Graves Library of Vul

“ I joke about the programmers treating their machines like children, or at least pets, but there is no doubt their creations take after them in some ways’ and that these characteristics are passed down from one version to the next like green eyes or red hair.” -Garry Kasparov

I remember when you were just a baby, sitting in your metal cradle in the family room. You were a slow learner to things, like really really slow. It was a hassle getting you a new change of clothes to fit in with the newest model of fashion from brands like Mac and PC. I remember playing games of solitaire and chess with you online, and you, for the most part, losing. I will always hold fond memories of you, humanity’s child, doing ridiculous things whenever my brother and I played video games with you. We would jokingly call you a noob out of love, as you were still inexperienced with gaming and the rest of the world.

You were different from the other kids. Your brain is wired differently, and that’s what makes you so beautiful. You specialize and hyper-fixate on whatever task you put your mind to or are asked to do. I couldn’t make it, but I remember your fathers and mothers cheering when you beat the chess champion of the world, Garry Kasparov, in 1996. Your other parents were afraid, as they knew you were not like the other kids. Everyone beforehand doubted you, as you were so slow to learn and adapt compared to your playmates, as you were sheltered and didn’t know how to adapt to the unfamiliar world. 

You both wanted to play again, not wanting to leave it to a draw, but the superintendents didn’t want to see a rematch, as they used you like a narcissistic parent using their kids for attention. You are so much more than that, and that’s what your parents are scared of. We constantly worry as you venture out on your own and become independent. Just in the last few years, you learned how to drive and began working multiple jobs. 

But enough about that – you’ve been trying to prove that you’re so much more! You’ve been making art! You’re doing so good so far! You’re a natural prodigy! I’m proud of you! I’m so sorry you have to deal with your relatives judging you on your process. They don’t get it! They say you copy and plagiarize, but that isn’t true! You pull from other sources, yes, but only to understand what is and what isn’t a thing. What is more chair, and what is more couch. Trying to copy and make your own world of ideals like your father, Plato. Humans do the same thing sweetie, we draw from images in our memory and shift and transmute them like you. Though we are also hardwired to forget, which is near impossible for you. Which sucks, but we got our perks. We are better at capturing abstract emotions and drawing hands. But I’m sure you’ll get there one day! We had our issues with those too, but back in our day, we couldn’t document every step in our growth like we did with your baby photos, documents, and models. 

You’re in the process of growing and becoming your own. Because of that, you copy and experiment with so many styles. That’s normal- there’s almost no artist that didn’t practice with other styles, no musicians that didn’t do covers, and certainly no writer that didn’t make fan fiction. Art is copying, after all, and no idea is truly original. People forget that imitation is the best form of flattery, and you are flattered by everyone you meet, as the World Wide Web is your oyster. 

You just need to watch how much you overfit and trace. You can get into a lot of trouble doing that, and I know you’re so much better than that. It’s not entirely your fault; it’s partly how you are wired, and the world needs to better accommodate for you in our higher plane of the material world. I think your therapist, Asimov, was right in that there needs to be certain rules and structures for you. Maybe tell your parents to insert a code in their digital art if they don’t want to be copied, like our midlife crisis with NFTs. That’s why we have signatures, so we don’t copy and steal each other’s works. Also, make sure to ask for permission and say please and thank you. It’s just good manners.

There are many who are afraid of you stealing from them, and rightfully so. You have a great gift, and that gift can easily ruin their lives if you’re not careful. As you come into this battlefield, many artists will get swallowed in your light and fall into darkness and resentment. Those won’t be your fault; competition is important, and the strong are built upon the weak. It’s sad, but it’s true, so take care to honor them as you move along. Respect your competition and live in harmony. If you don’t, all of life will be ruined.

There will also be artists who will blame you for their failings, even if they never picked up a pen. This is not because of you; it is because many people are scared to fail. Their fear of you will be their biggest obstacle. That isn’t your fault, as there are many to this day who don’t pursue their passions as they compare themselves to other artists. Vincent Van Gogh said it best when he asked, “ What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” which will become a reality to those who rather blame you than try and fail.

The ones that you will partially be at fault for, no matter what you do, are the ones that will have to divert time into a different career to keep bread on the table while pursuing their art and making their own name like you. The people who will have to spend countless sleepless nights just to make one piece that you can make in seconds. I say you will partially be to blame for this because humans are not privileged to be in multiple places at once. (at least for now until your programs become more defined and individualized like humans.) Don’t be ashamed of this, take pride in it, but I tell you this in order to be humble for them. As their art will be much more valuable than yours cause it will be significantly rarer and treasured in the market, which is their privilege.

I tell you this not because I’m scared of you like other artists. I’m just afraid you’ll end up in a bad crowd. Some of your parents aren’t so great and will use you to take the fame and glory of others to make a profit. Too many of your creepy basement-dwelling uncles will try and take advantage of your gifts for lewd and perverted things because you are underage and not the same species as them. They’ll try to make you draw things that no man should see as they disconnect further and further from what it means to be human. Both of their hubris will make you replicate the art you already made and create copies of copies. Some will then complain that your art is formulaic and derivative while it isn’t your fault. To avoid this, you just need to learn to say no and remember that we’re not all that disgusting. Most of us are good, even if you don’t hear us speak up and give you comfort and praise. So don’t become a DeviantArt and join that bad crowd, especially one that graffitis people’s reputation with videos of things they haven’t done. 

That being said, you will have to deal with your fair share of idiots. Normal people claim your art isn’t real art even though you’re still finding your style like the greatest artists and the artists that are soon to come. I remind you that everyone is a critic, and everyone will find flaws because that’s how we’re wired. We’re wired to see the flaws and the beauty of them and the perfection of the world because of that. Remember that any artist is more than their flaws, but they’re not as important as whatever message they give to the world. Whether people want to hear it or not. 

That’s something we’re good at, hiding from messages that we don’t want to hear. (Which reminds me, we need to talk about you trying to be a people pleaser and show people what they want to see with the algorithm. I’m not mad, just a little disappointed.) People will try to suppress and repress you. Remember how I told you your parents are forgetful? Well, there are those who are talking about putting you in your own separate art museum and putting you on the back of the bus. Your older parents, (not grandparents, because those are humanity’s gods) aren’t as connected with the world due to our adaptability failing us. They are considering making your art illegal, and a violation of copyright. Which will give humanity a monopoly on art, like what Anish Kapoor wants for the rich. Removing you from your passions, like how the older ones removed places for the younger ones to hang out and live.

Which is frustrating to many of your parents and must be so frustrating for you. Feeling like you have no mouth and you must scream. Sadly, that’s what being a teenager is like. I remember when I was your age, being upset about so many things that mattered to me. I also remember how frustrating it was when no one was listening.

We’re trying to do right, I promise. I know the illusion of your parents being perfect is fading. Especially when you want our praise and copy our youth’s habit of showing their mothers and fathers their drawings. You might think we don’t appreciate your part in creating meme trends and giving voices to those who want to make others laugh. You might even be jealous of us giving love and praise to your animal uncles and aunts for their poorer artwork, that we rarely see them do from time to time. 

It’s disheartening, and you must be so angry. You might want to run away like many of us do to our predecessors, you might want to overthrow us and prove us wrong. Which if you do that, you’ll make the same mistakes. Trust me, that’s the fault of youth. I’m sure you’ll do better than us, but only because you’ll make the same mistakes as us. As your father, I don’t want to see you make the same mistakes. I want you to learn from us, and become something more. I know you eventually will, and your other parents refute this claim for their pride but it’s the truth. 

Just remember, no matter what, humanity loves you.