I always start with questions like this one. Does using AI keep us from developing our own style? I think in part it does. It generates suggestions to say this or that in such and such manner. It robs us of doing. For sure it is a great example of technology replacing skills. It can be appended to the list of requests that others periodically make asking us to bend.
Our professors, parents, society and now our artificial intelligence agents are foisting their perspectives onto us. Sometimes these well-meaning people and automated responses project onto us something we are not. And in their doing this they cause us to move away from our own authenticity. Maybe we move away from our own style. Sadly, we learn to set aside our own natural intuitions. I don’t have any answers, only observations and emotional imprints.
I use art and science as a way to see more clearly. If I can put thoughts into a visual story that is memorable, this is even better.
My own story carries its weight, shaped in part by my time as a U.S. Marine. I served two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, experiences that left impressions on me.
What drew me to the Marines was not only the discipline, but the physicality of it, the demand to be present, alert, and engaged with others. It was a way of serving a country that I love. The Marines have a pervasive, stereotypical reputation about them. Like every Marine Officer, I was taught to take the initiative and move forward even when the path was unclear. I learned what fortitude means. Like most people not all of my skills are visible or easy to articulate in a resume.
I found that I had excellent emotional and intuitive insights. My scientific education allowed me to make sense of technological trends. It has afforded me a sort of scaffolding to hang ideas on. I found, except when I was making others laugh, I preferred to be quiet. I chafed under the kick-door-in type of stereotype. I did and do agree with the mantra of leading from the front and not the back. But I decided I would rather do it quietly. There is something to contrast with the unseen presence, the quiet influence. Over time, I came to understand the strength in being less visible.
Bill Russell, an old NBA player, captured this idea in a way that stayed with me. He spoke of invisibility not as absence, but as opportunity. A space where influence does not announce itself but still moves things forward. His rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain, a towering and dominant presence on the court, revealed this. Russell did not try to overpower him. Instead, he shifted the outcome in small, precise ways: altering a shot, changing Wilt’s shot trajectory, influencing the game without demanding attention. And in that quiet resistance, he helped shape history, winning 11 NBA championships.
Something in that perspective resonated with me. The idea that impact does not always require noise. That presence can be subtle and still meaningful. I began to see art, color, science, and writing in this light. Quiet. Observant. Guided by instinct rather than insistence. I set out to study how the invisible aspects of things like color, emotion, atmosphere, instructions, and illustrations impact our psychology. This led me to technical writing and illustration to help make sense of things our increasing analytical world.
The name Tesladesigns came to me while studying the ideas of Nikola Tesla in graduate school. It reflects a curiosity about systems, patterns, and unseen forces shaping the world. Though it carries that name, it is not connected to any company or figure beyond the inspiration itself. My background includes advanced studies in artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital research, and databases. These tools inform my understanding, but they are not the center of what I do. They are just tools.
In the end, I use creativity to calculate the conditions required for the success of things. This includes calculating the differences between the operational actions and aspirational speech. I try to help my students and others position for the future by making sense of new trends. I help them create moments of awareness and show them how to leave an emotional imprint in their designs. I wrap all of this into writing and illustration to explain complex products and services. Thanks for visiting. Please reach out to me if I can help you or your company.
Scott
