Creativity AI #1: A weekly publication focused on creativity and productivity
Learn and apply AI to boost your creativity and productivity
Dear readers,
It's a new year, so let's start with a new development: Creativity AI.
Creativity AI is a new publication that brings together interesting articles and recent developments in the AI world related to creativity and productivity.
Here are the objectives of the Creativity AI.
To replace the "Midjourney Office Hours" article series and broaden it to include other topics related to creativity and productivity.
To create a Medium publication and encourage writers to publish their stories on Creativity AI, which will reach both Medium and Substack readers.
To make it enjoyable to read the latest developments in AI and things that spark creativity.
Creativity AI does not seek to provide the most comprehensive update on AI development. Nor does it aim to cover only the most recent developments.
It provides a unique perspective on what's happening in AI and what's actionable and worth trying out or exploring deeper at your own pace.
Introducing Creativity AI
Creativity AI will be published once per week on both Substack and Medium.
Subscribe to Geeky Curiosity and receive a weekly copy of Creativity AI.
Medium readers can find it at https://medium.com/creativity-ai
If you write on Medium, please get in touch with me if you'd like to publish on Creativity AI.
Midjourney
The first Midjourney Office Hours session is scheduled for January 8th (US time). The Office Hours session has been paused for two weeks since December 18th, 2024.
Runway
Runway launched a portal called "Runway Talent Network" to connect its AI talent with companies and opportunities. Aspiring artists can request to be listed on the portal. The official announcement is available here.
The Runway Talent Network: https://talent.runwayml.com
Why does this matter?
You can see the works of other artists handpicked by Runway to get a sense of what is currently possible with the current technology.
Be inspired by other artists' masterpieces.
An example of a video from Seif Abdalla
Perplexity
Perplexity introduces a new feature that allows you to narrow your search to specific websites. Watch the official video here:
Do you want to know what Perplexity's most searched topics were in 2024? Read the report here.
Interestingly, Kling AI was the most frequently searched text-to-video model!
Why does it matter?
Perplexity users can provide a list of trusted websites for future searches to reduce hallucinations.
Users can create separate "Spaces" for various research projects. Spaces function similarly to folders, storing prompts, files, and links, including a list of trusted websites for the model to use when searching.
The report on the most common searches reflected trends and topics of interest that could be used as a guide to planning for 2025.
Ideogram
Ideogram introduced a background removal feature, which allows users to remove and change their backgrounds. It is available on all paid plans and is unlimited.
Watch a demo video by Ideogram here:
Ideogram also introduced the Batch Generation feature, which allows users to upload a spreadsheet (.csv) and generate a large number of images at once. But it comes at a high cost: USD 48 per month for the Ideogram Pro annual plan!
So, let's see what it can do for background removal.
Example of Ideogram's background removal feature:
Original image created in Ideogram. My prompt: a photograph portrait of a cat in a garden, photo. Magic Prompt (the system automatically improves and enhances my prompt): A delightful photograph of a cat lounging in a lush, vibrant garden. The cat, with its fluffy white fur and bright green eyes, is perched on a patch of green grass near a bed of colorful flowers. The sky in the background is a soft blend of pinks and oranges, hinting at a warm and serene afternoon. The overall atmosphere of the photo is charming and idyllic, capturing the essence of a content feline in a beautiful outdoor setting., photo
One-click background removal. - this can be saved as a transparent image.
Output of the changed background. My prompt: A cat is sitting inside a giant alien flower bud. Magic prompt : A majestic feline with a mix of light gray and white fur sits inside a giant alien flower bud. Its eyes are a captivating shade of green, and it appears to be gazing intently at something. The cat is resting on what seems to be a patch of grass, with its body sprawled out, emphasizing the cat's presence and making it the focal point of the image.
Not bad huh?
Why does it matter?
The ideogram background removal feature is an alternative and quick method to remove a background from an image.
Users can import Midjourney and other external images to Ideogram for background removal and/or mixing.
Users can generate transparent text and then combine it with another image, such as creating a book cover or poster.
ElevenLabs
Watch a heartwarming story about how an AI voice assisted a faculty member with a medical condition to speak again and teach in a business school.
Read the full article here.
Aspect ratios in photography
I came across this excellent article about aspect ratios in photography, which is relevant to Midjourney. If you're interested, you can read more about it here.
The aspect ratio (--ar) is the proportional relationship between an image's horizontal and vertical dimensions.
Photographer's insights:
Most digital cameras use a 3:2 aspect ratio. However, there are exceptions, as some devices may have aspect ratios of 4:3 or 4:5.
The aspect ratio for both digital and 35mm film photography is 3:2.
The best ratios for portrait images are 4:5 or 3:2.
The 3:2 is ideal for landscape photography.
The 2:1 ratio is for panoramic images.
The 8x10 inch print size is identical to the --ar 4:5 in Midjourney. The article also shows how to manually calculate the aspect ratio for print sizes, with clear and helpful explanations.
Here are some examples of Instagram aspect ratios:
Grid/square format images: 1:1.
Vertical images: 4:5.
Horizontal images: 3:2 or 16:9.
Reels and Instagram stories at 9:16
Inspiration
A Canadian photographer uses macro photography to showcase the beauty of nature. You can read and view the beautiful images here.
I referenced one of the images as inspiration to make a cute cat costume in Midjourney.
Here’s the prompt:
a portrait photograph of a cat wearing a red, whimsical, adorable --ar 1:1 --sref https://s.mj.run/bI7C96tE-3A --sv 3 --v 6.1
Cat: “Am I a joke to you?”
Recent articles
Free Geeky Animals' Sref code: 464625254
I like how you add "why does this matter" after introducing something new or changed. It really answers the "so what" question readers have. Thank you!
Glad it helps! 🐱 thanks for the feedback too