Have you ever spent 15 minutes searching Google Images for a superhero porcupine, only to find hedgehogs instead? I have. There I was, clicking through image after image, growing more frustrated with each click as I realized I was completely wasting my time. In a world so driven by technology, how could there not be a superhero porcupine? The fact that I could find hedgehog superheroes but no porcupines was infuriating. People often confuse Annie, my porcupine character, for a hedgehog, but they’re not the same. I wasn’t going to settle for a hedgehog—it had to be a porcupine!
As someone who juggles many responsibilities, the last thing I needed was to lose time searching for the right picture. A superhero porcupine sounded fun and whimsical, but drawing isn’t my strong suit, and I knew I couldn’t create the image I envisioned from scratch in the limited time I had. Desperate, I decided to try Google Gemini, an AI generator. I typed in “superhero porcupine,” and voilà! A side view of a porcupine with a cape flying behind him appeared. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, so I added more details: a porcupine wearing a mask and cape. Another picture popped up. Closer, but still not quite right. With each tweak, I added more details until I finally got a picture I thought would work.
As I finished my flyer, I started reflecting on my experience with AI. As an author, I’ve never considered using AI in my creative process. I know firsthand the importance of original ideas. I would never use AI to write my stories or replace the heart behind my characters, especially Annie. I love working with my illustrator, and AI can’t replace that human connection and artistic touch. But this brief interaction with AI did teach me something important: the power of details.
The more details I provided, the closer I got to the image I envisioned. I realized this mirrors the process I use when working with my illustrator—I describe each picture in detail and share what inspired different elements of the story. This experience also reinforced the importance of teaching students to pay attention to details. What a great lesson it could be for them! Together, we could design our own AI image, teaching them to refine their descriptions until they get the picture they want.
In our virtual classroom, we might not be able to draw on a poster together, but we could use AI to work collaboratively. What if we made an inspirational poster, featuring one of our class mottos, and designed the image together? Each student could contribute ideas, adding their own details to shape the final result. It would be a fun, interactive way to practice creativity and collaboration.
I don’t anticipate needing an AI generator for my next field trip flyer or anytime soon, but I’m really happy with how my superhero porcupine turned out. I have a feeling Captain Prickles will get a good laugh from the kids when they see the invitation!
Comments