Leveraging AI Creativity Through Open-Ended Prompts

When to Provide Specifics vs. Letting the AI Riff

While detailed prompts can produce precise results if you know exactly what you want, don’t be afraid to keep prompts vague and let the AI’s creativity run wild. These AI art generators have studied millions of images, giving them a keen artistic sense. Leaving prompts open-ended lets you tap into this learned creativity.

You can start with a fuzzy prompt like “a surreal landscape” and generate multiple iterations, picking favorites and adding small tweaks to steer the output. This exploration can lead to unexpected places as the AI riffs on its own. Don’t be afraid to just describe a basic concept and see what the AI comes up with on its own!

That said, the more knowledge you provide, the more tailored the result. For architectural illustrations, read up on periods, styles, and technical terms to include. To generate specific still life subjects, learn relevant keywords – types of candles, cartoon tropes, candy brands.

The AI has absorbed a vast general knowledge. But you can prompt more detailed, nuanced creations by using niche terms it may not see as often. Lean into your own expertise on a topic to provide additional context. The AI will leverage this to go beyond generic outputs. Find the right prompt balance between vagueness that allows AI creativity, and domain specificity to elevate details. Experiment and see what works best!