AI proofing ourselves
a little manual labor shout out
Three weeks ago I woke up to a text from one of my best friends who lives in Savannah, Ga. She sent a video of her dog basking in the sunlight that was flooding into their bedroom, with the birds chirping happily in the background. I could instantly feel the warmth and imagined what it would be like to catch the next flight out, escaping the three months of cold rain that is the northern Idaho spring. That thought turned into a “why not” discussion and by noon, Carson and I had planned to pack the car up and drive across the country to spend the next two months working on our derelict property down there.
I do not use the word, “derelict” lightly. This house has no windows, no electricity, and no water. It’s not as simple as calling up the electric company and having the power restored. The house has been vacant for the last 25 years and has been stripped of all of its wiring, had fire damage, termite damage, and the list goes on and on. If anyone else had gotten their hands on this place, they would have leveled it and started fresh. But when Carson purchased it three years ago, he had a very clear vision - rebuild and transform the space using only reclaimed and reused materials.
We originally planned for this space to become our permanent residence. We imagined a time in the (far) future when kids would be running around the yard, and we would own a turtle named Gerald. We planned on taking out half of the floors and making the downstairs a double - height space. We also drew plans for an extension off the side of the existing structure that would give us more space for additional bedrooms. But because of the location of the home (flood zone) and the price tag of all of this construction, we decided to pivot.
Instead, we are now viewing this as a massive art project. A chance to practice skills that we do not yet possess. The process is messy and it would certainly be much faster and more perfect if we paid someone else to do the work for us, but that’s not what this is about.
Recently we’ve been talking about AI-proofing ourselves. I’m not sure if there’s a correlation between the rise of AI and the decline in client’s dependence on us as designers, but I feel in my gut that it’s time to also pivot in my career (or at least diversify). It seems as though the creative market is shifting as AI can now visualize, iterate, and in a way, create for us. I think we will start to see more value placed on hand crafted and human-made products, spaces, and experiences as people become more fluent in the world of AI.
This house is a collision of our personal and professional lives at the moment. It is a very large canvas for us to play and make mistakes all the while building a space that feels intensely personal.
If you’re interested in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and how we’re surviving in a house without AC, water, and electricity, follow along.
XOXO