🎨 How to Train Your AI Dragon (and Other Magical Resources for Artists Who Like to Tinker)

🎨 How to Train Your AI Dragon (and Other Magical Resources for Artists Who Like to Tinker)

By Retha Olivier, Founder of BIAS & Summoner of Creative Spirits

So, you've dabbled with DALL·E, mingled with Midjourney, and perhaps even serenaded Stable Diffusion into conjuring cosmic cats. But now, you're yearning for more—technical mastery, a deeper bond with your digital familiars, and the power to whisper "TensorFlow" without summoning a headache.

Fear not, fellow conjurer! Here's your enchanted scroll of resources to elevate your artistry and technical prowess:

🧙‍♀️ 1. Learn Prompting

Tagline: The Hogwarts of Prompts (but without the scary hats)

Master the sacred language of AI-wrangling. This free, open-source course teaches you how to craft prompts that yield exactly what you envision—no more unintended chicken-in-ballgown scenarios.

🧠 2. DeepLearning.AI

Tagline: Founded by Andrew Ng, the Yoda of Machine Learning

Transcend paint and pixel to become a part-time sorcerer of code. Dive into courses like:

• AI for Everyone – no coding, lots of aha!

• Generative AI with LLMs – wield ChatGPT-like power

• GANs for Creators – become the Van Gogh of vectorized dreams

☁️ 3. Google Cloud Skills Boost

Tagline: For wizards who want their clouds to do the computing

Ascend Mount Olympus with courses like:

• Intro to Generative AI

• Image Generation with Diffusion Models

• Build with Vertex AI

Bonus: No essays required—just results.

🐇 4. Fast.ai

Tagline: Like Harvard... but nice and free

Train your own models and sculpt AI like a true artisan. No PhD needed—just bring your curiosity and perhaps a cat to sit on your keyboard occasionally.

🏅 5. Microsoft Learn – AI Skills Challenge

Tagline: Now with more badges than a Girl Scout convention

Leverage your Azure credits with courses that guide you gently toward powerful skills like:

• AI-900 certification prep

• Machine learning without the math-induced weeping

📊 6. Kaggle Learn

Tagline: Short lessons, long wisdom, zero fluff

Perfect for curious wanderers who prefer doing over reading. Learn AI in a notebook while sipping coffee in your studio slippers.

🎬 7. Runway Academy

Tagline: Where artists learn to animate with just a sprinkle of code-dust

For filmmakers, animators, and dream-weavers. Make magic using text-to-video models and visual effects—all with a UI prettier than your ex’s Instagram feed.

🤖 8. Hugging Face Courses

Tagline: Come for the free models. Stay for the community that actually helps you.

Feeling bold enough to train your own AI knight or studio assistant? Hugging Face will teach you to tame LLaMA, snuggle BERT, and fine-tune the soul of an algorithm.