How I Use AI to Run My Art Business (Not Make My Art)
When people hear "art" and "AI" in the same sentence, they usually jump to one big assumption: that AI made the artwork. Let’s clear that up right now. Every single painting I create is 100% hand-painted by me, using my stylus and iPad in an app called Procreate. No AI art generators. No shortcuts. Every color blend, every line, every quirky little detail — that’s all me.
So where does AI come into the picture?
Not on the canvas. But when it comes to the business side of running an art studio? That’s where I let AI lend a hand.
Here’s how I use it:
Writing Product Listings and Ads:
I use AI to help me sketch out rough drafts for product descriptions, ad copy, and social media posts. Then I go in and rework it to actually sound like me. AI can do in 20 seconds what would take me hours without it. Freeing up those hours gives me more time to create.
Naming Paintings:
Sometimes I stare at a finished piece for way too long and the perfect name just won’t come to me. I’ll load my painting and a quick description into AI to kick around some ideas. It’s basically a digital brainstorming buddy.
Critiquing for Fun:
Once in a while, I’ll run a finished painting through an AI critique just to see what it says. Sometimes it catches something useful. Sometimes it just makes me laugh. Either way, I’m the one making the creative calls, not the robot.
I’ve got zero issues with artists who do create AI art. Seriously. Dabbling in AI art has just made me respect the creative process even more. It’s not nearly as easy as people think. You have to write insanely specific prompts, tweak them a million different ways, cross your fingers, and even then most of what you get is just... meh. I’ve never had AI spit out anything I could sell. Mad props to anyone who can wrangle something amazing out of it, though. It’s a skill in its own right — it’s just not how I choose to create the art I offer to customers.
And in true full-circle spirit, I used AI to help write this blog post. I fed it my thoughts, cleaned up what it spit out, and made it sound like a real human (hopefully!). AI even created the cute little robot in the image accompanying this post.
AI is just one more resource in my toolbox to run my art business, not create my art. When you buy a painting from me, you’re getting something built layer by layer, with real hands, real time, and a lot of "this needs more teal" moments.
