I Tried Selling AI Art For 30 Days (Realistic Results)

Mark on Business
21 Jun 202307:46

TLDRIn this video, the creator shares their experience of selling AI-generated art on Etsy for 30 days. They discuss the challenges faced, including shop suspension, manual processes, and low sales. After experimenting with various tools like Topaz AI and MockCity to streamline their workflow, they managed to upload 75 listings but only made $27, resulting in a $15 loss. The creator reflects on mistakes and plans to shift to print-on-demand to target a larger audience. Despite the challenges, they remain determined to make the shop profitable by year’s end.

Takeaways

  • 🖼️ The video creator attempted to sell AI-generated artwork for 30 days on Etsy.
  • 🛍️ The artwork was sold in digital format, allowing customers to print and frame it themselves, with the seller keeping a 90% profit margin.
  • 🚫 The shop was initially suspended by Etsy without a clear reason, delaying the launch by three weeks.
  • 🎨 The seller first listed pop art posters, which did not sell as expected, leading to a pivot towards abstract and contemporary art.
  • 💸 After spending on tools and resources, the seller made $27 in sales but was still at a $15 loss due to fees and expenses.
  • ⚙️ To streamline the workflow, the seller found tools like Topaz AI for upscaling images, and MockCity.com for creating mockups automatically.
  • ⏳ Despite using automation tools, the seller still faced time-consuming manual tasks, such as resizing images for different aspect ratios, until finding XnConvert.
  • 💡 The seller realized that offering art only in digital format limited the audience and planned to transition to print-on-demand to increase sales.
  • 📉 Consistent uploads and expanding product types are crucial for success, as neglecting to upload led to a loss in shop momentum.
  • 🔄 Despite initial struggles, the seller is determined to turn the business into a profitable venture by the end of the year, with plans to improve strategies and offerings.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of the video?

    -The video aims to share the creator's experience of selling AI-generated art on Etsy for 30 days, discussing their earnings, challenges, and the tools they used.

  • Which AI tool did the creator use to generate the artwork?

    -The creator used MidJourney, a text-to-image AI tool, to generate the artwork for their Etsy shop.

  • Why was the creator's Etsy shop initially suspended?

    -The Etsy shop was suspended immediately after opening, even though the creator did not violate any Etsy policies. No reason was provided for the suspension.

  • What types of art did the creator initially offer, and how successful were these products?

    -The creator initially offered pop art posters, but these products did not sell well despite research suggesting they would be popular.

  • What changes did the creator make to improve their sales?

    -The creator expanded their offerings by including abstract art, contemporary art, and oil paintings, which eventually led to their first sale.

  • What tools did the creator use to streamline the process of uploading listings?

    -The creator used several tools: Topaz AI for upscaling images, Mock City for generating mock-ups, and XnConvert for resizing images.

  • What were the creator's biggest challenges in managing their Etsy shop?

    -The biggest challenges included manually resizing and placing artwork into mock-ups, which was time-consuming, and dealing with tools that didn't function as expected.

  • How much revenue did the creator make in the first 30 days, and was it profitable?

    -The creator made $27 in the first 30 days, but after deducting costs such as fees and software, they were at a $15 loss.

  • What did the creator conclude about selling digital art on Etsy?

    -The creator concluded that selling digital art alone might not be the best approach. They plan to shift to selling physical prints through print-on-demand to target a larger audience.

  • What lessons did the creator learn from their first 30 days of selling AI art?

    -The creator learned the importance of offering physical products, uploading regularly, and expanding the range of art types to attract a broader audience. They plan to continue and improve their shop.

Outlines

00:00

🖼️ Launching an AI Art Etsy Shop: Initial Challenges and Setbacks

In this section, the creator introduces their journey of selling AI-generated artwork on Etsy, detailing how they started the shop and encountered an immediate suspension. Despite not violating Etsy's policies, the suspension lasted three weeks. They discuss their initial mistakes, such as not preparing products while the shop was suspended and overestimating the appeal of their first listings, which were pop art posters. The creator contrasts this experience with their other Etsy shop, which sells websites and Canva templates, where they saw quick success. Realizing they needed to diversify, they expanded their offerings to include abstract and contemporary art, eventually making their first small sale. Despite being at a financial loss due to purchasing design assets and Etsy fees, they remained motivated to continue improving their listings and shop.

05:00

⚙️ Automating Art Listings: Tools and Workflow Improvements

The creator explains the manual process they initially used to list their AI-generated artwork, which involved upscaling images and placing them into mock-ups. This was a time-consuming task that required hours each day. After researching tools, they found several resources to streamline their workflow. They switched from using Upscale Media to Topaz AI for upscaling images, though Topaz was a paid tool. Additionally, they struggled with finding scripts and plugins for Photoshop to automate the process of placing art into mock-ups but had little success. Eventually, they found an online tool called Mock City, which significantly sped up the mock-up process. However, resizing images to fit the five required sizes for printable wall art remained a challenge, forcing them to continue doing it manually while searching for better solutions.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI Art

AI Art refers to artwork generated by artificial intelligence algorithms, such as MidJourney, which uses text inputs to create images. In the video, the creator uses AI to produce digital wall art, illustrating how AI can be a tool for artistic creation. The concept of AI art is central to the video, as the narrator is selling AI-generated pieces.

💡Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods. The video focuses on the creator’s experience selling AI-generated digital art on Etsy. The narrator initially struggled with shop suspension but eventually launched their business, using the platform to offer digital wall art.

💡MidJourney

MidJourney is an AI platform that generates images from text prompts. The narrator uses it to create digital art, paying $10 a month for commercial rights. This tool is key to their business, allowing them to produce art without traditional manual creation methods.

💡Digital Art

Digital Art refers to artwork created and sold in digital formats. In the video, the narrator sells AI-generated digital files, which buyers can download and print. The ease of distribution for digital art is contrasted with the challenge of pricing it low due to its non-physical nature.

💡Printable Wall Art

Printable Wall Art refers to digital artwork that buyers can print themselves. In the video, the narrator explains how this format reduces logistical concerns, such as shipping and printing, while allowing them to focus on creating and selling the art in digital form.

💡Mockups

Mockups are digital representations of products, often used to showcase artwork in realistic settings. In the video, the creator discusses the time-consuming process of creating mockups to display the AI-generated art and how they eventually automated this task using tools like mockcity.com.

💡Topaz AI

Topaz AI is an image enhancement tool used to upscale low-resolution images. The narrator mentions using it to improve the quality of their AI-generated art for printing. This tool is significant because it ensures the art meets the required standards for high-quality prints.

💡Abstract Art

Abstract Art is a non-representational art style that the narrator expanded into after initial products didn’t sell well. This category helped attract more buyers and provided a broader range of offerings in the Etsy shop.

💡Print-on-Demand

Print-on-Demand is a business model where physical products are printed and shipped only after a customer places an order. The narrator plans to transition from digital art sales to a print-on-demand model, believing this will increase sales by offering physical prints.

💡Etsy Ads

Etsy Ads are a paid advertising tool on the Etsy platform, allowing sellers to promote their products. The narrator began running Etsy ads at $1 a day, which led to a few sales after a period of slow business, showcasing the impact of ads on visibility and sales.

Highlights

The creator opened an Etsy shop to sell AI-generated art in digital format.

The AI art is generated using Midjourney, with a subscription fee of $10 per month for commercial rights.

Etsy suspended the shop immediately after it was created, but it was reactivated three weeks later.

Initially, the creator focused on selling pop art posters, but they didn’t sell as expected.

After expanding offerings to include abstract, contemporary art, and oil paintings, the first sale came in for $3.

The creator faced losses after spending $18 on abstract shapes from Creative Market, but persisted in uploading new listings.

Manually resizing and upscaling AI-generated art for listings was time-consuming, so the creator sought out tools to streamline the process.

Using Topaz AI for upscaling and Mock City for automating mock-up placement significantly sped up the workflow.

To ensure printable wall art in five aspect ratios, the creator used Photoshop but later switched to XnConvert for bulk resizing.

With new tools, the creator was able to upload 75 listings in just a few days.

Despite visits to the shop, no sales came in, prompting the creator to run $1/day Etsy ads.

After 30 days, the total revenue was $27, resulting in a $15 net loss after fees.

The creator realized that selling digital art alone limits the audience and plans to switch to print-on-demand.

Consistency in uploading new listings is key to maintaining momentum in the business.

The creator remains determined to make the shop profitable by the end of the year, aiming for it to be a stable source of income.