Freud's Couch

A skeleton walks into a bar
I'll have a beer... and a mop"

In these weird angsty times when nothing seems okay, I notice the uncomfortable feelings that linger in my body—a pervasive anxiety mixed with a sense of paralysis. A looming dread served with a side of discombobulation, some angst and agitation and the squeeze of time. It's a curious cocktail...

In my wanderings with augmented reality (in the works and coming soon :-) – I fell into a rabbit hole of animating drawings and sketches. It's been great fun and it's a good antidote to the pervasive dissociation I feel in these times.

Hand-made animations are time-sinks and I'm always curious to explore what's new in the terrain of shortcuts (I see a drawing)... while travelling through the blooming mushroom fields of AI (another), I came across a demo by Meta.

Animated Drawings
Transform static sketches into fun animations
Try it now!

OK, I'll give it a try... I feel the guilt of participating in the enormous environmental footprint of such frivolous generative shenanigans (fiddling while Rome burns) I am curious though and reluctantly agree to their unexamined terms...

"Upload a drawing of one character."

OK, How about this character...

Some clicks and drags and then in a few short moments, some very animated characters... (videos on the Reluctant Illustrator website)

And a few additional clicks reveal these virtuosic dance moves...

All song and dance, and those little dopamine hits.

I'll hold out for the delight of the hand-made and the bliss of the time-sink. As the tide rises around me, I hope that Freud's couch will float, though it does look kinda heavy – who knows, maybe there are pontoons hidden under the carpets?

As always, thanks for reading and indulging!
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