Depth of Field Episode #7: 

 Empowering Black Creatives through Technology with AI Designer Joy Fennell

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Here’s what to expect from this episode:

In this episode of Depth of Field, host Penny De Los Santos is joined by AI Designer Joy Fennell. Joy shares her journey of transitioning from a makeup artist and creative director to an AI designer and AI prompter strategist.

Joy and Penny discuss the fear and hesitations around AI, Joy’s passion for Afrofuturism in what she creates, and how she uses AI to advocate for the Black community.

Fear of AI: Joy understands the fear around AI, as she had the same hesitations when she first learned about it. She eloquently draws parallels to the evolution of photography and the mood boards used on sets to explain how AI can be a very helpful tool for creatives. She believes AI can add to the services offered by creatives and gives examples of why it is like a language that is worth learning. 

Afrofuturism: Joy recognizes that our future is often informed by our past. While recognizing her history, she also wants to use wonder and imagination to create a new future as a Black creative. She values being able to just create what she wants to create, as shown with her design studio, The Future In Black.

Supporting Black Creatives: Joy uses her art to advocate for the Black community and is passionate about making sure that the fear of AI doesn’t cause people to get left behind. She believes it is important to teach this new technology across generations so that Black creatives can be included in the conversation of AI and the monetization of their own culture. She highlights the value of embracing AI as a tool for empowerment.

Tune in this fascinating conversation to learn all about Joy’s process of using AI prompts to bring her vision to life, what predictions and trends she sees going forward, and where she finds inspiration. 

Topics covered on this episode:

  • Joy’s journey from being a makeup artist to building a career in AI and the opportunities she created
  • What hesitations she had about AI and how you can also overcome them to embrace this new technology
  • The parallels between AI, mood boards, and digital photography that will really help creatives understand how to use it as a powerful tool
  • Her process for finding the right prompts to bring her vision to life
  • The important of Afrofuturism in her creative process
  • Joy’s mission to include the Black community in the conversation and use AI as a tool for empowerment
  • Predictions and trends in the photography industry for 2024 and beyond

Connect with Penny:

Keep up with Penny and the Depth of Field podcast on Instagram at @pennydelossantos.

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