30/30
As someone who actively integrates AI and digital tools into my creative work and teaching, I often advocate for their role in expanding creative possibilities. But I also recognize that great ideas don’t start with software—they start with thinking. That’s why, before my ART 251 students touch Photoshop, I challenge them with a 30/30 mini class assignment: 30 sketches in 30 minutes.
This exercise is deliberately fast-paced. No screens, no AI—just pen, paper, and raw creative thinking. It’s designed to push students past hesitation and perfectionism, forcing them to focus on rapid ideation rather than execution. The goal isn’t to create finished pieces but to unlock ideas they wouldn’t have arrived at if they were overly cautious or reliant on digital tools from the start.
The 30/30 exercise serves as the foundation for a larger digital collage project. Each student is randomly assigned a song and tasked with interpreting it visually in Photoshop. Before they start working digitally, they use sketching to explore themes, emotions, and visual metaphors within the music. The prompts I provide—word association, abstract emotions, transformation, and unexpected object use—help them move beyond the obvious. By the end of the session, they have pages full of possibilities, some of which might not make it into the final piece but all of which contribute to the development of their concept.
Only after this phase do they begin working in Photoshop, where AI and digital tools come into play. The difference? They now have a strong foundation—something personal, expressive, and deeply connected to the song they’re interpreting. The sketches help them make intentional creative choices rather than relying on the randomness of digital experimentation alone.
This assignment reinforces something I believe deeply: AI is an incredible tool, but so is a blank sheet of paper. Knowing when to use each is what makes for strong creative work. The best ideas don’t come from the tools themselves—they come from the minds that wield them.
How do you balance analog and digital methods in your own creative process?
