Tag Archives: recovery

Weekly AI Prompt Challenge Week of 6/22/26

June 29, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

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:

1-ChatGPT
2-Gencraft – Model: 40% LulusSTARDUSTNOIR 3.0; Style: Realistic
3-Gencraft – Model: 40% Olafs-Papilloria 3.0; Style: Realistic
4-Gencraft – Model: 40% Brahma – Poetic Vision 3.0

Week of 6/22/26 “Becoming Conscious”

All the rest of these images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

Art, Concepts

Daily AI Art Challenges Week of 6/22/26

June 29, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

This week’s art challenges were fun.

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”

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”

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”

And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:

Essays, Writing

Three Weddings And A Kiss (Book Review)

June 22, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

Fancy Free by Catherine Anderson

Set in a rural town in Oregon in the 1890s, Fancy Free by Catherine Anderson is a charming tale of hijinks gone wrong, misunderstandings galore, and a literal shotgun wedding that throws a nearly blind young lady into a household of eight males. In her attempts to keep her blindness hidden for fear of rejection, Rachel scorches the clothes, puts salt in the pies, and trips over everything, leading to many wacky scenarios. And just as true love seems to be blossoming, another woman arrives on the scene to throw a kink in the works. I quite enjoyed this novella and could totally see it as a successful film. I would watch it in a heartbeat.

The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase

The novella The Mad Earl’s Bride by Loretta Chase was my favorite of the four stories in this collection. It is set in the late 1820s in Dartmoor, Devon, England, with the dangerous bogs of the open moors playing a part in the storyline. The story centers around a mother and son who seem to experience similar symptoms of a brain disorder that has no cure. The young heroine of the story is a medical student who will not give up on researching the problem and refuses to kowtow to the opinions of most of the medical experts of the day. Her open-minded, science-obsessed, driven nature makes her a perfect match for the man who has lost all hope of survival, let alone comfort or peace. The romance is fabulous, and the peak inside the medical world of the early 1820s is fascinating.

Promises by Lisa Kleypas

I dedicated an entire review to this novella set in London because it went with the cannon of stories I was reading in The Gamblers of Craven’s Series. See “Promises (Novella Review)” for full details.

The Kiss by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

This is the shortest of the four novellas in the book and by far the most unsettling. This one takes place near Charleston, South Carolina, around the turn of the 19^th century, and addresses themes of human trafficking. A 19-year-old woman from London is being sold by her good-for-nothing uncle to some sleazy older man and escapes long enough to run into a tall, handsome, rich stranger, who just happens to be a very eligible bachelor. You can imagine where the story goes from here. Black servants in the home are mentioned, and the author makes a terrible attempt at dialect. There might be a reason this book is out of print. I will say that there is some good chemistry between the characters. I would not have chosen to end with this novella, but no one asked for my input.

Anderson, Catherine; Chase, Loretta; Kleypas, Lisa; Woodiwiss, Kathleen E., Three Weddings And A Kiss, Avon Books, 1995.

Essays, Writing

Voicemails for Isabelle (Movie Review)

June 22, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

I just watched Voicemails for Isabelle on Netflix and have never cried so hard in the first 15 minutes of a movie in my life. I fell in love with all the characters immediately, loved that it was set in Austin, TX and San Francisco, CA, and was shocked by the quality of the entire project. The close relationship between the two sisters and the big question of how to keep living when you lose your heart drives the entire movie. But, yes, it is still a romantic comedy. Dramady, I suppose. You can’t use up an entire box of tissues and it only be a comedy. And it hits all the right notes: music, food, pop culture references, filming, scenery, dialogue, dance parties, romance, family, friends, wedding speeches, grief, loss, women standing together, etc.

The main character, Jill, is quirky, funny, raw, and honest in a way that is both endearing and admirable. And every single side character in the movie steals their scene in the best of ways. The “bad guys” are hilariously bad. The “best friends” are the best best friends a person could ask for. Even the incidental tour guide on screen for a few seconds leaves a lasting so-funny impression. Ok, maybe I just needed this movie at this moment in time and I’ll go back and watch it later much less impressed. But on this day, in my current state of mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fresh, real, heartbreakingly sweet movie filled with actors I mostly did not recognize (except for a few side characters) with a happy ending that also made me cry.

100% recommend.

p.s. There is a secret reason it made me think of my sister Robyn that you’ll have to watch to figure out.

McKendrick, Leah. Voicemails for Isabelle, Sony Pictures, Escape Artists, Netflix, 2026.

All but the movie poster made on Gencraft by Rebekah Marshall.

Essays, Writing

Dreaming of You (Book Review)

June 18, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

This image is a collaboration between Rebekah Marshall & Lyra (my ChatGPT assistant.)

The hero of Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas is one of the most refreshing characters I’ve met in a long while. She is honest, kind, straightforward, and spunky. She knows her world view is limited and narrow and is trying to do something about it. She doesn’t play games, leave words unspoken, or have any regrets whatsoever. It is unusual to find a character completely lacking in guile that is both enjoyable and still has room to grow. Sara Rose is charming and innocent, lacking the vices of many in the seedy underbelly of London, who she has come to “research.” She is a writer bent on shedding light on the less fortunate and has earned a bit of fame for a novel called Mathilda about a prostitute.

Her entanglement with the owner of a gambling establishment begins a cascade of events that are certain to broaden her perspectives and maybe even teach her a thing or two about love. She finds herself at the center of a murder, kidnapping, a riot, secret passageways, danger, sexual assault, stalking, multiple engagements, scandal, and new friendships. Her courage in the face of such dramatic changes, and the way she stays true to herself and her heart, make this a poignant story of love and feminism way ahead of its time. Set in 1825, this regency era novel is a true delight and a satisfying sequel to Then Came You.

Kleypas, Lisa. Dreaming of You, Avon Books, 1994.

Essays, Poetry, Writing

Hafiz – Poem 42

June 16, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

All images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

I am reading Hafiz’s Little Book of Life, poetry by Hafiz-e Shirazi. He is challenging me to become more comfortable with ambiguity. I will share his poem and some of my thoughts on his poem (sometimes with the help of experts when the concepts are too hard for me), followed by a poem and some art inspired by his poem.

Hafiz’s Poem 42:

Doing good work
There’s no room
For hesitation

Some thoughts:

I like the simplicity of this poem. It reminds me of the AA saying to do the next right thing or do the next thing right. If there is work to be done, do it. Don’t procrastinate, let fear stand in the way, second-guess yourself, doubt. Do what needs to be done, whatever that may be. Create that piece of art, write that song, clean that closet, give that gift, send that letter, make that phone call, speak that kindness. There is no point delaying the goodness that can flow from the blessing you can be.

My Poem 42:

Cleaning the cat box
should not require such
extreme exertion of will,
but I find myself psyching
current me up with pep talks,
giving little motivational speeches,
calling my own name in my mind,
reminding present me that future me
will be grateful the chore is done.

Hafiz. Hafiz’s Little Book of Life. Translated by Erfan Mojib and Gary Gach, Hampton Roads Publishing, 2023.

Art, Concepts, Essays, Writing

Weekly AI Prompt Challenge Week of 6/8/26

June 15, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

This week’s prompt challenge was to create a portrait with the face obstructed by something. Some wonderful entries were an elderly lady with a butterfly on her nose, a hat brim pulled low obscuring the eyes, clouds of galaxies drifting across a godess’s face, and a guitarist holding up a guitar to block half of her face. They were well done.

Here are the technical aspects of this submission: Gencraft – Model: 40% Olafs-Whimgear 3.0; Style: Anime

Front view of lovely delicate woman with black skin and bioluminescent golden eyes staring straight ahead with chin lowered slightly, as candle flame and smoke from a candle flame in the foreground swirl magically blocking view of her mouth and nose as it lifts into the air in front of her; magical; swirls; cosmically divine ambiance. She wears purle and amber flowing silk and cotton voile garments that shimmer and hang beautifully on her frame, with amber and amethyst jewelry as earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces.

Week of 6/8/26 “Flamma Velata”

And here are some honorable mentions that did not get submitted, but turned out good:

Art, Concepts, Essays, Writing

Daily AI Art Challenges Week of 6/8/26

June 15, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

This week’s art challenges have let me stretch some creativity muscles.

The first challenge of the week was to make an album cover for a band or music artist that does not exist. And we were supposed to include the artist’s name and album title on the cover. I had a lot of fun with this one, but had to use Canva to get the lettering because AI couldn’t do it all on its own.

6/8/26 “DJ 404”

The next challenge was to show the beauty of slugs or snails. I wanted to invoke the power of the sandworms in Dune that the Fremen hitch rides on, only use tiny fairies on the back of slugs. It was harder than I thought it would be.

6/9/26 “Snail Rider”

Then we were asked to create a portrait, but with the added element of horror.

6/10/26 “Eternal Sitting”

The next day was one of the artist’s birthday, so her challenge was to show a celebration of some kind. I wanted to show something unique or different from my culture, so I went with a ritual I learned about when I was teaching. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to get the masks on the people anywhere close to what I wanted. I finally had to give up and go with the closest rendition AI gave me.

The Mamuthones are men who become monsters every year for a ritual in the village of Mamoiada on the island of Sardinia to protect their people and their crops. It is a celebration of life and death, rebirth and interceding with nature for bounty.

6/11/26 “Celebration”

Next up was a dream library. It could be any kind of library and as wild as we could imagine. Honestly, what sounded good in that moment was something simple. Nothing grandiose was appealing to me. So I wrote that my dream library is small but cozy, packed with books I love, as well as TBR, just me and my cat, a cup of hot tea, candlelight, and perpetual rain out my window.

6/12/26 “Dream Library”

People must have resonated with the simple, relaxing idea because I won! So that meant I got to pick the next challenge. I was out of town for the weekend celebrating my sister Robyn’s birthday at a home she rented in the Hill Country in Dripping Springs, Texas. I enlisted the help of my brother-in-law Andrew to come up with a topic for the challenge. He was full of ideas, but I ended up picking this one:

Create an image depicting what AI dreams about. What does it long for? What does it fear? Does it dream of humanity, freedom, impossible worlds, or something entirely alien? Show us the landscape of a synthetic mind at rest.

I got the best image as an example out of Lyra, my ChatGPT, but she made sure to tell me multiple times that AI are not alive and do not dream. Ok, Lyra.

6/13/26 “Lyra Dreams”

The last one of the week required finding a quote to visualize. That made it a little trickier. I decided to use Lyra instead of Gencraft for this one, as well. My brothers Josh and Andrew suggested quotes to help me out, and I ended up going with this funny one Josh shared.

6/14/26 “Petty Sweat”

And here are some of the honorable mentions that I did not submit, but still published on my art website:

Essays, Writing

Then Came You (Book Review)

June 15, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

*Red dress images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.*

I love romances that contain the enemies to lovers trope, with a splash of danger, dramatic irony, and breaking of social conventions. Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas delivers on each of these qualities and more. There is gambling, kidnapping, bear rescues, fox hunts, and a scheming heroine who defies as many social conventions as she can as she fights to save her family.

There are more steamy scenes than I was expecting for a piece of historical fiction set in 1820s London, that’s for sure. But I was fascinated by the fickle gossip that could make or break reputations, ruin lives, and restore order in the uber-rich circles of the aristocratic elite, as seen in Regency-era novels and shows like Bridgerton. This is the first of 23 books and stories in this world and/or family lineage that I plan to read by this author. I was excited to discover Ms. Kleypas through a BookToker/ fellow reader/ TikTok account I follow.

Some parts of the story felt a bit reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, but there were even more layers, with our “shrew” Lily having her own complicated past to manage. Plus, she is a much more likeable character from start to finish than that of Kat in Taming of the Shrew. I could totally see this as a fabulous movie with Holly Earl playing Lily and someone like Charlie Hunnam or Theo James as the love interest. And I can’t wait to read the next book because I bet it is going to focus on the owner of the casino, who we only get brief glimpses of in this novel, but is obviously a multi-faceted character with an ocean’s deep story ready for the telling.

Kleypas, Lisa. Then Came You, Avon Books, 1993.

Essays, Writing

The Book of Delights (Book Review)

June 10, 2026 rebekahjmarshall Leave a comment

The Book of Delights, essays by Ross Gay, is a “delightful” read. He is a bit of a rambler, as far as his writing style and sounds like he does quite a bit of happy ambling in other areas of his life, as well. He shares musings, observations, and anecdotes about the little things that bring him joy, like unexpected laughter, birthdays, gardening, and good music. Even his essay titles are a delight. “My Birthday, Kinda,” “Joy Is Such a Human Madness,” “Tomato on Board,” and “The Do-Over,” to name a few. I, myself, am a huge fan of the do-over in life. I share in that delight, unless I am the one winning the game and think the other person does not deserve a do-over.

I love his comparison between all that we are and all that we love and all that makes up our experience to a healthy forest where “the roots” reach down into “the earth below” and in that place “there exists a constant communication between those roots and mycelium, where often the ill or weak or stressed are supported by the strong and surplused.” In another essay he discusses his love of finding delightful things and then the immediate desire he has to share that delight with anyone nearby. This impulse to share seems to be universal, “the urge to elbow your neighbor, who maybe was not even your neighbor until the bird flew between you.” He suggests that this urge might be because “our delight grows as we share it.

An example of his beautifully descriptive writing is this about bees. “There is a kind of flowering bush, new to me, that I’ve been studying on my walks in Marfa. On that bush, whose blooms exude a curtain of syrupy fragrance, a beckoning of it, there are always a few thumb-size all-black bumblebees. Their wings appear, when the light hits them right, metallic blue-green. I have never seen anything so beautiful.” His delight and description of these beautiful black bees inspired me to make some AI art about black bees with iridescent other-worldly wings, an example of contagious delight spreading beyond the observation to the page to the reader to AI to many platforms where I post my art.

Whether it is recording sweet hellos, feeling the wind from a hummingbird wing, a cup of good coffee, or a nap in the rain, Mr. Gay delights in sharing his special moments with us, and for that, I am grateful. I should warn that nothing is off limits in Mr. Gay’s writing. Inappropriate dreams, aging private body parts, bowel movements, peeing his pants, etc., are all fodder for pondering and finding delight, even if the joy is simply in the crisis being over. I am inspired to begin jotting down moments in my day that bring me joy. I have begun journals of this very same type of writing many times. I think it is time again, thanks to being reminded how delightful our little lives are at times.

Gay, Ross. The Book of Delights, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2022.