I want to be transparent about something that matters deeply to me—not as a confession, but as a clarification.

Some of the visual material you may see on this site in recent times has not been drawn or sculpted by my own hand. The images were created using AI, guided by prompts I wrote and visions I imagined. And yes, I’ve wrestled with that.

In the past, I’ve asked myself: If I didn’t create it entirely by hand, is it still mine? And kind people—readers and fellow creatives—have reassured me. But the question deserves more than reassurance. It deserves honesty.

So here it is.

I have worked for decades in creative industries—most notably in professional model making. My work has appeared in museums, in advertising, and even on film. I have sculpted, painted, exhibited, and sold my work. I’ve collaborated with others in physical media where a single piece might take not days, but months to complete. This is not theory for me. I’ve lived a life in making.

But time changes things. I am no longer in a position to give months to a single sculpture. My years are advancing, and my energy now leans into storytelling and writing. The artistic impulse hasn’t gone—it never has—but the way I express it has adapted.

So I now use different tools.

AI allows me to explore ideas visually without the burden of time that traditional methods demand. It doesn’t replace my imagination. It doesn’t replace my voice. It enables me to continue creating in a world that doesn’t pause.

I want to make something very clear: I don’t use AI to produce work with no soul. I don’t let it write my stories or speak in place of me. There are works being produced this way now—entire novels generated and packaged without a real author behind them. That is not what I do. That is not who I am.

I use these tools to assist the creative process, never to override it. Every piece I publish, every story I write, comes from the same place it always has: my own artistic instinct and intent. I remain the writer. I remain the artist. The tools have changed; the integrity has not.

I’m not a charlatan. I’ve earned my creative life through years of practice, discipline, and love for the work. And if I now lean on new methods to keep creating as time becomes more precious, I believe that’s something to acknowledge—not hide.

I know few artists and writers openly speak about their use of AI today, but I believe clarity matters. This page exists to honour the work I’ve done—and the way I now continue to make.

I’m not trying to pass something off or conceal a method. I’m sharing this because I think we all need to find new ways to talk about authorship, creativity, and the tools we choose. I believe that voice, imagination, and integrity matter more than ever—and I intend to carry all three forward, openly.

Thank you for reading.

— Richard Odell