The hardest part is always starting. You may stumble, stop or change direction along the way, but if you never begin, nothing happens, says Malaysian visual artist Eddie Putera. After nearly 40 years as a videographer, Putera retired and picked up a new hobby: assembling model toys. It started with the usual suspects: mecha and car models. Soon, he began to get bored when looking at the cars on the shelf, and thought about making roads, trees and houses around them.

Nine years later, now in his late fifties, Putera is building entire miniature worlds with the help of AI while still learning something new almost every week. His stunning dioramas have shown up in TV commercials and films, and hes been invited to universities to inspire the next generations of artists and designers too.

Like many aspiring modellers, Putera started by watching videos and tutorials on YouTube to develop the skills for this handiwork-intensive hobby. But hes also an eager adopter of new technologies, buying his very first 3D printer way back in 2016. The technology was still very immature, he admitted.

That started a long journey of mastering 3D printing, experimenting with new materials and techniques along the way. I had been using CAD since I was young, so moving from 2D to 3D felt quite natural. I already understood X and Y axes. I just had to add Z. Today, Putera has nine printers constantly running to produce parts for his massive dioramas.

His use of AI also started similarly: At first, AI felt like a better search engine. Then it became something I could actually have a conversation with. Soon, he found himself working with AI assistants such as Google Gemini to create concept artwork for his dioramas.

Typically, he would ask Gemini to sketch out the smaller details, such as individual figures or vehicles. Then, those parts would be printed, painted and assembled.

Its here that the skills which Putera has acquired over a long career came into play: hes been handling a camera since he was 19 and used to run a small production house shooting videos and photographs.

I approach a diorama like a visual storyteller. My job is to translate an idea into a scene that people can immediately understand and believe.

Putera also shoots stunning photos and videos of his diorama for social media. After shooting them with his phone, he edits videos with Final Cut Pro, and uses Logic Pro to mix his own background music for the reels.

Puteras eager adoption of new technologies came from his lifelong passion for self-improvement: I was not born knowing how to do the things Im doing. I learned guitar, piano, photography and miniature-making simply because I was curious enough to try.

For him, its all about the willingness to take the first step: With dioramas, I didnt know everything at first either, and so I was learning and practising it at the same time. Maybe you will stop or stumble along the way, but if you dont start, then nothing can ever happen.

On whether AI might become a crutch, Putera says: AI does not replace creative thinking. It gives me more time to concentrate on the ideas, design and craftsmanship that only I can decide.

Take Puteras proudest diorama project for example. It was not the huge kampong model that became his first video commercial job, or the Marina Bay Sands model he made for a film. Instead, it was a house he did for a friend.

His friends father, a carpenter, was turning 80. Decades earlier, the man had built the family home with his own hands, and it has since been renovated past recognition. Putera tracked down old photos of the original and rebuilt it in miniature form: the first family car, the old rambutan tree, the curtains of yesteryear.

And then it was unveiled on the night of the birthday. When his father looked at it and said, This is the house, I could see the emotion on his face. That moment reminded me that miniature work is not only about craftsmanship. It can preserve a memory. Putera recalls.

In the end, it is the humanity in his project that resonates the most.

Want to start learning and mastering something new yourself? Borrow a few moves from Puteras AI-assisted working process.

Ask for honest feedback from AI. Sometimes I tell it to stop being nice and just tell me what is wrong. That is when the conversation becomes useful.

Be economical with your effort. You do not need to show everything. Sometimes one carefully chosen detail can tell the entire story.

Preparation saves time. I always begin editing diorama videos by arranging the shots according to the feeling and rhythm of the story. Transitions, effects and colour should come later. And before choosing instruments for the background music, I decide what the scene should feel like: quiet, tense, nostalgic or hopeful. Once the emotion is clear, it becomes easier to choose sounds and tempo.

Little things matter. I like adding small environmental sounds: the movement of tools, footsteps, traffic, rain or the atmosphere of a room. These details help place the audience inside the scene. And music does not need to fill every second. I use silence and simpler arrangements so the dialogue, sound effects and important visual moments still have room to breathe.

Record the idea: When I hear a melody or rhythm in my head, I record a rough version immediately. It does not need to be perfect. Capturing the idea is more important; arrangement and production can be refined later.