My Favorite Images

I was drawn to Hiiro-san's article, 'Please show me your favorite images!', and decided to participate.

The characters that appear in my 'Like' thank-you images are 'Daikun' the daikon radish and 'Tamami-chan' the onion.
Actually, for me, these little ones are more than just characters; they are beings filled with deep, deep meaning.

I have been involved in the culinary profession for a long time.
Cooking is a wonderful tool that not only fills the stomach but also has a great impact on the heart and makes people smile.
I myself have been saved by it many times.

In the midst of those days, I wondered if I could somehow turn my love, gratitude, and the feelings I've had for the 'ingredients' that support me into a book...

I held onto that thought, and before I knew it, 10 years had passed.

It was six months ago that I finally took the plunge and started consulting AI about that 10-year-old wish.
For someone like me with absolutely no artistic talent, AI has become an indispensable partner.

Through repeated trial and error, I was able to give it shape as an e-book.
That is my precious picture book series, 'The Monologues of Vegetables' (which might be for adults).

However, until the characters in this book were decided in their current form, there was... well, an indescribable amount of 'wandering' involved.

The 'Daikun' in my heart is a soft, kind, warm, and somewhat helpless presence.
Even though I try to convey that image to the AI, the answers that come back easily leap far beyond my imagination (lol).

For example, even though I asked for 'Daikun,' for some reason he would appear with a thick head of hair.

When I asked for 'a daikon radish cooking,' he sometimes appeared as a serious chef.

When I tried to create 'Tamami-chan' the onion, for some reason mysterious fairies connected like triplets would appear, and I would mutter to myself at the screen, 'That's not it...'

It was a quiet, yet intense battle where my persistence and the AI's creativity clashed.

After a 'battle of wills' that unfolded countless times, the current 'Daikun' finally appeared on the screen.

The moment I saw that soft, round figure, I think I had a huge smile on my own face. 😊

After 10 years, they are like precious family members that have finally been brought to life, perhaps for the first time and in a clumsy way.

They are the children that symbolize my story of rebirth, having passed through trauma and conflict.

This project reminded me once again of the feelings that became the starting point for my current activities.
Thank you, Hiiro-san. 🌸

I'll take this opportunity to introduce my book as well. 😆

https://amzn.to/4707BGl

https://amzn.to/4707BGl

I am currently working on a new book as well. ☺️