There was a point this week when I noticed that my kittens — we live on a farm — smelled a little bit too much like a farm, i.e., a mysterious mix of poop and hay.
The strangest thing is, I enjoyed it, profoundly. To specify: I didn’t like the smell per se, but I liked the smell on them. They’re the most innocent, happy-go-lucky cats. Truly perfection made cat-form. Little angels circling me everywhere I go. So what if they smell? It only adds to their farmlife charm and makes me appreciate them even more when they don’t.

My first thought was: this is what parents must experience when holding their sweet, yet sometimes smelly, children.¹ Or why people like certain “ugly” dog breeds.² Or why old music played on vinyl just sounds better.³

Perfection is not more attractive; on the contrary, it takes away from the perfection that is life. Not claiming to present any brilliant new ideas here, just repeating centuries of thinking patterns.

But have we truly considered what would happen if contrast were taken away?

Another side question: Will we eventually fall in love with AI-made characters, or will we always desire a token of reality?⁴

I don’t have the answers at this hour of the night… However, it’s hard not to see that we’re getting closer to that point. That point referring to the theoretical perfection of humanity. Or maybe we’re actually getting away from it again? No clue.

I just know what I personally prefer. Show me actors with big noses. A sunset covering a communist block apartment. If all flowers had perfect petals and colors, which ones would we pick to create a bouquet? Would those continue to matter? What would they signify exactly?

Maybe it’s not that bad that some fly landed on my art and defecated on my favorite piece this week. It just means it existed in this shared space and time, still packed with contrast.

1. The comparison between kittens and children might be a bit cliché, but it holds some depth in this context. I can’t help it; some things are just universal. ↩︎
2. I can’t quite remember where I first heard about ugly dog breeds being endearing, but it’s a thought that always seems to resonate when considering the charm of imperfection. ↩︎
3. I’m not sure if vinyl records actually sound better or if I’m just nostalgic for the ritual. ↩︎
4. The idea of AI characters being “real” in some sense… well, it’s a slippery slope I’m not fully ready to fall down yet. ↩︎