went for my walk this morning and it was wonderful, though I failed to get up as early as I wanted to.
nostalgic about how the internet/music used to be
When I was younger, the internet served one single purpose. The Eisley forum. Yes, there was Myspace but that was quickly eclipsed by the forum. It used to be that the way into a band’s fandom was to be a member of the discussion forum on their website.
The members of the band were members there. There was talk about the band but also talk about general stuff.
There were people I had met in real life, while watching Eisley play at the Metro or the Vic or Park West or Schubas. I became friends with those people, some of whom were in their own bands. I went to see them play.
We would play at open mic nights or at the late-great Borders Books & Music.
But we had a community built around this thing. There will necessarily be some sense of remembering what it was like to be a teenager built into this feeling. I had a car and a job. And even when we didn’t have shows to go to, we still had the forum.
I can find some of that sense of community in a couple of Discord communities. One is focused on philosophy and reading, one is about being a deliberately Christian creative person. But it isn’t quite the same. It makes me feel old.
Then again, I am actually old because I remember back when you either had a Blogspot, Livejournal, or Xanga site.
I don’t do this enough 📝
When I sit down and start to work on words, I always have an endpoint in mind. The bulk of my writing ends up being delivered audibly in the pulpit on the Lord’s Day. This is right as it is my actual job.
Beyond that, I am writing things out for meetings and for teaching. There is some end in mind for everything.
Which means I don’t really write for fun. This has meant that even journaling is something that only happens when I have something that needs processing in my mind for work. It was not always this way.
I don’t really write to document my life anymore. I don’t write to look back on how things were before. I have my 5-year diary, but that is only a sentence or two, only a way to keep a chunk of years together in the briefest form possible.
A youtube channel called Check the Box & Learn and learn recently made its way into my feed. It’s a bit of an odd example of a youtube channel. Why? Because it exists in the productivity space but it’s a hobby project. Jill, the person behind the channel, recently shared a video detailing her process and it was really refreshing to see someone using what they have to make a thing that is both useful and fun.
It’s now the halfway point of 2024. The kids are on summer hols. I still have work, Tracy still has work. But it does also seem like a good time to try and make a deliberate practice of writing for fun again. I don’t know how much of it will be done in public. Am I writing for fun or blogging for fun? Why not both?
Finished reading: Christians Get Depressed Too by David P. Murray 📚
This was a reread as prep for preaching on mental health in a few weeks. Murray has some really helpful stuff, especially on the need to care for carers and the importance of being Christians who can keep confidence.
Took advantage of the dry afternoon and went for a big walk around town. This is the view from Lyle Hill in Greenock.
I have a real feeling of betrayal when it’s nearly July but I’m taking Lemsip. It isn’t even the right quarter of the year for a cold, let alone the right month! 🤧
On my day off in the week, Tracy usually takes the morning off so we can do something together without the kids. They’ve only got a week left of school which makes those dates harder to keep so we made today special and went into Glasgow.
Currently reading: Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship by Philip Graham Ryken 📚
One of the topics I’ll be preaching on in a few weeks is exactly what happens during corporate worship and what the church is for, so looking forward to this.
Currently coming to grips with the fact that I can actually make a decent V60 brew using a regular kettle. This is mostly so that I can stop shopping for an expensive pouring kettle. ☕️
Finished reading: Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer 📚
This was a very quick read (for me) but I came away from it with a lot of good quotes and some helpful tools to try to implement into my life and teaching.
We don’t get the luxury of a blank slate; there are forces—within and without—with a vested interest in us not becoming like Jesus. Therefore: all Christian formation is counter-formation.
Today’s bread was pandesal which is proof that the Philippines have the best milk bread. 🇵🇭 🍞
Currently reading: Unruly by David Mitchell 📚
Monarchy is what England has instead of a sense of identity.
Already off to a good start, lol.
I wonder how the unread books I have at home feel about the books I bring home from the library. 📚
Sometimes you just have to make a farmhouse-style loaf.
Writing can be a bit like seasoning food sometimes. It’s really easy to keep adding words but it’s really difficult to take them away.
This was a beautiful read. Some of the best nature writing I have come across so far and with so many helpful bits of advice for the work of being a pastor. I wonder if he realises how useful it is in that sense.
Finished reading: The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks 📚
Took the boys and one of their friends down to the Esplanade for some ice cream in the sun. Truly gorgeous day out today.
This was such a good read, really accessible and helpful for giving me a bit of historical context for the church here in Scotland (even though the church I pastor is not from the same, Presbyterian tradition).
Finished reading: The Whole Christ by Sinclair B. Ferguson 📚