Beyond All Other

Notes on collaboration, practising patience, and the humanness of art.

When I started this project, I couldn’t have imagined how important it would be to work with real artists—real people. I didn't foresee that the most special part of All Other, Together wouldn't just be the book itself, but the process of bringing it to life.

I was updating the artist pages online and realised that getting to work with them all, showcasing their work and supporting them by actually paying them for their art, feels so great. There have been delays, miscommunication and cause for frustration. I’ve grown into a better human because of this, and the book will be better for it. That’s what All Other, Together is all about: being human.

While we can use AI as a tool, working with and supporting real artists is vitally important as we transition into a world where AI is integrated into our daily lives. These new tools are here to stay—we don’t have a choice, and they’re not all evil—but we can choose whether we replace real artists with image generators. Advanced technologies are there for our use, to aid us, not replace us.

The real people involved with All Other, Together feel profoundly important now—not just to the book's message, or the innovative concept and aesthetics—but because the act of working with and supporting real people feels deeply special. To connect, communicate, and build a community through the project feels like the setbacks and patience have been well worth it.

I didn’t realise at the time of starting this project just how special it would be to work with seventeen different people. The time taken to craft this humanness will serve the book beautifully. All Other, Together and its process of creation reject conformity and uniformity; it doesn’t strive for perfection—it embraces our gentle complexity as humans, allows for grace when connecting authentically, and always supports our unique ways of expressing our humanness.

When I started this project, AI image generators didn't exist. The world changes so fast, and we adapt. Looking back, I can now see the purpose behind some of the delays. The rise of AI is a key reason—one that makes the choice to work with real people feel more important than ever.

Thank you to the artists already involved, thank you to those who have already worked with me and thank you for the patience of those yet to start.

I'm deeply grateful to you all. Rose

P.S. You can meet the artists here.