The Language of Prompting

Keywords For Midjourney Vol 1

Before stumbling onto the world of AI I was a writer, poet and author. Part of the thrill of AI for me was making words visual, I felt like I was seeing magic as my words manifested into beautiful imagery. So in the spirit of language and writing I thought I would explore some prompting keywords in that theme.  Whether you're a newbie in AI art or a curious explorer these are some fun words for experimentation.

 1. "To Be or Not To Be": 

This line from the famous Yorick scene in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is often used in literature and theater classes to discuss themes of existence and choice.

to be or not to be --ar 16:9

A visual ode to the bard with a gothic Victorian feel. There's usually a skull lurking somewhere, giving it a kind of spooky elegance. Old Yorick might just be waving at us from the literary grave!

 2. "Onomatopoeia": 

These are words that mimic sounds, like "buzz" or "whisper," commonly used in comic books and creative writing to bring scenes to life. AI takes this to a colorful, dynamic level.

onomatopoeia --ar 16:9

onomatopoeia --ar 16:9

The results are super vibrant and playful. Sometimes the text gets all jumbly but sometimes you get some epic speech bubble type imagery just waiting for you to add your own text

3. "Black Out Poetry": 

Imagine taking a marker and blacking out words in a book to make a new poem. That's blackout poetry, and it's as cool as it sounds.

blackout poetry --ar 16:9 

The AI loves giving this a gothic twist with some artsy typography. It's like poetry and mystery had a baby!

 4. "Concrete Poetry": 

Poetry where the layout and shape are just as important as the words. It's poetry that you can literally see. This type of poetry, where the layout contributes to the poem's meaning, is a favorite in visual arts and literary studies

concrete poetry --ar 16:9

Despite the name "concrete," the images can be surprisingly delicate and artsy. It's a fun paradox that the AI nails every time.

 5. "Typography Art": 

This is all about making art with letters and words. It's like the alphabet decided to become an artist! This art form uses lettering to create visual appeal, seen in advertising, logo design, and graphic arts.

typography art --ar 16:9 

What the AI comes up with is so fun even if the letter part can go a bit wrong! The intricate details in these typographic images somehow work so well.

 6. "Found Text Art": 

This style is like a treasure hunt, using bits of text found here and there to create something totally new and offbeat. It's a hit in collage art and mixed media for its eclectic and thought-provoking nature.

found text art --ar 16:9

The AI’s take is like a quirky, surreal collage, blending the real and the imagined.

7. "Alphabet Photography":

This creative photography style involves photographing objects that resemble letters, imagine using parts of the landscape or random objects to form letters.

alphabet photography --ar 16:9

Whether the AI is shaping letters out of nature or manifesting them into the scene, it's always a treat to see how creative it can get.

 8. "Word Cloud": 

Remember making those in school? These are visual representations of word frequency, often used in educational settings to summarize themes or ideas.

word cloud --ar 16:9

These AI-generated word clouds are very abstract. They might not mean much, but they sure are cool to look at.

 9. "Typographic Portrait": 

 Imagine portraits made entirely out of letters. It's like a puzzle where each piece is a letter that adds up to a face.

typographic portrait --ar 16:9 

These portraits are super artsy, usually set against a solid background. The letter chaos that is creating the faces is just fascinating.

 10. "Palimpsest": 

This is all about layers upon layers of text, kind of like an ancient manuscript that's been written over multiple times. Historically, palimpsests are manuscripts written over earlier, erased texts. They're a treasure in historical studies, symbolizing the layers of history.

palimpsest --ar 16:9 --style raw 

This works best in style raw and makes amazing backgrounds, perfect for those who love a bit of a historical feel in their art.

There you have it, some fun words to experiment with in Midjourney when writing prompts. I hope this inspires you to unleash your inner creative. 

Remember to try to avoid the rabbit holes but if you do end up falling... enjoy the ride.