I Tried Selling AI Art For 30 Days

In this video, the creator embarks on a 30-day challenge to sell AI-generated art and gauge its market potential. After exploring various AI art generators, they opt for Stable Diffusion, an open-source option, to minimize costs. They establish a business plan, targeting niche markets on Fiverr with offerings like cityscapes, pet portraits, and album covers. Despite initial struggles and a failed Facebook promotion attempt, they secure their first sale and eventually receive a total of eight orders. The video highlights the controversy surrounding AI art, the learning curve in crafting prompts for art generation, and the manual editing required to meet customer expectations. By the end, they've made $80 after fees, concluding the experiment on a positive note.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The experiment involved selling AI-generated art for 30 days to gauge interest and profitability.
• 🖥️ AI art is created by inputting prompts into a generator and selecting the desired image.
• 💰 Costs can be a barrier with AI art generators, but open-source options like Stable Diffusion allow free image generation.
• 👥 Collaboration with a friend who had an Nvidia GPU was necessary for using Stable Diffusion.
• 📈 A business plan was formulated, including targeting specific markets and creating gigs on Fiverr for various types of AI art.
• 📉 Initial sales were slow, with no orders for the first week and challenges in getting noticed on Fiverr.
• 📌 Promotion on social media platforms like Facebook was attempted but met with controversy and criticism from traditional artists.
• 🔄 Adapting the business approach, the team changed their gigs to focus on more popular art types and received their first order.
• 🎉 The first sale was for a metal album cover, which required understanding the song's vibe to create appropriate artwork.
• 📚 A detailed business plan template was used to keep the venture organized and focused.
• 🤝 Engaging with the community and adapting to feedback was key to gaining support and understanding the market.
• 📊 By the end of the challenge, eight orders were received, showing that there is a market for AI art despite initial setbacks.

Q & A

What was the main challenge the creator faced when trying to generate AI art?

The main challenge was the cost associated with using AI art generators, which often require the purchase of credits or a monthly subscription for extensive image generation.

How did the creator overcome the cost issue with AI art generation?

The creator found Stable Diffusion, an open-source AI art generator that can be installed on a personal computer and allows for the generation of unlimited images for free.

What platform did the creator use to sell the AI art?

The creator used Fiverr, a marketplace for freelance services, to sell custom AI art.

What types of art did the creator offer on Fiverr?

The creator offered City and Landscape concept art, dog portraits, Dungeons and Dragons character and Landscape art, heavy metal and rock album covers, and anime and furry character art.

What was the initial response to the Fiverr gigs?

The initial response was not promising, with zero orders and no messages for over a week.

How did the creator attempt to promote the AI art on social media?

The creator joined Dungeons and Dragons Facebook groups to promote the art, but faced backlash and criticism from some members who did not believe in the value of AI art.

What was the turning point that led to the first sale?

The turning point was when a band member contacted the creator through Fiverr, requesting an album cover that represented the vibe of their song.

What was the final outcome of the 30-day challenge?

The final outcome was positive, with a total of eight orders from seven customers, earning eighty dollars after Fiverr's fees.

What was the creator's strategy for crafting AI art?

The strategy involved using art knowledge to create descriptive prompts, selecting good images, and editing them in Photoshop if necessary to meet customer requests.

How did the creator view the role of AI in the art industry?

The creator viewed AI as another tool in an artist's arsenal, similar to Photoshop or a drawing tablet, and believed that artists should adapt to new technologies or risk being left behind.

What was the reaction of the artist community to the promotion of AI art?

The reaction was mixed, with some members expressing anger and frustration, fearing job loss to technology, while others were supportive and saw AI as a tool for artists.

What was the creator's final thought on investing the profits into a new venture?

The creator considered investing the profits into starting an AI art print on demand business and asked for audience feedback on this idea.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 AI Art Creation and Business Plan

The video begins with the host discussing the creation of AI-generated art, mentioning the use of AI art generators like Dolly 2, mid-journey, and NightCafe. The host decides to sell AI art and selects stable diffusion, an open-source AI art generator, to reduce costs. After facing technical limitations, the host collaborates with a friend, Daniel, who has the necessary hardware. They experiment with various art styles and create a business plan using a template provided by HubSpot, the video's sponsor. The plan includes offering different types of art on Fiverr, a freelance services marketplace. The host details the process of setting up gigs on Fiverr, targeting specific markets, and the challenges of gaining traction as a new seller.

05:00

📈 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Selling AI Art

The host shares the initial lack of success in receiving orders on Fiverr and the decision to promote their services in Dungeons and Dragons Facebook groups. The promotion attempt sparks controversy and debate about the legitimacy of AI art, with some accusing the host of stealing from real artists. Despite the negative reactions, the host receives a private message of support. The video then describes a shift in strategy, with the removal of less popular gigs and the addition of new ones. Eventually, the host gets the first order for a metal album cover, followed by a series of orders for various types of art, including anime and emo punk album covers, and Dungeons and Dragons character art. The host emphasizes the importance of understanding art to craft the right prompts and edit the images when necessary. By the end of the 30-day challenge, the host reflects on the learning experience and the total earnings, which, after fees, amount to eighty dollars. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to support the idea of investing profits into an AI art print on demand business.

Keywords

AI Art

AI Art refers to the creation of visual art using artificial intelligence. In the context of the video, the creator uses AI to generate paintings by typing prompts and clicking a button. The AI learns from datasets of existing artworks and produces new images, similar to how a human artist might take inspiration from various sources. The video explores the potential of selling such AI-generated art on platforms like Fiverr.

Generators

In the video, generators refer to AI software or platforms that can create art, such as Dolly 2, mid-journey, and nightCafe. These generators require payment for extensive use, but the creator finds an open-source alternative called stable diffusion, which can generate unlimited images for free. Generators are central to the process of creating AI art and the experiment of selling it.

Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI art generator mentioned in the video. It allows the user to generate images without cost, unlike other generators that require payment. However, it is designed to run on computers with an Nvidia GPU, which the creator does not have, leading him to use a friend's gaming PC for the process. Stable Diffusion is a key tool in the creator's attempt to sell AI art.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a freelance services marketplace where the creator decides to sell the AI-generated art. The platform allows for the creation of 'gigs' or service offerings, targeting various niches such as custom art, city landscapes, pet portraits, and album covers. The success of the creator's experiment largely depends on the response and orders received through Fiverr.

Business Plan

The business plan is a document that outlines the strategy, goals, and financial projections for starting a new venture. In the video, the creator and his friend Daniel use a one-page business plan template provided by the video's sponsor, HubSpot, to organize their approach to selling AI art. The plan helps them define their target market, the types of art they will sell, and pricing strategies, which are crucial for the success of their endeavor.

Promotions

Promotions in the video refer to the strategies used to market the AI art services on platforms like Facebook, specifically in Dungeons and Dragons groups. The creator attempts to promote their Fiverr gigs by posting self-promotional content, which leads to both positive and negative engagement. Promotion is essential for attracting customers and increasing visibility, especially for new sellers on platforms like Fiverr.

Album Covers

Album covers are a specific type of art that the creator offers to sell on Fiverr. They design custom covers for different music genres, including heavy metal, anime, emo punk, and more. The video shows the process of creating an album cover that captures the mood and theme of a song, demonstrating the versatility of AI art in meeting customer requests. Album covers become a significant part of their orders, contributing to their overall success.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons is a popular role-playing game that features in the video as a niche market for the AI art services. The creator sets up a gig offering character and landscape art related to the game. Despite initial challenges with promotion in Facebook groups, Dungeons and Dragons art becomes one of the most popular gigs, reflecting the demand for such specific and detailed artwork in the community.

Pet Portraits

Pet Portraits is one of the service offerings that the creator lists on Fiverr, aiming to target pet owners who might want a unique piece of art featuring their pets. However, the video reveals that this particular gig did not perform well, leading the creator to remove it and replace it with other offerings. This decision reflects the importance of adapting to market feedback and customer preferences in the business of selling AI art.

Emotion and Meaning

Emotion and meaning are central themes in the video, as the creator explores whether AI-generated art can convey genuine feelings and messages. The video demonstrates this by creating an album cover that represents the emotional depth of a song about love and cocaine. The discussion around this topic addresses the skepticism and controversy surrounding AI art, with the creator arguing that it can be a valuable tool for artists, similar to other technologies like Photoshop and drawing tablets.

Adaptation

Adaptation is a key concept in the video, as it highlights the necessity for artists to embrace new technologies like AI in order to stay relevant and competitive. The creator draws a parallel with historical instances, such as the lace-making industry, where resistance to technological advancement led to displacement. The video suggests that those who adapt to AI and use it as part of their artistic arsenal will thrive, while those who reject it may be left behind.

Highlights

The experiment involves selling AI-generated art for 30 days to gauge market interest and profitability.

AI art is created by typing a prompt into an AI generator and clicking a button.

HubSpot sponsors the video, providing resources for starting a business.

Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI art generator that allows free, unlimited image generation.

The narrator uses a friend's gaming PC with an Nvidia GPU to run Stable Diffusion due to hardware requirements.

A business plan is formulated, including targeting a niche market and offering various types of AI art.

Fiverr is chosen as the marketplace to sell custom AI art with gigs starting at $5 for basic packages.

A one-page business plan template by HubSpot is used to keep the venture organized and focused.

Dungeons and Dragons art and anime art are the most popular gigs on Fiverr after one week.

The first customer request is missed due to an email being marked as spam.

Promoting AI art on a Dungeons and Dragons Facebook group leads to controversy and criticism.

The narrator defends AI art as another tool in an artist's arsenal, similar to Photoshop or a drawing tablet.

After negative feedback, the gigs are adjusted to include anime landscapes and emo punk album covers.

The first sale is completed for a metal album cover, requiring two hours of work to find the right prompt and image.

Orders increase as the Fiverr account gains traction, with a variety of AI art requests.

Customers have specific requests, necessitating art knowledge to craft prompts and edit images.

By the end of the challenge, eight orders are received, resulting in $80 profit after Fiverr's fees.

The narrator expresses satisfaction with the results, considering the new account and lack of advertising.

A suggestion is made to invest profits into starting an AI art print on demand business.