Month: March 2023

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artificial intelligence creative writing fiction technology women writing

Deep Delivery by Ocean Express (WIP Excerpt)

Have you had a productive weekend? Mine was spent working on my third novel and now I have a draft of the first chapter. The working title is How to be rich by Hurricane Nisto. And here is a scene from that first chapter.

As usual, for details about everyday things, I spend a lot of time making notes and researching ideas. In this scene, the company names, ad copy, blurbs, timetables, and rates for “Deep Delivery by Ocean Express” and “EcoPicks” were generated by AI chat model ChatGPT.

And because I love concept art, I designed some graphics for this post. I hope they pull you deep into the scene. Thank you for reading.

Hurricane woke up from a nap in her room and checked her smartwatch. She was expecting to see the time but her eyes widened when she saw an ad pop up on the screen. The ad read, “Are you tired of waiting weeks or even months for essential supplies to arrive? Get quick and reliable deliveries in the Southern Ocean area.”

With a flick of her wrist, she sent their website’s URL to a browser on her tablet. She rolled over and sat up to take a closer look. She could see that the company, Deep Delivery by Ocean Express, was headquartered in North Island, Aotearoa. On the services page, she could hardly believe the prices for delivery to Skartøya. At only $1.25 in local currency, she would only need to pay $375 or 2435 kroner to have nearly half a metric ton of products delivered. Hurricane had spent twice that amount on cosmetics alone. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the delivery time: Three days. Three days?!

Hurricane grabbed her tablet and hurried into the common area. Kai, Luca, and Lars were sitting on the floor, around the low table. For an awkward moment, she stopped as she remembered she was supposed to avoid Luca. He looked relaxed wearing a thick, red puffer coat in a shrug around his shoulders. Underneath, he was wearing all black: a fitted polo neck sweater, stretchy jeans, and wool socks.

The men were huddled around a large tablet, playing with a 3D simulator app. Luca must have been happy or distracted because he was not complaining at all. Hurricane looked around for Maya, then she checked a wall panel for her colleague’s bio signature. Her avatar was not glowing red, which meant that she was probably outside.

“Submarine delivery in three days? I can’t believe we didn’t know about this service earlier,” Kai said. He was tapping the screen of Hurricane’s tablet excitedly.

“It’s a new service,” replied Hurricane. “I think they are just launching. Their ad was designed for this weather station. They found me through my Map app. Let’s be their first customers and try them out.”

“Are they aware of the potential increase in the carbon footprint they are creating with a submarine delivery service?” Lars asked. He sounded frightened. “The ocean’s ecosystem is already so fragile.”

Kai was still looking at Hurricane’s tablet. He scrolled down a web page. “They definitely care about that, Lars. Their submarines are powered by ocean wave technology. No wonder the service is so cheap. They use only biodegradable packaging. And they have a recycling program. It looks like EcoPicks is a partner with them for that.”

“Nice,” said Lars. He seemed happy. “Nice.”

Luca groaned. “Why do people always go on and on about sustainability? Not everything has to be about … that.”

Kai interjected, “If I had my way, there would be fewer humans living in the Southern Ocean area. Humans produce too much waste, and rarely consider the long term impact on our ecosystems. We already had record high temperatures this week. Believe it or not, the environment here is affected by what people have been doing in other areas of the world.”

Luca shrugged his shoulders and pulled his coat around him. “I get it, you’re all about saving the world. But it’s not going to kill the planet if it’s only the five of us. H, maybe order a pizza or get an espresso machine? I will pay for it.”

Lars said, “We cannot get you an espresso machine by Sunday, and that’s the day you’re expected to leave. Unless you’re planning to stay? In which case we watch the energy we use here because it is generated by wind or biogas. We already have a coffee maker so it’s not necessary to install another one, even if we are happy to be gifted one. And Kai is saying that we look for ways to enjoy everything this island has to offer without adding unnecessary waste to it.”

Hurricane smiled and interjected, “Actually, pizza is a good idea, Luca. We have a lot of designer grain flours here. We have teff, freekeh, barley, farro, and amaranth. We can make a gourmet pizza with a combo of those. We have vegetables from the greenhouse, and processed cheese and canned meats in the pantry. Besides, who wants to eat food with three days of bacterial growth on it?”

Luca rolled his eyes. “I kind of meant frozen pizza but fine, whatever.”

Kai and Lars fell into a comfortable silence, leaving Hurricane and Luca to look at each other awkwardly. Presently, the door opened, and Maya entered the habitat. With her arrival came a gust of fresh, frosty air. It filled the space with a reminder of how lucky they were to be warm and comfortable indoors. Kai greeted Maya and gave her an update about the new submarine delivery service. Hurricane frowned and headed to the pantry to fetch the ingredients for their gourmet pizza. Lars followed closely behind.

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AI Revolution: How you can work with a high-end writing assistant 

According to a new article in Fortune, Bill Gates is annoyed that “the AI revolution means everyone will have their own ‘white collar’ personal assistant”. Most writers I know don’t have billions of dollars of pocket money to hire the best and brightest ghostwriters, or a whole publishing company to do editing, distribution, and marketing. The best we can afford is a free, high-end AI writing assistant that produces instant results. 

In the recent past, I have hired a large roster of contractors to help me with various projects. Often, I had to wait up to two weeks to find out I would not receive what I was promised. That led me to start double hiring so I could have a backup in case someone let me down.  

What I want for my creative projects is forward movement. I do not want to be miserable, tired, spent out, and burnt out. Deep learning language systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Facebook’s LLaMA are the technological upgrade we have been waiting for, and I encourage you to start using them as tools. In this post, I will use ChatGPT and my third novel (WIP) to show you how the system works. It is really easy to work with an AI writing assistant.  

First, you should start a new chat and tell the system your objective. I said, “Pretend you’re a fiction author. Please be my creative writing assistant today.” Then, I explained that I would focus on three areas: character descriptions, realistic dialogues, and character motivations. After you do that, adjust the details and send one request at a time.

Generate character descriptions

My third novel has one principal character, a woman named Hurricane Nisto. Hurricane is extroverted but not very talkative. She prefers to observe her surroundings because she is always searching for inspiration for her next fantasy. But what does she look like? In the chat, I wrote notes on Hurricane’s personality, nationality, and work environment. I then said, “I don’t have any idea what she looks like.” 

ChatGPT’s first response was a rehash of what I wrote, so I tapped “regenerate response”. This time, the system gave me a physical description of Hurricane. 

ChatGPT’s second attempt: 

Hurricane Nisto is a woman in her mid-thirties with Nordic features that reflect her Norwegian heritage. Her long, blonde hair is usually styled in a loose ponytail, framing her heart-shaped face, sharp cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Her tall, slender build is often hidden behind loose-fitting clothes. She prefers comfortable, casual clothes because they allow her to move freely.

Draft realistic dialogue

After finding out what Hurricane Nisto might look like, I now focus on one of her conversations. She has a vivid imagination, which distracts her from the mundane tasks of her government job. Fantasising got her in trouble and this is the basis for the events unfolding in the story. 

Most of Hurricane’s conversations take place online. At one point in the story, Hurricane buys an Italian castle for the unbelievably low price of ten kroner (roughly US$1). Then, she finds out she has to renovate it. She lives in Antarctica so she needs to hire an assistant who lives in Italy.

The details I gave ChatGPT were that a castle was purchased for US$1, that Hurricane is living on a remote island, and she used a digital bulletin board to advertise for an assistant living in Italy. The output told me that a candidate, Priya, travelled to Antarctica to meet Hurricane in person. This was a mistake, given the specific details I provided, so I reminded the system to pay attention. I said, “Priya never leaves Italy and Hurricane never leaves Antarctica. They have to work virtually. Please start over.”

My question was, “How does their conversation start? Do not include self-introductions.” 

ChatGPT’s response: 

Apologies for the confusion earlier! Here’s a revised version of the conversation starter: Hurricane and Priya connect over a video chat app on a social media site. They’ve never met in person and are communicating virtually due to the distance between them.

And this is a portion of the dialogue generated: 

“It’s a long story,” answered Hurricane, “but basically, the castle has been abandoned for years, and the government sold it for a very low price as part of a preservation project. I saw the opportunity and took it, even though it’s located so far away from me.”

“That’s fascinating,” was Priya’s response. “So, how can I help you with the castle?”

“I need someone to inspect the property and give me a detailed report of its condition,” answered Hurricane. “Can you do that for me, Priya?”

An interesting draft, and the tone is appropriate for a professional conversation. And now I have an idea of how helpful (and fast!) the software is for drafting dialogue based on a general prompt. 

Brainstorm character motivations

Remember that Hurricane Nisto is an extroverted person who is not talkative. At the start of the story, we know why she ends up living in Antarctica. She breaks a rule at work, but does not get fired because her government job is secure. The workaround is to send her to Antarctica. In her new job, she supervises a weather station on a Norwegian outpost. 

The incident was a “stairwell tryst.” The system already knows that Hurricane is a fantasist, and is somewhat detached from what’s happening around her. So, I asked simply, “Why would Hurricane have a stairwell tryst with a supervisor in her office?”

After reviewing the results, I told the software that there was no “affection” between the characters, and that Hurricane was neither materialistic nor ambitious. 

ChatGPT’s 3rd attempt:

Hurricane Nisto has a tendency to daydream, and if she is not motivated by personal gain or advancement in the workplace, it’s possible that her affair with the senior colleague is driven by a need for validation or attention. She may feel overlooked or invisible within the organisation. And the attention and validation she receives from the senior colleague may make her feel seen and valued. Or, Hurricane may be bored or dissatisfied with her life, and the excitement of an illicit affair may provide a temporary escape from the monotony of her routine.

These were valid motivations, but this output required three generations. The model had a difficult time understanding that Hurricane has low self-awareness. I agree that Hurricane may be bored or dissatisfied with her life, but her character is nuanced. She acts like someone who thinks, but in reality, she is driven from one circumstance to the next. To fully develop the story, I will need to show the reader that Hurricane is likeable despite her lack of self-awareness.

Conclusion

One of the wonderful things about working with a deep learning language model like ChatGPT is that I have grown more confident as a writer. There are lots of people saying that AI will replace creative writers, but I am sure that won’t happen. Creative writing requires flexible thinking which present AI language models might not be able to handle.

Robots cannot tell a story with deliciously intriguing characters. Even with detailed prompts, they cannot present nuanced emotions and personality quirks. They may have a low tolerance for human flaws. But they can provide support with technical research, and provide feedback on storytelling techniques.

The secrets to generating useable output are to create detailed prompts and establish baselines for the output. Give plenty of feedback. Assistants don’t read minds and this software is not clairvoyant. Please practice, and tell me what happened.

Thank you for reading. Best of luck with your writing tasks. 

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Connecting Globally: Neda Shoaei and Waqqas Shahid talk shop in my Instagram DMs

Giraffitii by Neda Shoaei

Neda
I love this topic Nicole has chosen. And I believe that connection has always been the highest need for human beings throughout history. How we define connection has changed in modern times. Waqqas, how do you see the connections we are creating in the 21st century? Are we as effective as previous generations used to be, you feel?

Waqqas
In the 21st century, we have more tools than ever before to connect with people globally. We build global connections because we want to connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures. By fostering understanding and inclusivity, we can build lasting relationships.

Technology has the potential to bring tremendous financial benefits to individuals and communities. But we should also be using it to improve the lives of people around the globe.

We can start by bridging cultural divides, instead of perpetuating them. By approaching global connections with openness and humility, we can create a more compassionate world. What are your thoughts, Ned?

Waqqas Shahid

Neda
Great points, Waqqas. That meaningful connection is what we are all looking for. And we have amazing new media tools to help with that. People are starting to realize, more and more, that borders have no meaning. We are getting connected on a deeper level. Solidarity is rising because we are getting in touch with more people from different countries, languages, and backgrounds.

When did you personally start creating deeper connections on social media? Was it the same feeling as the physical world conversations you had before?

Waqqas
I began creating deeper connections on social media about seven months ago. By being open to new perspectives, I formed meaningful relationships which have become a part of my real-life network.

Listening and observing are more important to me than speaking, as I really want to understand others. One of the great connections I made was with Nicole, and I am grateful to her for having me here. I encourage others to use social media as a tool for creating genuine and lasting connections with people from all walks of life.

Neda Shoaei

Neda
Waqqas, I like that you said that people should build/find that genuine connection. Knowing these facts from the beginning helps us to keep going until we find like-minded people.

You said you have been connecting with people on social media for seven months now. Was there any point where you felt this was not right, or had any self-doubt?

Waqqas
There were moments of self-doubt. It can be intimidating to put ourselves out there and engage with strangers, especially if we are not sure if we’ll be well-received.

However, the key to overcoming these doubts was to keep an open mind and be willing to learn from others. By listening to their perspectives and experiences, I was able to build genuine connections. The sense of community I have developed has been incredibly rewarding. I’m grateful for the growth and learning opportunities that have come from these experiences.

Neda
I always observe the fact that some communities are very English-centric. I mean, they seem not open or ready for non-English speakers to join them. On the other hand, I see communities that ask for people from different backgrounds and languages to join them. They overcome language barriers by having bilingual speakers in Twitter Spaces or having foreign language channels on their Discord channels.

Again, I believe we should find communities/people that are like-minded. That way, we can feel happy to share our feelings and ideas in an open way. This is the point of global connection at its core.

Neda Shoaei

Waqqas
It is true that some communities tend to prioritize English language and Western culture over others. Understanding different languages and cultures is crucial for global connections. By connecting with people from diverse backgrounds, we get the opportunity to understand and learn from their perspectives and values, which can broaden our own thinking and outlook on life.

On that note, what role does cultural awareness play in building connections with people from diverse backgrounds?

Neda
Normally, media and the role that it’s playing in our lives are not taught in schools. Small, medium and large organizations, as well as communities, should create that message throughout the world.

Schools and universities are being left behind. We need a new educational system to replace the old one. It is amazing when I see how individuals are coming together to make the shift happen.

People who are considered to be in the margins are now finding their voices. A strong global connection is being built that is precious and also unique. I feel more people are noticing this movement and are joining it. We grow stronger each day.

Waqqas
It’s truly amazing to witness how individuals are taking the initiative to push for a more culturally aware and equitable world. Let’s continue to come together and make this shift happen.


｡⁠.ﾟ⁠+⁠ ⁠⟵⁠(⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠)

About the creatives

Neda Shoaei
I’m Ned, 31 and a multidisciplinary artist, with a passion for technology. I have been honing my skills and expanding my creative horizons since 2016. If you like watching videos, you can follow my journey on my YouTube channel. My background in English literature and focus on concepts such as diaspora, post-colonialism, and decentralization gives me a unique perspective on my craft. I am particularly passionate about new media, digitalization, and creating content for both physical and virtual platforms. I started my studies in game design in 2023. My ultimate goal is to create unique, engaging, and thought-provoking experiences for audiences across both physical and virtual worlds.

Artwork by Neda Shoaei

Waqqas Shahid
Hi, I’m Waqqas Shahid, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Karachi, Pakistan. I come from a family business background in yarn textiles. I decided to pursue my own dreams and become an innovator in the exciting world of cryptoart. I’m a curious soul who loves to research the latest trends and happenings around the world. I believe that through research and hard work, we can create positive change and make a difference in the world. That’s why I ventured into the NFT community. My goal is connecting with people globally and inspiring them to make a positive impact.

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Artist’s Diary: Anneli Berglund

Happy Saturday. Believe it or not, it’s been almost 9 years since I started this blog and this is my first Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Of course, I’m going to bend the rules by introducing Swedish fine artist and graphic designer, Anneli Berglund. In this post, she talks about her soon-to-be released Wabi Sabi Noir generative art project. I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do. She is truly stylish.

$$$$$$

Hello, I’m Anneli, here to tell you about my day. This morning I got up, put on some coffee, and sent the children to school. Then I went to watch a tutorial made by Goblin on YouTube, about how to deploy a generative collection on LaunchMyNft, an NFT platform I am using for my most recent art project.

Before that, I had self-destructed the same collection’s profile page on Foundation. Now, I’m setting up everything on this new platform. So, uhm, follow me on Instagram?

After gathering the information I needed from the tutorial, it was time to press “self-destruct” on Foundation.

In a storm of energy two days ago, I put up a brand new collection of art there. But after exchanging a couple of emails with Foundation Support, I realized I didn’t have a service to help randomize my design elements.

So I had to press the self destruct-button. It happened pretty fast. At first, I felt a little scared. Then, it felt like a cool James Bond movie moment. In truth, I regretted having to spend transaction fees on something I had to burn only two days later.

And now it’s afternoon. The kids will be home in an hour, but I have very little food in the fridge. So I’m thinking egg sandwiches should be fine? I’m still staring at my screen, waiting to add my new artwork to the Ethereum blockchain.

But I see that the transaction fees have gone through the roof. It’s going to cost $90 to mint the collection. That is too much. I’m low on ETH and need every bit of it to push out my work, especially because there’s no real guarantee it will sell.

My reach on all social media is crap right now because I refuse to play by the Algorithm Rules. It’s not a provocative choice; this is how I’m wired. I’m a busy woman, a full time artist and full time mother, and I will not post everyday nonsense to appease current technology. It’s built by greedy humans anyway, if you ask me.

Lately I’ve been looking at a decentralized social media app. I was told I’d get a spot on that app but, it’s still in beta.

Looking at my screen again, and the transaction fees are now between $63 and $68. It was down to $25 just a few days ago. Maybe I chose a bad time to do this, but I don’t have much time to sit in front of a screen later today. I really want to launch this collection on March 23 because the date will be 2023/3/23.

See what I did there?

The date itself is not special. I saw a bunch of 23s somewhere and decided March 23 was a good date. I work intuitively, much like when I decided to deconstruct my earlier ink works and put them back together again as unique characters. I call my characters “inklings.” And I have called the collection Wabi Sabi Noir. I guess a lot of what I do seems impulsive, but it’s working for me.

Ah! It’s getting late, and I have to wash my hair. Maybe the transaction fees will go down by the time I’ve finished? Fingers crossed.

Sending ….

God! Twitter removed all the spacing. What a horrible block of text – ha ha ha ha. I am literally heading into the shower now. See you around!

Follow Anneli Berglund on Twitter
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Writers’ Lift: AI integration in Google Workspace

Some exciting news was announced yesterday about generative AI integration in Google Workspace. Most of you might already be familiar with this paid set of apps used to manage a business. We already have access to a free version of the apps through our Google accounts. The workspace suite allows more functionality and comes with pricing options.

Dear Lord, let it be cheap. What I’m truly excited about is the prospect of having AI tools to help me research my writing projects. My second book is already finished and is waiting to be published. The plot itself was simple, and the story timeline was relatively uncomplicated. However, I needed to take the entire 2022 off to battle the great zombie apocalypse at work.

And even though it was challenging, I managed to get my writing done and produce two musical albums to go with the story. For this second novel, what was especially challenging was the research. In my Google Docs, I have a small book’s worth of research on the story. Of course, I love inventing new place names and designing interiors. I also have a wiki about the rules of interactions and laws of the fictional country in which the story is situated. It was also relatively straightforward to design a wave-powered yacht which has a floating indoor farm. But that wasn’t the most challenging part of the research.

This is a romantic story, which is not in my wheelhouse. In order for the story to work I needed a convincing pathogen, a test for that pathogen, and a treatment. Then I also needed a bunch of legal proceedings to distract my protagonist from his love interest. In other words, I had to leave the actual dialogue and chase rabbits down rabbit holes. One particular rabbit hole from which I recently got sprung was in YouTube.

I was fully immersed in some pop culture commentary. One of my protagonists is obsessed with social media. She knows what celebrities have for breakfast, but she thinks she’s better than they are because she doesn’t post countless photos of herself online. I needed to know how she spun her thoughts in her private moments, and I wanted to know what ticked her off. She was pretty irritated for most of the story, and she was using social media as a distraction from what was really bothering her.

I’m not writing about myself, I’m writing about a character. And I might have broken my brain. While I’m rehabilitating, I am creating a plan for how I’ll use the AI tools embedded in Google Docs to write about a much more complex character, Hurricane Nisto, in my third novel. It would be nice to fully flesh out her “voice” using the rules I created in the treatment for the story.

I had a plan to run off to Antarctica to write that story (already started) because that’s where everything happens. But I’m hoping I will be able to access the AI integrated suite for a very affordable price by the time I’m ready to continue working on it. I might not have to travel at all.

Thank you for reading. I’m more than happy to hear about the projects that you’re working on. I have been trying to find your blogs but not sure if I’m meant to comment or not. Please let me know how I can support you. If you find some of my comments in your spam folders, please be kind enough to fish them out for me. Best wishes.

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Titan Queens: Mahnoor Niazi and Aida Boldeanu talk “beauty” in my Twitter DMs

Artwork by Mahnoor

Twitter DMs might be the last place you would expect to read an in-depth conversation on beauty. But when I decided to experiment with this style of interview, Mahnoor Niazi (Islamamabad) and Aida Boldeanu (Prague) were kind enough to join me. Read ahead and find out what they said in my DMs.

Bella Donna by Aida

Mahnoor
Hey there. I have been thinking about this question all day, consciously and unconsciously, and I feel like I can define the meaning of beauty according to local culture in probably one line: ‘A temporary span of age where you look the most pleasing for all those who lay their eyes on you’. However, beauty for me is the spark that people possess as individuals. It is their freedom to feel and express as they want, to realise their wildest dreams and have the reflection of those dreams sparkle in their eyes.

As we see bodies and forms all around us, we confine them into a few genders without asking for names and without thinking about their individual identities and ideals. Beauty to me is the smallest of details that set these bodies apart. It is not what meets they eye; rather, it is our own ability to see beyond physical appearances.

I remember being totally confused about what being beautiful actually meant. And for a long time, I was confused until I understood what it mean to me.

What a small world by Mahnoor

Aida
So for you, Mahnoor, beauty is rather the spirit and intentions reflected in our gaze?

Mahnoor
Yup, I feel like that’s an everlasting form of beauty that is free of conforming to preconceptions or expectations. I have met people whose physical presence or appearance fades away as soon as they start expressing themselves.

Aida
GM.

Mahnoor
Good morning, Aida.

Save Me by Aida on Objkt

Aida
Beauty is a very controversial and difficult topic, and quite complex. The subject covers a wide range of unit measures. And in various geopolitical spaces, beauty ranges from being the most important thing in life to becoming a taboo topic.

I will refer now to only my experiences and culture. I have seen beauty standards shifting in time. And I remember beauty was strongly embedded in cultural values with symbolism, whereas nowadays, beauty is about power.

Artwork by Mahnoor

For me, beauty means various things. I could speak about abstract beauty, human behaviours, architecture, nature and our physical appearance. This last idea is the most controversial and most discussed in society. But I totally love natural physical beauty, and unique features. I admire the bravery and talent of those who choose to emphasise that with beautiful make-up and clothes, even if I am not very good at it. Anyhow, I believe beauty should be free to express itself in whatever form.

Mahnoor
I really wanted to ask you one question to start with. As you work with people, how do you make sure both you and your subject are reflected equally in your artwork?

Aida
That’s an interesting question, with a simple answer: We don’t know and I never focus on that. The results you see are like the product of making love: In the process, one doesn’t actually analyse how much the other partner is giving. It’s a dance, going back and forth, adjusting always to your own pleasure or to the responses of your partner. The final result is filtered out through your values and perceptions, wishes and expectations.

Look up to me by Adia

Mahnoor
Damn! That’s a beautiful take and probably a treat for those who face the lens.

Aida
Sometimes I am not aware I have such answers in me, as I shoot organically. I shoot with my soul, senses, limbs. I barely know how to use the camera, even if I have been doing that for 10+ years (please, don’t disqualify me, haha).

Closed doors and hidden ideasl by Mahnoor

Mahnoor
That’s the best, really. The organic way. The reason why I admire that approach so much is because I have always worked in solitude, and I love it. I love observing things around me as I draw a contrast between the elements I have around me.

Aida
You are in a good place, being self sufficient, and having the ability to feel the life and beauty around you and make friends with it.

Mahnoor, what does Pakistani beauty look like? On average, that is.

Photography interior mockups by Aida

Mahnoor
Oooh, that’s an interesting question. The general perception here might not sound very pleasant. There are different schools of thought here really. For some people here, it’s literally a certain span of age (like somewhere between 18-26). That is when they consider you beautiful in most cases.

I am very glad that there is also a group of people here who don’t highlight beauty in terms of physical appearances. It’s more the substance that a person has; their ability to face life and to take care of themselves.

Artwork by Mahnoor

Aida
So it seems, that in your society, the values are pretty much divided, each carrying different influences or bodies of understanding, perceptions, and preferences. Can you show me a picture of what would define classic Pakistani beauty? Could be a man or woman.

Mahnoor
We have so many sub-sub-cultures here, and with those, a lot of different presentations of what a traditional woman might look like.

Portrait featured on Lens Culture

Aida
One day I must come down there and have you guide me so we can document that variety of beauty.

Mahnoor
Oh my! That would probably do justice to all the different cultures and traditions here.

Aida
I would love that. We could speak about beauty, make a project out of it, and raise funds. I need 1000 euros only for the flights. Maybe some people in the NFT community can sponsor us up front? And we could offer them a “Pakistani Beauty Guide”, as digital collectibles and prints, with lots of behind-the-scenes interviews with people in the local community.

Mahnoor
That sounds amazing, we should definitely do something like that

Aida
Mahnoor, do you consider yourself to be beautiful?

Mahnoor
@aida_studios ooooooohhhh, that’s a question I have always avoided. I wish I could explain why. I feel like I don’t want to apply that to myself. I don’t take myself seriously.

Aida
You are free to take yourself seriously.

Mahnoor
And that freedom, my freedom, is the most beautiful thing I have. But to answer the previous question on the cultural connotations attached to beauty, I would love to share some pictures from around me. I can talk about the people I know or have met and how the physical ideal of beauty might change according to certain occasions and circumstances. But as these are not just my pictures, I don’t know how comfortable the other people might be to have them shared on a blog. I can share them privately, though.

Aida
So she is avoiding the question. We will talk more about this when we meet.

Mahnoor
Yes, we should do that. Whatever gets me out of answering that question now.

Aida
Sure. And I will just add that you are a very beautiful person.

Mahnoor
Thank you, Aida. I am happy you think so.

*****

About the artists

Mahnoor Haroon Niazi is a multi-disciplinary artist from Pakistan. She is the founder of Pakistan’s first and only digital magazine for artists, Chaap. The magazine serves the creative community of the entire country. Mahnoor believes in the power of community, and her art is mostly inspired by shared experiences, culture, and thought-provoking elements. She works to encourage, empower and enable local artists and creative professionals. Niazi believes that art and creative economy have the ability to bring individuals together in order to find a collective voice and form a sustainable community even when political and social circumstances inhibit growth. She is also active in the NFT Community on Twitter. Her digital assets are listed on Objkt and Foundation.

Aida Boldeanu is a Romanian conceptual photographer living in Prague. Through her work, she speaks about freedom and uses her creative gifts to redefine terms, concepts, and trends. Collect her photography as digital assets on Manifold. She combines them with her inner perceptions. In her documentary and street photography, she works with human geometries, spaces, light and details. Aida travels the world, trying to understand as much as possible. And in her travels, she has been meeting and talking with the people she meets about liberties, freedoms and life.

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Art of Triumph: 2023 is Blessing Atas’ Year

From Egrets Collection by Blessing Atas

Today, I am happy to introduce you to visual artist and storyteller, Blessing Atas. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. She is based in Abuja, Nigeria, and her artistic style revolves around merging tradition and culture with contemporary living. While also creating work that reflects on life and her surroundings, she is enthusiastic about creating artwork that makes the viewer feel something. Growing up, she used to paint, but eventually grew into making art with photography as her medium. This transformation has allowed her to showcase her ideas in a rich visual format.

Blessing, I saw the monochrome runway looks from Dolce & Gabbana on IG Live last weekend. You were the first person I thought of because of your recent feature in Vogue Italia‘s February 2023 issue. Would you like to tell us how that happened?

Honestly, I would say being featured in Vogue Italia with other amazing photographers to celebrate the PhotoVogue community came as a surprise. When I first received the email last year to be a part of this project, I couldn’t believe it. I thought they had made a mistake sending an email to me. It was an amazing moment and I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Egrets: photography collection from Nigerian visual artist Blessing Atas.
Egrets: Photography Collection by Blessing Atas

And how does it feel to be at this stage of your artistic journey? A Vogue feature, in print and online, is a gateway to many wonderful opportunities.

Being at this stage in my artistic journey feels surreal sometimes. I never would have imagined that one day photography would be taking care of me like it is at the moment. And I never imagined I would have had any of these opportunities. It has been one amazing journey for me. There have been a lot of ups and downs and I still go through that even now. But I am glad I can still keep going and not give up. I continue to hope for the best. I want to see where this road takes me.

Egrets: Photography collection by Blessing Atas, Nigerian visual artist.
More from Egrets (via Twitter)

Vogue Italia featured your Egrets Collection. This body of work had the art world eating out of the palm of your hand. It went positively viral. What ideas are at the heart of this story?

The Egrets is a project that is very close to heart and I am so grateful the art world continues to receive in a beautiful way. The project was first inspired by birds (egrets). And as I built more ideas into the project, I started to understand what it really meant to me. The Egrets speak about freedom. This body of work is also inspired by certain internal struggles I had as an artist. I felt the need to break free from those restraints. The Egrets, as a body of work, attempts to document our continuous journey towards finding freedom within a chaotic reality.

In Harmony, from the Egrets Collection by visual artist Blessing Atas.
Egrets: In Harmony from Objkt

That is amazing. And how did you recruit the models? What did you say to them to get them to work with you?

Recruiting models wasn’t much of a challenge because I reached out to some people I had worked with in the past. Before going into a photo session, I usually explain to my models what I am going for. I tell them what mood I want, the story behind the work, and I also send them references so they have an idea what are going to do on shoot day.

It seemed that even the weather was taking directions from you. Was that the mood you wanted? Or did it all simply gel together that way?

It was definitely the mood I wanted when creating these images, and we also postponed some of the sessions when the weather wasn’t on our side. We took about three days to create this entire collection.

Egrets: From the photography collection of Nigerian visual artist Blessing Atas.
Egrets

Tell us more about the gear you used to capture the story.

I am primarily a mobile phone photographer and I have been doing that since 2020. These images, just like the rest of my work, are created with an iPhone. But for this project, I created it with an iPhone 12 Pro.

Swan, featured on PhotoVogue, by Nigerian visual artist Blessing Atas.
Swan: This is one of my favorites. This portrait looks like a Vogue cover.

It’s 2023, and this is still your year. What stories will be inspiring your work in the months ahead?

For 2023, I am looking to celebrate black women and show them with much more softness than the world usually shows them. And I hope I am able to accomplish that objective with my next body of work.

The Day Before: Photograph by Blessing Atas.
The Day Before

There is a fine line between the artist’s vision, pursuit of that vision, and good fortune. I think your work has brought those principles together beautifully. It was great chatting with you. Best of luck.

Thank you so much, this was awesome.

Notes: Thank you for reading this interview. Please read more about the Egrets Collection and view a full portfolio of the work on Blessing’s Instagram profile.