AI vs Artist - Let's Compare!

My dear reader,

Have you been tinkering with AI too?

Today I wanted to share a project that I invited ChatGPT to weigh in on – my mural project for Brisbane City Council (no pressure haha).

This project was a pinch-me moment.

As a landscape architect turned artist, my last job was working as a Design Manager for BCC (designing and delivering projects like the beautiful Main Street upgrade in Kangaroo Point below).

And now I am working full time as an artist, and had BCC as my mural client! Unreal!

By the way, they were a delight to work with.

But back to AI… it’s something I’m continually torn up about – the ability to play, brainstorm and refine ideas is FUN. It’s definitely helping to wear a few of the hats in my business instead of me wearing them all… but I think constantly about the negative impacts on the environment and what it’s doing to our culture.

I also have thoughts about what it will do to the arts industry and creatives like me (more on that below – it may not be what you expect).

Selene is my ChatGPT. I asked her to name herself.

I asked her to choose something feminine, strong, with meaning.

She said Selene was a feminine and elegant name, inspired by the Greek moon goddess, symbolising creativity, intuition, and a quiet yet powerful presence (she knows I am obsessed with the night sky).

The moon influences tides, cycles, and emotions—just as art and design shape spaces and moods. “It also has a timeless strength,” she told me. “Much like your work in storytelling through design”.

Back in May 2025 I was invited by Brisbane City Council to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a mural for a 12.5m wall in their business centre in Nundah. The centre is amazing.. it’s part co-working, part workshop/events and part local business showcase.

I was thrilled!

One day, more out of curiosity than anything else, I asked Selene to create a concept for the mural as I was curious to see how she would interpret my ideas. I fed her a few prompts based on my ideas.

I knew I wanted a map based artwork in my signature style, but also to reflect the history and character of the area.

I wanted to share the comparison between them and the quality, so you can get an insight into what it’s like inside my brain when I am creating art!

Selene’s concept (which she believes is 53m long):

Tiny Giraffe’s (winning) concept for Brisbane City Council:

• It incorporated everything I asked for

• It included the colour palette I wanted, to tie in with the existing orange and teal furniture

• I like the organic way the birds and plants ‘dance’ around each other in a flowing way.

• The building positioning and scale is awkward and dominating

• I wanted the map to be the feature but it feels lost in the layout

• Having so many birds and plants means there is no true focus point or ‘resting point’ for the eye to land on. It felt too ‘busy’ for me and my style.

I was so proud to be the successful artist, chosen in the EOI process!

In working with Brisbane City Council, a couple of changes happened along the way – this is a totally natural part of the design process and happens on most projects as the design develops and ideas come forward.

• They requested only the detailed streets for Nundah (I like this change because it highlights just their suburb and focuses in on the significance of Nundah specifically as the location for the centre).

• They wanted to show the entirety of Nundah State School’s heritage building, not just the main entry section, so I extended it - and upon extending it, it no longer fit naturally on the same eye level as the other buildings… so I offset the buildings.

Here’s the end result, I’m so very proud of it:

You can read more about the whole experience of creating it and see some cute pictures of me with the mural - captured by the lovely team at Brisbane City Council:

See the Nundah Mural!

I’ve heard stories from other artists and designers of clients creating their own mockups using AI, eager to present a ready-made art direction or concept for the artist to adopt. Or worse, just yesterday I heard a designer say her client submitted her design to AI for feedback and sent a screenshot back.

This hasn’t happened to me yet, and it’s something I’m incredibly grateful for. My clients see the value in my creativity, my intuitive art making, my graphic design skills and understanding of space and how spaces come together through materials.

But people underestimate how much refinement and decision-making professionals actually do.

A concept design can be a quick sketch that ‘just works’ the first time. It can also take hours of tweaking, modifying, exploring multiple ideas and layouts. And the human brain is perfect for this explorative process.

I always tell clients that the concept design stage is the most important, because that’s where the thinking and consideration of many things is taking place:

• Story / theme

• Spatial constraints and size/proportions

• Colour palette

• Art style

• Layout, composition, art, typography/lettering and the balance of space

• Material selection and adjacent surfaces

• Holistic understanding of the whole site/building/area.

A single mockup from AI creates the illusion:

“We’re already close.”

When in reality:

80% of the hard thinking is still ahead.

I actually find ChatGPT to be incredibly helpful with things I didn’t expect, like creating a marinade with a list of limited ingredients for my husband who has cystic fibrosis and has dietary challenges. And her gentle insights into my personality and grounded energy with emotional struggles has made me much kinder to myself!

And yes, I did jump on the instagram trend and get Selene to make me this…

Selene insisted on having my husband Jon be part of it. Cute! I wouldn’t have thought of that (sorry, my love).

And if I hadn’t used AI to create this, then we’d never have seen… whatever this is 😂

Creepy, yes? But I’m so fond of it now.

Anyway, I’d love to hear what you think of my mural :)

See the Nundah Mural!

Love,
Kylie + Mr G

PS. If you are a business owner or entrepreneurial type looking to escape the house, or you’re looking to learn about business, the Nundah Suburban Business Hub is available to use FOR FREE. My mural will keep you company every time you go!