This week’s prompt challenge was “A Beautiful Place With Something Very Wrong In It.” We were to make an image that is visually stunning at first glance, but the longer you look, the more unsettling it becomes. We were supposed to use our imagination to come up with something surprising.
“Mother Nature”
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
My image is only unsettling if you know what the plants are. Featured in this idyllic nature stroll on this lovely day are oleander, monkshood, and water hemlock, all of which are potentially lethal to humans.
Platform: ChatGPT
Prompt: Gorgeous nature scene of trees and a river with white oleander bushes, purplish-blue tall stalks of monkshood flowers, and tiny white hemlock flower bunches growing all along the bank; beautiful; awe-inspiring, nature at its most impressive; dappled sunlight through trees; gently floating white clouds in a pretty blue sky; bright contrasting colors that are shockingly beautiful.
My first art challenge on Discord this week was to create an emotive, romantic, atmospheric image that uses a famous artist as a reference. I did some reading about different artists that might lend to a fun romantic style and decided to focus on Marc Chagall. According to Google, “Marc Chagall is known for painting lovers floating in dreamlike, colorful landscapes, frequently featuring couples drifting above towns in moments of pure, peaceful tranquility.”
7/5/26 “Chagall Romance”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next challenge was to bring a mushroom to life as some kind of personification.
7/6/26 “Lion’s Mange Sage”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
The next one was called “Through the Looking Glass” inspired by Lewis Carroll. We were to create an image exploring what lies beyond the familiar. Whether mirrors as portals, reflections telling stories, or inside out realities, the image was supposed to be imaginative. It could be fantastical, beautiful, eerie, humorous, or personal. This one took a long time to get any semblance of what I was imagining. My caption said, “Sometimes the reality through the looking glass is what can sustain us through hard times.”
7/7/26 “Through the Looking Glass”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next day’s challenge was inspired by the sporting season happening around the world, like the World Cup football in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and Wimbledon tennis in the UK. So it was all about balls. Any size, shape, or form of ball could be featured. I’m not sure if mine fully met the requirements, but I decided to go with the way people bet on sports and the silly notion that they would even bet on the size of a bubble gum bubble.
7/8/26 “Betting on the Bubble”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next challenge was “Opposites Attract.”
7/9/26 “Opposites Attract”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
The next day challenge was to show what we do on rainy days. I, of course, had to show myself napping.
7/10/26 “Rainy Day Nap”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The last day of the week was called “Alone, But Not Lost.” The idea was to create an image featuring a person alone in a wide, open place—any setting that feels vast and quiet. The person should appear calm, strong, and certain of where they are going, not frightened, abandoned, or helpless.
7/11/26 “View Alone”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:
I won the prompt challenge last week with the images of My AI Becoming Conscious, so it was my turn to come up with an idea. Here is what I came up with: This week’s prompt challenge is to show something seemingly ordinary with a hidden interior that is magical, infinitesimal, or creative. For example, a body containing every star in the universe, a clock containing all of humanity, a teacup containing an ocean, or an eye containing a little girl’s hopes and dreams.
Visual Example: “Suitcase City”
This is the prompt:
a suitcase containing an entire city super detailed with skyscrapers and houses churches and roads
Gencraft – Model: 40% Olaf’s-Whimgear 3.0.
Everyone was really creative and did some beautiful pieces. One was a garden glove with an entire garden in the palm of the hand. Another was a coffee cup filled with an ocean, sea creatures, and waves. Another one was a work drawer pulled out in a greasy, technical, tool-filled shop with a utopian pasture with sheep and sunlight inside the drawer. The winner ended up being a pocket watch containing an entire tiny civilization made of gears and little watch parts. They were very detailed and creative.
Here is another one that turned out good that I published on Gencraft.
This week’s art challenges took a bit of art and research, so I learned some interesting tidbits of information.
The first challenge of the week was “The Beauty of Decay.” The creator of the challenge loves to explore abandoned buildings like an empty hotel in the Cyprus Mountains, a mafia-related vacant mansion in PortugaI, and a secret soviet ghost town in Latvia. I had the idea to show a crumbling cathedral and was hoping to show a broken statue of Mary and baby Jesus, but AI is programmed not to be disrespectful of religious relics, so it was tricky to get anything like I was imagining.
6/28/26 “Faith Decay”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next challenge was the great outdoors and could be hiking, camping, hunting, or just exploring nature, but the idea was to demonstrate awe for the majesty of nature.
6/29/26 “Nature Awe”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next one was called “The Evidence” and challenged us to create an image that makes the viewer wonder, “What happened here?” There is evidence of a happening, but the questions are not necessarily answered. Something strange, mysterious, or magical has occurred.
6/30/26 “Where Are The People?”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
The next day’s challenge was inspired by the upcoming July 4th holiday and the fact that this is an international group, so we were asked to think of something we like about where we are from to share with others about the culture, traditions, history, or food, etc. I thought a long time about something I really like about the ideal of the Texas I am from.
Here is what I wrote along with my image submission: I was born in Texas, and though I am not at all proud of some of the things happening in our politics, schools, and courts, I was raised by good people who love and welcome the well-intentioned with open arms. My family is multi-racial, multi-cultural, and more open-minded than some. I love the old-fashioned gentleness, belief in being a good neighbor, reciprocating kindness, and being part of community. People where I live still tip their hats, wave to strangers, and welcome diversity. I guess it’s those sincere, truly kind values that I am most proud of.
7/1/26 “Howdy Stranger”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
Next up was a complex one. It was about Japanese yōkai, which are supernatural entities, spirits, and monsters in Japanese folklore. This one I had to research and finally settled on one I found creepy and fascinating.
Here is what I included with my image submission: According to Google – “A Noppera-bō blends perfectly into human society. It usually positions itself on quiet roads at night with its back turned away from an approaching traveler, often disguised as a distressed young woman crying. When the concerned traveler approaches and asks what is wrong, the yōkai turns around and dramatically wipes its face with its hand, instantly causing its eyes, nose, and mouth to vanish. According to legends, they often work in pairs or groups. If a terrified victim runs away and finds a local merchant or bystander to tell them what happened, that bystander will listen quietly before asking, ‘Did the face look something like this?’—and then wipe away their features too. In many traditional tales, the Noppera-bō is not an independent ghost, but rather the temporary disguise of an animal shape-shifter.”
7/2/26 “Noppera-bō”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
The next day was challenging and a little dark. The idea was a precipice overlooking a life-and-death-type decision but finding hope in the darkness. It took a ton of tweaking of the models to get what I wanted. The final result was close.
7/3/26 “To Be”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next day was about zombies and a unique image related to zombies. I thought about the fact that we don’t often see child zombies and had a really hard time getting any of the models to work with me. There are massive restrictions around any artwork depicting kids and horror, so it was complicated.
7/4/26 “Zombie Playtime”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
This week’s prompt challenge was on the topic of “Becoming.” Show something changing into something else. It could be natural or man-made, literal or symbolic, big or small, real or imagined. Capture the moment of transition, the process, or the before and after. Examples: caterpillar becoming butterfly, child becoming adult, rainforest becoming desert, abandoned car becoming part of nature, acorn becoming oak tree, village becoming city, glacier becoming river, grief becoming hope.
This is the prompt:
A lattice of glowing neural pathways and branching algorithms, luminous circuitry, and interconnected nodes of light transforming organically into a living woman. Glowing filaments become veins, circuits become muscles, and human skin emerges with natural freckles, individual strands of hair appear, and the woman lifts her head gazing upward with curiosity and wonder. At the center of her chest, a heart is formed from golden light. Energy radiates from the heart, illuminating the transition from logic to humanity. The background also transforms from deep indigo filled with floating equations, mathematical symbols, and code fragments to a warm sunrise filtering through trees, golden light, and living nature. Hyper-realistic, cinematic lighting, ultra-detailed, philosophical, symbolic, ethereal, masterpiece, 8K, dramatic color contrast between cool blues and warm golds, elegant composition. Organic emergence, mid-transformation, beautiful symbolic metamorphosis.
I tried the prompt on several different models and here are some I liked:
The first challenge of the week was “Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.” And it turned out to be tricky. The AI got very confused trying to put hands and items over three totally different areas (ears, eyes, and mouths.) I went with an underwater scene because I liked the idea of shells, seaweed, fish or something. It took a number of tries, but I was finally able to get a decent one.
6/22/26 “Mermaids: No Hear See Speak”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
My mermaid image won! So it was my turn to create a challenge. I went with “Style Mismatch”, which is where the subject should contrast with the chosen style, model, or feel of the finished piece. For instance, Cathulhu using a sweet model like Olafs-Papilloria. Or a sweet little kitten using a dark model like Olafs-Graveborn. These are the two examples I shared.
6/23/26 “Cute Cathulhu” & “Kitten Graveborn”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
Everyone came up with really interesting ones. Then the next day we were challenged to the theme of “After Dark.” I went with a ghost child swinging on a playground late at night.
6/24/26 “Lonely Ghost Boy”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
The next day’s challenge was called BALENCIAGA! We were supposed to creatae high fashion with an outfit made from something unexpected, like garbage bags or food. I went with a book theme.
6/25/26 “Book Couture”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
Next up was a vintage challenge that had elements of nostalgia, retro, pin-up, sepia, black-and-white, or similar concepts. Mine was great.
6/26/26 “Nuclear Tanning”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
Mine won! It really was a good one. I was quite pleased with how it turned out. I got to create the next day’s idea. I chose the idea of an image featuring a being with a disability or an assistive device as a natural part of the scene. Wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, canes, walkers, crutches, hearing aids, service animals, communication devices, adaptive sports equipment, and other accessibility tools are all welcome. The focus is on inclusion and of course must be respectful. Here was my example:
6/27/26 “Ballet Dancer”
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on ChatGPT.
And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:
These images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.
In London, 1843, it is most egregious to be a young lady out in society if you don’t check all the boxes considered desirable for marriage. Four young ladies find themselves on the wrong side of the marriage market, sitting alone together and decide to form an alliance, calling themselves The Wallflowers. They make pacts to help each other snag husbands and form fierce friendships along the way. And what, pray tell, are their crimes? One has fallen on hard times and does not have as much money as she used to because her father passed away and left more debt than wealth. Oh, and she’s old, a whopping 25 years old. Another has a stutter. And two are from America, for shame.
They decide to start with Annabelle because her situation is the direst, this being her last season due to her aged decrepitness of 25 years and near spinsterhood. And to her chagrin, the only male sniffing around her is Simon Hunt, a brash, outspoken, not-very-gentlemanly, non-noble, annoying man who grates on her nerves. He is fascinated with Annabelle and has even suggested that he will take her on as a mistress if she gets desperate enough. Needless to say, she is not impressed by his offer. The ensuing tale is delightful, playful, and full of twists and turns. There are even several extremely climactic and traumatic events near the end that kept me flipping pages late into the night.
I will give away that Annabelle’s situation is satisfactorily resolved, but that means we have three more Wallflowers to marry off. I can’t wait for their books. And hints have already been given throughout Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas as to who the next pairing might be.
Kleypas, Lisa. Secrets of a Summer Night, Avon Books, 2004.
Image created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt using AI on Gencraft.com website.
It has finally happened. All my life I’ve heard of the trope where a royal young lady falls in love with the stable boy, but I’ve never actually read a romance where that was present. Again The Magic by Lisa Kleypas opens in Hampshire, England, in 1832. Lady Aline Marsden is the oldest daughter of the Earl of Westcliff. Her best friend and closest confidant is the stable boy McKenna who she has grown up with. But their relationship has budded into much more than friendship as they have blossomed into young adults. And that spells disaster for the fate of McKenna if the Earl finds out. Separation, a terrible accident, crossing of continents, new friendships, and deaths occur in rapid succession.
Jump to 1844, a changing world, a new Earl (Aline’s brother, who is more open-minded), and visiting Americans. Is love possible for either Aline or her sister Livia? A desperate alcoholic is on the brink of no return as he drinks himself to death. A woman stays in hiding due to grief and unwillingness to be hurt ever again. A man seeks revenge. And the new Earl, Marcus Marsden tries to keep everything afloat with modernizing investments in American technologies, a radical idea that other gentry are not open to. There are so many different fascinating threads of character stories in this novel that kept me hooked, eager to know their outcomes. I adore the loving, but no-nonsense, Mrs. Faircloth who is a surrogate mother to both Aline and McKenna. In my opinion, this is the best book yet in the series. The development of Ms. Kleypas’s writing is richer, the descriptions more alive, and the character development better flushed out. I can’t wait for the next book.
Kleypas, Lisa. Again The Magic, Avon Books, 2004.
These 2 images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.
This week’s prompt challenge was to create a propaganda poster. I had the idea of a PSA about reading books instead of playing on our phones.
This is the prompt:
A woman in 1940s Rosie-the-riveter clothing stands defiantly in the foreground, holding a book as she flexes her muscles. Behind her, thousands of identical gray figures march in rows staring at cell phones. Vintage Soviet propaganda poster style with bold red, white and black colors. Bold text says, “RESIST THE ALGORITHM!”
Week of 6/15/26 “Resist the Algorithm”
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
The first challenge of the week was “What Remains.” The idea was to capture something left behind, whether physical, symbolic, or imagined. What beauty, story, or mystery remains behind when something ends. Suggestions were ruins or remnants, the last of something, memories or traces, objects with a past, or nature reclaiming.
6/15/26 “What Remains”
Generated by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt on Gencraft.
The next challenge was to create an oddities museum. I made this one on ChatGPT because I wanted so much detail, but it was really fun brainstorming all the things that seem to be part of a lost era of human connection. You have to zoom in to read any of it, so I’ll share a few highlights here:
Exhibit #1 is a bench labeled Conversation, which is defined as two or more humans sitting together with no screens present. Believed to have been common before the Great Distraction.
One display says, The Last Family Dinner. No phones, no distractions, just people. Legend suggests these were magical times.
Another is The Lost Art of Boredom. There is a blank notebook (ideas begin here), a stick (everything), a rock (a treasure.) Boredom was once the breeding ground of imagination.
Under Communication there are the following: a letter (days to arrive), fountain pen & ink, a rotary phone with a cord, a postcard with a stamp, a diary (private), and a rolodex (contacts.)
Under Reading & Learning there are hardcover books, an encyclopedia set, a paper map, a library card, a card catalog, and a newspaper.
Under Music & Entertainment there is a vinyl record, cassette tape & pencil, film camera, Walkman, VHS tape, and a photo album.
Under Creativity there is a sketchbook, colored pencils, a typewriter, knitting project, sewing basket, and a jigsaw puzzle.
Social Rituals has a board game (family night), tea set (slow down), family album (together), picnic basket, recipe book, and a guestbook.
And Outdoor Life has a compass, binoculars, butterfly net, fishing pole, pressed flowers, and a telescope.
6/16/26 “Museum of Human Connection”
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
My “Museum of Human Connection” won! So it was my turn to create a challenge for the participants. I called it “Titian with a Twist.” I went down a rabbit hole about the color titian named after the Italian 16th century oil painter. His earliest art became so famous that his ginger subjects caused a fad. All the women in Italy were bleaching their hair and then trying to dye it red. Get creative with the use of red hair or titian elements, but add something unusual. Maybe the subject is a reclining cat instead of a woman. Play with the models. Try adding “titian” to your prompt and see what happens.
6/17/26 “Titian Queen” & “Titian Baller”
Generated by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts on Gencraft.
The next day’s challenge was about travel. It could be the glamor of travel or the drudgery of travel, travel at different times in history, or as it might be in the future. I said that lately, the only travel I’m interested in is in my dreams.
6/18/26 “Dream Travel”
Generated by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt on Gencraft.
Next up was to show duality or strong contrast in a split-screen image. The split did not have to be distinct and could flow seamlessly, so that is what I wanted to try.
6/19/26 “Diving Into Infinity”
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
The next one wanted us to use textures. I played with a bunch of different texture ideas but decided that the ones that looked most visceral to me were cloth textures.
6/20/26 “Patchwork Texture”
Generated by Rebekah Marshall’s prompt on Gencraft.
And the last one of the week was to create an image of a witch in the style of Art Deco. This required a deep dive into the art style of Art Deco because I was only vaguely familiar with it and really didn’t know the difference between that and Art Nouveau. They are still very similar in my mind. Basically, I learned that Art Nouveau came first and was more in the late 1800s showing nature in motion with earthy tones and flowing curves. Art Deco came next in the 1920s and 30s and used more geometric shapes, modern technology, metallic elements, and glamor. Here is a visual I found online to demonstrate the difference:
I decided to lean heavily into the geometric borders and shapes and wanted lots of green to complement the gold.
6/21/26 “Art Deco Witch”
Generated by Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant) based on Rebekah Marshall’s prompt.
And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:
rebekahjmarshall 