How AI Can Help Me Build My Creative Business

Embarking on this artistic journey feels like a return to a long-lost passion that I, regrettably, set aside for what seemed like practical reasons at the time. Back in school, creative subjects were the ones I was drawn to the most, leading me to pursue them for my A Levels. However, as the realities of the working world set in, I chose to turn away from art, convinced that it wasn't a viable path to financial stability.

Fast forward 14 years, and here I am at 31, contemplating the road not taken. It's a bittersweet realisation that, had I dedicated these past years to honing my craft and immersing myself in the creative industry, I might now be enjoying the fruits of a successful artistic career. Yet, here I stand, revisiting my artistic aspirations with a newfound determination and the awareness that time is both a friend and an enemy.

Career Struggles

I have always wanted to be a mum, so my career dreams have taken a back seat for years. While I've thrown myself into jobs before, finding one that truly satisfies me has been a bit of a struggle. People who are all about the career hustle might say just take any job for the money, but I've found myself battling anxiety and dealing with not-so-fun IBS symptoms when I've forced myself into jobs just for the wages.

But as I find myself single in my 30s, I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea that being a mum might not happen as easily as I hoped. I know I need to focus on finding a career which genuinely makes me happy and hope the money and, if I’m lucky, the dream man and family find me along the way. 

Creative Struggles

I have always enjoyed creative things. I studied Art, Photography and Product Design at A Level and went on to study Digital Media Design at University. But picking one creative thing to focus on and becoming an expert in is something I struggle with, and it is another thing that has held back a creative career. 

Since starting my business in 2019, I have changed my service offering multiple times, from content writing to video editing and graphic design. When I returned from my travels, I bought an iPad and thought I would become a digital artist and sell my artwork, removing the need to work with clients and instead creating a product-based business. 

Building the confidence and skills to sell products takes time; while doing that, I still needed to provide services to make an income. My focus has been all over the place, leading to neither my business nor my art skills improving enough to earn a living doing what I enjoy. 

Every year, I contemplate whether I should give up my business and the flexibility it provides for employment security. I look for work, apply for a few jobs, get nowhere, feel disheartened, and continue to try to improve my business, resigned to doing more of the same tasks which I don’t really enjoy doing.     

Rediscovering Creativity

When I bought my iPad, I started following different artists on Instagram. The more I scrolled the socials, the more artists I discovered and the more styles I wanted to try. It was when I started exploring traditional and digital mediums that my creative spark was reignited. I started experimenting, having fun, and sharing my journey on YouTube, a platform on which I had been trying to succeed for a while and had yet to be successful. It was through sharing my journey and trying new art materials that my channel started to grow. 

I not only love the process of trying new art supplies and styles, but I also love the process of filming and editing videos and trying to grow my channel. Experimenting with different things was good for my channel and fed into my multi-passionate nature. But I struggled to choose and stick to one thing, which was not conducive to improving as an artist. I didn’t stick to one thing long enough, so I never got to a point where I felt I could sell any of the work I was creating. Last year, I changed that, focusing solely on Landscape and Abstract art. Unfortunately, this didn’t lead to the improvements I was hoping to see either and that, combined with a low mood as we roll into winter, has led to the spark fading a little. 

Creating a Business that I Love

I need to find a way to make my multi-passionate, creative self a positive and not a thing holding me back. As I write this, I am looking and applying for jobs, but a part of me still wants to make my business work, create a business I love, and make a decent income. 

I love creating, whether written or video content or making art. I aim to become an artist and content creator, making money from my online presence, AdSense, sponsorships and affiliates, and selling my artwork in various forms. I could practice my art and hopefully get to a point where I feel confident enough to sell and, in the meantime, make money as I document my journey, sharing it in blog posts and videos which combine the things I enjoy: writing, video editing and designing branded elements. 

But I need help! Creating enough content consistently to make the kind of income I need to thrive is not easy when so much of my day and brainpower is taken up by the jobs that earn me money but I don’t enjoy. I don’t know how people manage to set up successful side hustles while they work full-time. Entrepreneurs share stories like this all the time, and it baffles me. Maybe I don’t want it enough; as I mentioned before, all I want to do is, be a mum, but with this off the cards for now, how do I find the motivation to make something else work? 

The Role of AI

This is where AI comes in. It’s not necessarily going to motivate me, but it will help me plan, structure, implement and create the content I need to give this dream career a real go.

I have been experimenting with ChatGPT to create a new separate brand where I’m exploring the use of AI in content creation. It’s been an exciting and eye-opening process and has inspired me to use AI to help build this brand. I struggle with creating a story and a structure for my YouTube videos. Using AI to help me flesh out each piece of content and create blog posts, I can improve the quality of my video content by using repurposed blog posts.

I want to create posts on each stage of this process and share product reviews, personal stories, and all the information I have and am learning as a beginner artist trying to build a creative business. By doing this, not only will I grow a successful brand which makes me money in a more enjoyable way, but I will also be able to help you do the same if this is what you desire. 

Conclusion

I will use AI to help me create and execute a plan to grow the Steph Welch creative content business. I will share every step of the process with you in this blog and on my YouTube channel so you can grow a creative brand and business that helps you live your dreams. Let's make it happen together!