Hey First name / friends!

 

Over the past year or so, I’ve been asked one question more than any other: 

 

 

Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney have taken the internet by storm, and it’s kind of like the wild west out there. These tools were available to the public so quickly that regulation hasn’t quite caught up yet. 
 

One thing I’m always telling my students is to be adaptable. Being a creative business owner today means that we have to constantly learn and evolve with technology and trends. This advice has served me well over the years as different factors have affected my income streams. (Like in March 2020 when my in-store art licensing sales screeched to a halt during lockdowns, but online course income skyrocketed.)

 

So, of course, I had to see what all the hype was about when the AI tools started to pop up everywhere. 

 

This is a very nuanced and potentially triggering topic for some artists, so I decided to write a blog post sharing my thoughts on the ethical use of AI for artists. 

 

Check out the entire post here to learn how I use AI and whether or not I think it’s ok to use it as a tool in your art workflow.

 

P.S. This was written by me – not ChatGPT 😅

This week’s challenge is to create an illustration with baking or baked goods as the subject. I’ve had lots of success licensing my artwork depicting sweet treats like cake and donuts. 

Some of these desserts turned into my “How Sweet” collection with Skyz. 🧁🍰🍩

 

 

And this year, I’ve also put together a collection featuring tea towel designs with fun quotes and one of those tea towels was geared toward baking enthusiasts! 

Now if I can just get it licensed for use on The Great British Bake Off  🤞✨

Art that centers around a beloved hobby like this can be a strategic move for getting licensed. Another hobby example that is blowing up right now is pickleball! I’ve seen so many pickleball designs popping up and getting licensed! 

 

I can’t wait to see your baking/baked goods illustrations! Make sure to share them on Instagram with the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq and tag me @catcoq so I can see what you make!

 

On your marks, get set, bake! (or paint, in our case 😅)

Here are a few of the amazing submissions from our retro floral challenge a few weeks ago! Be sure to browse the #CreateWithCatCoq hashtag to cheer on your fellow artists!

Have a fabulous week!