The Celeste Interview
A conversation with AI Artist Celeste, aka @Celeste_c on X
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON OCTOBER 1, 2024
ALL IMAGES BY CELESTE ARE GENERATED USING MIDJOURNEY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE
I’ve always admired Celeste (@Celeste_c on X), a multifaceted artist with British, French, and Argentinian roots whose creative journey spans poetry, photography, and now, the expansive world of AI art. Describing herself as a "facilitator of creative processes," she supports many women in bringing their projects to life with a focus on well-being. Fuelled by tea and a serene passion, Celeste explores themes of femininity, strength, and fragility, capturing the delicate essence of the human spirit with striking elegance.
Celeste’s work is refreshingly simple yet profoundly beautiful. Her images often feature soft, pastel tones, sometimes with washed-out colors, and minimalist compositions that embody elegance, allowing each piece to breathe without unnecessary complexity. She creates mesmerizing, stunning black-and-white portraits that lend a timeless quality to her art, while most of her color choices enhance the dreamlike sense that her characters are somewhat floating in—or rather inhabit the very fabric of the space they occupy. Each image reveals her strong sense of fashion and style, resulting in figures that seem ethereal yet grounded.
Celeste’s AI portraits—almost exclusively close-ups of women—carry a distinct blend of strength and vulnerability, capturing the beauty and complexity of femininity with grace. These portraits possess a quality akin to those by a celebrated photographer, with a mesmerizing presence that invites viewers to see beyond the surface. Far from the overly polished beauty AI often offers, her portraits reveal beauty in its purest form—an artistic touch that is both real and timeless.
It’s an honor and privilege to welcome Celeste to our interview series.
Let’s discover her journey together.
QT your blue and yellow art
Without getting too personal, can you tell us a bit about yourself?:
I am Celeste, a British / French / Argentinian living in the beautiful land of Asturias, north of Spain. I am a facilitator of creative processes, mainly helping women develop their projects with well-being. I love art, and in another life, I was a graphic designer and photographer, which I still love doing. Finally, I am the servant of two British shorthair cats, Dickens and Eliot.
Could you please tell us which country you live in?:
Spain, at the moment.
What led you to begin working with AI imagery?:
Curiosity. I tried Midjourney and was hooked. I have always run an image-creating project, whether through photography or drawing, and have been interested in different mediums, so it was just natural to try a new one.
What AI tools do you use?:
Midjourney mostly, and ChatGPT, Claude, Pi. But I play with others too.
What inspires you?:
I love nature, human kindness, human potential for creativity, community, the arts, philosophy, storytelling, beauty, goodness, and learning. I also love reading about exceptional characters in history who further humanity.
Angel
(One of @revelinai’s favorite images by Celeste)
In which other medium, if any, do you practice art?:
Photography, graphic design, drawing.
Would you consider AI-generated art true art?:
I have not yet decided. I am pondering it. I like to think of it as co-creating with AI, but I have not yet called it art. Not because I think it is not, but because I like to come to my own understanding of what art means in this context.
Please share one or a few of your favorite images with us.:
I’ll share six of my favorite images.
A tribute to female friendship
Do you title your AI-generated art? If you do, what inspires you to come up with these titles?:
I do! Sometimes, poetry or something I have been reading or pondering about. Sometimes, just an intuitive thought that I do not question much.
When do you tend to be the most productive, and do you work in long sessions or short bursts?:
For creativity, the evenings. For planning, the mornings. I work in short bursts, always with tea by my side.
QT your —sref 1700688126
What type of prompts do you prefer: text or AI-generated descriptions through fed images?:
Text. I like to talk to AI :)
When prompting with text, do you write simple text-based prompts or complex ones?:
It's generally simple, but I play with some complexity, adding and removing elements. I tend to repeat some elements I like for an extended period of time until something new comes along and the whole structure changes.
Do you think text-based prompts should be shared within the AI art community?:
I think it is up to each creator. I personally do not mind sharing, and I love learning from others who are really talented and generous in sharing their prompts.
What is the most unconventional method you have used to create an image?:
I do not know what is conventional, as I imagine each person works in their own unique way. I very much like to be surprised, so I add, at times, a high --s (a “stylize” parameter that influences how strongly Midjourney's default aesthetic style is applied to Jobs).
How many images you have generated using AI technology?:
7,565 images at the time of typing this!
Seconds before the encounter
Please share your X (Twitter) handle with us.:
Tell us a bit about your X handle and X username.:
It’s just my name.
How many X followers do you currently have?:
At the time of this interview, 7,022.
How many X accounts do you currently follow?:
4,522
How long have you been on X (Twitter)?:
Since 2008!
Fiorella
Is there any other online platform where we can view all of your previous work apart from X?:
Not at the moment, but I am planning to upload art to a couple of places. I will share the info on X.
In this world of cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), are you currently selling your digital art on any platform? If so, which platform are you using?:
No, not yet. I need to find out more.
Are you selling tangible AI-generated artwork, such as high-quality prints like Giclée prints?:
No.
Could you suggest some AI artists you like that we could follow?:
So many I love:
And so many more!
Is there anything else you would like to add or share with the AI community?:
Thank you so much for inviting me and for continuing to inspire us all, allowing us to learn about each other in this community! And thank you to everyone who has stopped, even for a second, to leave a like or a comment. I really appreciate your time and support. I am so inspired by all of you.
Fran and Milly
More fantastic imagery from Celeste
Follow her @Celeste_c
