"The most personal art is the kind only you could have imagined."
In this Beacon, you'll create something personal.
A profile picture. A cover image. A poster. Something made for you, by you — with AI.
You'll use Leonardo AI to generate the image, and Canva AI to put the finishing touches on it.
You may have heard of Canva — it's one of the most popular design tools in the world. And it now has AI built right in.
Sign in with Google — your Gmail account works instantly.
Canva lets you take any image and turn it into a finished design. You can add text, change backgrounds, resize for any platform, and use AI to edit or enhance the image — all without any design experience.
Think of Leonardo AI as the artist, and Canva as the studio where the final piece comes together.
It doesn't have to be a photo of your face.
It can be an illustrated avatar, a stylised portrait, or something abstract that just feels like you.
The key is to describe a mood, a style, and a setting — not just "a person."
The more specific your prompt, the more personal the result.
Go to 👉 https://leonardo.ai → sign in with Google → paste this prompt:
Click Generate.
Not feeling it? Swap one detail — the setting, the light, the style — and generate again. Try: "evening light" instead of "golden afternoon", or "watercolour style" instead of "painterly style." One word, completely different result.
Go to 👉 https://canva.com → on the homepage, click the Social media icon below the search bar.
You'll see a "Create a design" page. Pick a format:
Browse the templates → click one you like → it opens in the editor.
On the left sidebar, click Uploads → Upload files → select your Leonardo image → click on it to place it on the canvas.
Add your name, a short line of text — or keep it purely visual.
Screens and menus may look slightly different — that's normal. Just explore and you'll find your way. 😊
Look at the final result in Canva — the image you generated, placed in a real design format, with your name on it.
It started as a single sentence in Leonardo AI.
That's the workflow behind most AI-assisted creative work: generate a raw ingredient, then shape it into something finished. The two steps together are more powerful than either tool alone.
Canva's free plan includes everything you need for this Beacon — no Pro subscription required.
If you want to use your AI-generated image as an actual profile picture, download it at the highest quality available. In Canva, click Share → Download → PNG.
Leonardo AI images are public by default on the free plan. If you'd prefer privacy, generate something stylised or abstract rather than anything personal.
Posting to Instagram — Once you're happy with your design, download it as a PNG or JPG (click Share → Download) and upload it to Instagram as you normally would. Canva doesn't post for you automatically on the free plan.
You just took an idea, turned it into an image, and shaped it into a finished design. That's a real creative workflow. 🎉
Next up: Beacon 12 – Design without a designer — where you'll go deeper into Canva AI: presentations, invitations, and social media graphics. Same tool, a lot more to explore.
No rush. Come back whenever you're ready. 🙂