I always wanted an action figure of myself...

Okay, not really. But this latest trend made me want one!

Does anyone else feel like AI appeared out of nowhere a year or two ago (which I know is not actually accurate - it’s been a work in progress for a looooong time, but didn’t hit the general public until relatively recently)? Suddenly it’s a regular tool in practically all of the apps and sites I use - Shopify, to help write product descriptions, Gmail, to help write emails, and even Canva, to help craft neat graphics. 

Just this week, I have started to see a lot more folks on social media using AI to generate artwork - in particular, there’s a trend where people use AI to create a figurine of themselves, along with accessories that relate to their interests. These started filling up my social media feeds out of nowhere recently.

Not long after these started taking over my feeds, artists and illustrators began to draw their own versions. Each one is unique and shows not only the subject and their attributes, but also provides some insight into each artist’s style and aesthetic. You can see a bunch of examples over on Intagram using the hastag #starterpacknoai! They feel unique, personal - and interesting to look at. It’s probably no surprise to you that I prefer the people-created ones to the computer-generated ones. Of course, I had to craft my own:

As soon as I was done, I wanted to do another - for me, or for someone else. My sister volunteered, as did my husband. There are so many facets to each person’s personality, and capturing elements of someone’s identity to distill it down to one image is quite the challenge.

What would your figurine look like? What would it wear? What accessories would be included with yours? I want to know!

P.S.: I’ve got a few spots available for commissions of these - check out the information below to learn more! These might be fun end-of-year gifts for teachers… just putting that out there. ;)