AI / WRITER
As with most creatives, we explore. Technology is currently leading the way and AI has taken the forefront in the next chapter of my life. That love for capturing moments has developed into one crazy parallel world. One I have the honour of imagining, drafting, and documenting. Not only has it pushed my creativity into a new visual realm, but sparked a love for writing, something I didn’t know I had!
So let’s start at the beginning of this next finger in the pie.
December 2022. I saw a post in my Instagram feed that blew me away. I had no idea how they shot it, as the budget to take that type of photo would have been unimaginable for us average folk. I had to know, I have to know everything but it wasn’t time, which frustrated the shit out of me.
A few weeks later, a Youtube vid found me, talking about an AI tool called Midjourney. The channel gave a caveat, “Watch out, it’s addictive”. They had no idea.
For three days straight I tried using the platform on Discord. I couldn’t get the concept from my head into fruition. But then, 11pm on one random night, tucked up in bed, it happened. I figured out how to prompt.
There was nothing online at that point on how to use Midjourney, you had to figure it out for yourself. Next thing I knew, it was 5am, I had a bunch of images of this uber cool bowling alley scene that I had envisioned, and my son was standing there asking why the heck I was still on my laptop. The floodgates were opened, and say hello to Tony’s new addiction!
Every unusual thought I had was being crafted by this amazing AI tool. I was refining my style, keeping continuity, but these fantastic images didn’t make sense, they needed context. Thats when ‘The Visual Dome’ was born. A world familiar but strangely different. A place constructed of five districts, five looks, five ways of live. The Dome isn’t too dissimilar to our world, but unusual enough to ensure you want to know more.
“A PARALLEL WORLD, WHERE EVERYTHING IS FAMILIAR, BUT STRANGELY DIFFERENT.”
The more I thought about this astonishing world the more explaining was needed. For everything was in my head, and no one had a clue what was going on. Once again, creativity went into turbocharge.
I had to document. First thing was a website, then I needed to map the Dome, literally map the entire world. I had to talk about bloodlines, capital cities, tribes, conflict, population stats, technology. My world was growing, but all this wasn’t enough. Time to push my comfort zone and start writing stories. For the Visual Dome has so much to tell, so much intrigue, so many characters. One short story become two, three, four, six. Before I knew it, I had ideas for new tribes, corruption, gangs, intrigue, murder.
As the story of the Dome has progressed, so has the followers, something I’m super proud of. They’re called ‘Domers’. They’re awesome and the investment these fans have made is extraordinary. It feels as if this world is becoming just as much theirs as mine. It has resonated with so many people, and I think I understand why.
In a world where our digital lives are just as important as our real lives, we need somewhere to escape. Somewhere to forget all the shit we have in our real world lives. For we all have shit, we’re all slightly fucked up in our own way. So why not have a place where for three hours, or even three minutes you can escape to. A place where you feel like you’re connected to your dreams.
The Dome is growing. More people are taking notice of this alternate world, and I would love you to. So if you’re not already intrigued, click the link below and peruse this fascinating place.
You can live like royalty in District 1. All leisure, all play, you’ll just need to be a prime bloodline. Thrive in a world of opulence in District 2, with teleportation as your standard mode of travel. Enjoy the honest life in District 3, where hybrid folk are part of natures framework. Pull the dud card and live in District 4. A life of crime, danger and guaranteed trust issues awaits you. Or migrate to District 5, where rules are out the window, creatives rule supreme and Haze X is the drug of choice. Guess which is my District!
It’s now time to find out where you truly belong.
