For those who don’t know my history before becoming a full-time content creator and stationery maker, I worked as a graphic designer for Hallmark Cards for almost 20 years. I worked with some of the most talented lettering artists, illustrators and writers. I went on to work for two other companies as a product developer (not digital products but a design of physical goods like tea sets, Christmas ornaments, home decor goods and more) where I had the pleasure of collaborating with artist and illustrators as well as creating my own artwork. I believe artists should be paid for their work and credited.
I have been writing The Well-Appointed Desk (for better or worse) since 2010. I have written every word in my posts and reviews, typos and all.
So, it’s surprising when people ask whether my zines were created using AI. This question has come up a couple times about the Gamify zine and I felt like I needed to be absolutely sure about every aspect of the publication.
In writing the Gamify zine, I researched and typed every word myself. My kind husband was my editor and proofreader and he is really good at it. At no point did I ever use ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney or any other AI software in any part of my production process. I laid everything out in InDesign and, where necessary, I used stock illustration sites with good reputations to purchase illustrations to zhoozh up the whole piece.
But because I’ve had multiple questions, it made me wonder if maybe, some of the artwork I bought utilized AI and didn’t mark it as such so I decided (a year after originally designing this in June of 2025) to go back to the original stock houses and verify that I had done my due diligence
Let’s dig into it:
In early 2025 when sourcing artwork, I turned to Shutterstock and Creative Market, as the stock image sites allow searching with a “no AI” button turned on which I did because I support artists who make art. I choose sites like Shutterstock in order to do my due diligence and utilize the authorship verification standards that sites like Shutterstock and Creative Market stand by.
Starting with the art I used for the cover which came from Shutterstock, the artist posted in his personal description that he does not use AI. I added a border from my vintage art collection so this is 100% original art. Textures and patterns were added to the inside and end papers that also came from my collection of vintage, out-of-copyright art collection.
This is what info I’d see, looking up images on Shutterstock and Creative Market:
I was able to click on the artist’s link and see that they stand by their no AI artwork. Yay!
Betrayed by the system:
After getting a few emails wondering about AI content this year, I revisited my artists’ sites because I know I did the diligence earlier. My husband and I, along with our many friends who are working comic illustrators, often discuss AI all the time. To find AI artwork in my Gamify zine would be unthinkable.
So I went back to Shutterstock and Creative Market and dug up info on every piece of artwork used in this zine. And this month I was shaking with rage when I found out that the Creative Market ‘NO AI’ feature had let me down, as I found that one artist is NOW flagged as having AI artwork. Their spot illustrations are kinda dispersed through the zine, and now the artist is even talking about their AI usage. I totally would not have used this artwork at all, despite how cute it is.
What the ever-loving F*** is that “AI” tag doing there?!?! It was not there when I purchased the art nor was the statement from the creator at the bottom. I cannot tell you how angry I am that this was not on the art when I purchased it. I, of course, have no proof that the art was not flagged when I purchased it so you will have to take my word for it and know that I did not intentionally lie or try to circumvent the beast that is AI.
It goes without saying that I sent a strongly worded letter to Creative Market for not advising previous purchasers that the status of this artwork had been changed.
I know that in today’s current climate, it is hard to assume anyone has good intentions but really, I did not use AI artwork knowingly. I even credited the creator of the illustrations in the zine so I was not trying to hide where I got it.
Needless to say, I have pulled the Gamify zine out of the shop until I can determine the best way to proceed. I did pay a printer to produce the zine so I am now sitting on a pile of inventory I don’t know what o do with. Do I offer a “I get duped by AI” fire sale? Do we just ritually burn them in the back yard and hope that the gods of creativity smile down on us and rain money on our heads?
As next steps, my goal is to create new illustrations for the inside of the zine and publish a new edition, 100% free and clear of AI. Once the new version is completed, anyone who purchased the original version can request to be sent a digital copy of the new edition (or a discount code to buy a new, no-AI).
I am sorry to anyone who feel like they got duped. I feel it too. I am trying to do my best to fix the situation but I know I can’t undo what has been done. Just know that none of this was done intentionally. I know that doesn’t make it right. But I hope I can make it better.
I can just imagine your angst. I believe you 100%; the onus shouldn’t be put on your company. You used this artwork in good faith. It’s just a shame that we have to be so diligent in every thing we do these days!
I think a fire sale is a better way to dispose of the zines you had printed. I, personally, absolutely believe you didn’t intentionally use AI art, and that you tried to make sure the art you purchased was not created with AI.
And as much as I would like to support the ritual burning, you put a lot of time and effort and money into the zines, and you should at least be able to get some of that back.
Kudos for explaining what happened.
AI sucks and real artists shun its use.
I’m sorry for the hurt you’ve experienced in discovering this. I vote for the “I got duped” sale.
I agree that a fire sale sounds like a great way to recoup some of your losses. This really sucks for you! And I deeply appreciate your no-AI stance.
I am sorry about the state of human behavior. It is not, though, surprising. For hundreds of thousands of years, our species has been engaging in activities which we consider superior to those of other living beings on this planet. We came into the world using our bodies as all other creatures always have done, and then began, “inventing” “better” ways to find and prepare food, secure shelter and protect our bodies with clothing. We “progressed” and continue to torture, deform the earth itself, along with billions of other creatures, and we’ve hurled ourselves off this planet to abuse, hurt and interfere with other beings. Computers are a new and growing iteration of our “genius,” “ingenius,” “brilliant” methods of denying our own natures and hurting everything around us. Ana – you seem like a good person. I’m sorry you feel duped, but many of us are engaged in what was inevitable given our trajectory.
I was a designer/illustrator for over 40 years and am so grateful that I’m now old enough to be totally OUT of the business. If AI can save lives via speeded up medical trials and there are now glasses that can tell a blind person which shirt in his closet is blue, I’m all for it. But when it comes to what you do and what I did, I feel like the world has come crashing down on our heads. You went above and beyond to make sure that your work was done in a fair and honorable way. You paid for what you expected to be AI-free work, you were careful about copyright-free images and created everything else yourself. Big applause from here. Don’t beat yourself up and ignore criticism.
What a great and honorable post. I appreciate the careful way you have always done your work, and I’m so sorry this nasty surprise hit you. As others have said, don’t beat yourself up. When people set out to deceive, they’ll fool many of us. But only once. Thank you for your intelligent honesty ❤️
As a book cover designer, I hear you on the difficulty of finding non-AI images on the stock sites. I’m looking at iStockPhoto right now because they claim not to have AI in their database, and so far (stress on “so far”!) I haven’t found any I can ID as AI in my searches. Haven’t made the plunge yet because their credit packs are significantly more expensive.
It’s annoying that AI is forcing me to change my business, not because of potential clients going to AI-produced covers (those are the people who wouldn’t pay my prices anyway), but because it’s so hard to find components I can use. My business is still steady, it’s just more time-consuming and difficult. In the end, I’m probably going to have to pivot to offering only custom illustration instead of photomontage/image composite covers though, which means raising my prices significantly.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment and sharing your struggles too. I feel less alone trying to fight this wave that’s coming towards us all.
A small print out with a brief description of the situation and a QR code to this webpage may be a good option. And while a discount may be fitting, a fire sale implies a dramatic discount. You still need to make a living – so maybe a 20% discount? I don’t know the numbers well enough to have an informed opinion. I do know that I want the Well Appointed Desk to thrive and continue to produce amazing products going forward.
oh MAN, what an epic bummer. I dunno, maybe the fire sale idea? How absolutely horrible for you, and I love that you’re taking it out of the shop and explaining it to us all, but MAN. I love the work you do with clip art and licensed images and how absolutely horrible to have your commitment to human-sourced creativity undermined by the source you trusted to be honest. Thank you.
I was toying with the idea of another order with the recent restocks, so I’m going to go complete that order; I love what you do and love supporting it.
What if you donated the printed zines to a local library for a kids RPG group? Maybe you could get a tax write-off?
Ana, you have done nothing wrong. In fact you have done everything right. You should not be punished for someone else’s bad behavior. So I think you should continue selling your zine as is with a statement of the facts as you have just stated. Maybe tip it in on the inside cover or on the outside of the packaging. Make a note of it on your website listing. Then if you want, on your next printing, do your own illustrations.
I don’t think people would be mad at you for it. I would not.
Nobody, but NOBODY, who reads your content and appreciates your work would think that you would dilute your superior product with AI.
Can you buy a new piece of art, print it on stickers, and sticker over the art in the inventory??
I’m sorry this happened to you Ana. The AI slop that is ending up everywhere is so extremely frustrating. I’m having the worst time double-checking every single sticker/washi maker that I’ve brought into my shop because I don’t want to unknowingly support AI. I am adamant that the use of it needs to be disclosed so people can make informed decisions. If an “artist” is hiding the use they really need to examine why they are ashamed of it and if they should keep using it.
Maybe there is a way to edit that spread in the book and get a replacement page printed? Not sure how feasible that would be though since it would probably involve pulling a lot of staples.
Ugh. I hate it when something like that happens and some nonsense slips through even though we try to avoid it. I like the sticker-over-the-genAI-art idea, but that might be expensive. I dunno. Heck, even a big X through the offending “art” is probably fine. People know what you stand for.
Ana, I believe in you!
If I’m honest, I think you should add a disclaimer add-in to your zine and sell it at or near full price. You went forward with good intent and you shouldn’t be penalized heavily for it. Maybe offer a discount on an individual basis if someone feels slighted. The person who sold you the art, however, should be solicited for a refund. THEY should be penalized heavily for their deception.
I’m so sorry that you were given misinformation. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for you ☹️
Please know that your integrity & creativity are of great value to me.
It’s so unbelievably difficult nowadays to determine whether everything we use is AI-free. I work in publishing, and sometimes I feel like beating my head against the wall because it’s so frustrating to go so far in a project only to learn that the author has used AI. We have to be able to trust people, and researching every image, phrase, or citation is not a reasonable expectation.
All that to say, I do believe you, and I think the artist who didn’t properly disclose should have to give you a refund.
As for what to do with the inventory, don’t destroy it; that’s just too much money down the drain. I think a sticker with a QR code to this post or the like is a good idea, along with a small discount (15-20%), like selling B stock.
I agree that you should not offer a discount, but instead have a small amount of the proceeds go to a charity that promotes non ai art such as teaching kids in the inner city how to paint or something similar. I would buy several of your products just to “Stick it to the RoboMan” and support something. Then when you run out of product you can raise the price of the new booklet.