Why AI Might Be the Best Thing to Happen for Artists

I don’t know what to think about AI-generated art.

On one hand, it appears the writing’s on the wall: a new technology is emerging that will disrupt and displace entire industries. Many people will lose their jobs.

But this isn’t the first time that’s happened, and if we look at our history, every time that happens entirely new industries emerge — the people who lose their jobs today will find new, exciting employment in a field or company that doesn’t even exist yet! Their transferable skills will be needed elsewhere, and/or they’ll learn new skills that never needed to be (or could’ve been) learned before.

Unfortunately, the transition and downtime in between can be rough and full of uncertainty.

We can’t stop change. The best we can do is prepare for it, adapt to it, and learn new skills with it.

I feel scared, uncertain, even defeated… I’ve spent so much time, effort, work, and money investing in myself for a career that may not exist for long or a skill set that may not be needed for much longer.

On the other hand, I feel a little hope too.

I’m a storyteller and a creator. People will always need stories, creativity, imagination, inspiration, and emotional connection in their lives.

That need will never go away.

And perhaps this new technology is actually a blessing for me. It might free me. Empower me. Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way.

In the Old Model, I needed a client or employer to hire me. As an artist, I was a piece of a larger puzzle — I specialized in whatever one or two things I did best. Meanwhile the employer hired other artists and technicians to all do their individual pieces too, and together, we made a thing — a movie, a song, a product. The client had ultimate control and made all the decisions. The client paid us our contracted wages and then sold our product and made a fortune for themselves. We, as individual artists, could only contribute our one piece of the puzzle — as we helped somebody else get wealthy.

What if AI allows EVERY creative storyteller tell THE WHOLE STORY by themselves? An illustrator can also be the writer; the writer can also be the illustrator. Both can be their own musician, video editor, and web designer. Each artist can now be “all” artists. Each individual creator can single handedly (or with a small team of THEIR choosing, often their own friends) create the WHOLE product, the entire work, the complete story — no overseeing boss or external company needed.

We artists will always be artists. We’re creators. It’s how our minds and hearts work.

Maybe we’ll lose our jobs — and maybe AI will empower us to fully be our own bosses, have 100% creative control over our own work, and NOT NEED to wait and hope for some client to hire us anymore.

And if you’re thinking “I don’t want to run a business or deal with marketing”, guess what — AI will assist with that too. You can focus on YOUR art. You can focus on being creative, making something original, and making something authentic to your voice and message.

We’re not losing our jobs. The world will always need artists. We artists are just no longer LIMITED by the one skill we spent 10+ years to master. Now we each individually can do it all — we are no longer just one piece of a larger puzzle; we get to create, design, shape, direct, and control the whole puzzle, the big picture, the entire product exactly how we want it!

No more feeling frustrated or wasting time trying to please a low-paying client who doesn’t know what they want and keeps changing their mind or nitpicking over every little detail. Let them waste their own time with AI.

Meanwhile, we artists will continue to create — and because we know how to create a vision, tell an impactful story, and emotionally move an audience, we can create and package the ENTIRE PRODUCT ourselves, sell it, and make our own money on our own terms and on our own schedule.

We artists won’t need an employer much longer. We’ll be able to go straight to the marketplace and sell directly to our own fans and customers.

And our former clients, who are not trained or developed artists, will come to us for help and advice. Because although they can make AI-generated content that’s “pretty”, they’ll wonder why they’re not connecting with their target audience.

And we can charge them high consulting fees.

Because we know that “art” is more than just words, sounds, or pictures that go well together. We know how to make those words, sounds, and pictures mean something, say something, and emotionally resonate and connect with others.

One day, thanks to AI, a screenwriter won’t need a producer; they’ll be the producer, the director, the cinematographer, the music composer, the video editor — and all those people will also be the screenwriter too.

Each one of us can fully tell our own stories. And we won’t need a multi-million dollar budget to do it — we’ll be able to tell our complete stories from our laptop in the comfort of our own home. Stories that will be authentic, relevant, personally meaningful, and uniquely original. They’ll be YOUR stories. YOUR voice. YOUR vision.

AI will empower and free you. You won’t need a traditional publisher, record label, or movie studio. You’ll be your own. And AI will make that possible, affordable, fast, and easy for you.

You get to focus on all the parts you want — and use AI to take care of the rest.

The world will have an explosion of new voices, new stories, and new visions that never could’ve been shared before now: yours.