## Reclaiming My Artistic Vision with Midjourney & Photoshop
In this post, I’ll share my personal workflow for using AI to create visual art, bypassing the physical limitations that make traditional painting and design challenging. This is a story of how a powerful language model and a sophisticated photo editor became my digital canvas.
### The Challenge: From Fine Motor Skills to Fine-Tuned Prompts
For years, my hands were my primary tools for creativity. But with the progression of MS, the precision required for brushstrokes or intricate mouse movements in software like Photoshop became a source of frustration. The traditional process of creation was no longer accessible.
My solution was to shift my focus from physical dexterity to descriptive language, transforming a physical act into a cognitive one. This is where Midjourney came in.
### Step 1: The AI as My Artistic Muse
Instead of staring at a blank canvas, I now start with a blank prompt. I use my voice-to-text software to articulate my artistic vision, which Midjourney then translates into a visual.
**My Goal:** A serene, abstract landscape with soft, flowing lines and a vibrant color palette, inspired by the American Southwest.
**My Voice-Activated Prompts:**
* `“Generate a serene, abstract landscape painting in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe with soft, flowing lines and a vibrant desert color palette. Use colors of burnt orange, turquoise, and dusty rose.”`
* `“Add a surreal, floating mesa in the center of the image, with a subtle, glowing aura around it.”`
* `“Increase the saturation of the turquoise and the depth of the burnt orange to create a more dramatic effect.”`
### Step 2: Refining the Masterpiece in Photoshop
The image that Midjourney produces is my digital canvas. I then import it into Photoshop, where I use a combination of voice commands and keyboard shortcuts to refine the image.
**My Voice-Activated Photoshop Commands:**
* `“Open image.”`
* `“Select filter menu.”`
* `“Add a soft blur filter to the background.”`
* `“Increase the contrast by twenty percent.”`
* `“Save as a JPEG file.”`
### The Result: A Reclaimed Creative Process
By using this workflow, I have not only found a new way to create art but have also reclaimed a part of my identity that I thought I had lost. The process is no longer about my physical limitations but about my creative vision. AI has become my hands, and my voice has become my brush.
This is a powerful example of how AI and automation can bring back a sense of utility and joy to people who have lost it.