From Side Hustle to Sold Out: Jennifer M. Walker on Finding Her Niche and Trusting Her Own Timeline

So the reason I'm like, I am reluctant is because I don't love AI as a person who loves AI.

physical books, which I know you do too.

You're a reader like I am and like physical books.

And I accidentally canceled my magazine subscription a couple of years or like it just ran out, but I like, like the physical, like physical magazines.

And I love the touch and feel of things.

I love supporting people who are working with their hands and creating, um, just creating one of a kind things.

And I just feel like AI often feels very, I mean, inauthentic.

It's not being created by a human, you know, like that I can talk to and see and support.

But, so I don't love it and really shy away from it and probably will continue to do so.

But I started using ChatGPT to place my work in situations so that people could see it on my Instagram account.

And it, I mean, I feel like it changed so much for me.

So it's like, I don't even want to say that because then I, I don't want that to be kind of like the, the only takeaway from what I've learned, but it has, that really has been a, a turning point and a pivotal point for me.

That was in the spring.

And I think about Everything from becoming a full-time artist with the Scouting Studio and everything after has been like stuff I didn't even think I would be doing at all, much less, you know, at this point in my career.

yeah well i definitely want to talk about the stepping stones besides just that one thing like you said but i also think the ai conversation is really interesting because i'm with you i'm such a tactile person like i love a real like i even i have a kindle but like i still buy real books like if it's pretty and i want the cover like i'll buy the real thing if it's like a business book i'll just have it on my kindle

um

but like i have magazine subscriptions like i love all of that so i think there's this weird when to lean into AI, when not to, but a piece of advice I've always given to artists is like, you have to connect the dots for your clients.

And so sometimes your buyers aren't creatives, they're artists, they're interior designers.

They can't imagine what your, let's say colorful abstract is going to look like in their traditional home.

And if you can bridge that gap with photos, that's amazing.

And now AI, you know, before this, you had to find a designer, you had to find a beautiful home.

And like, I know I can only take so many pictures in so many ways in my house.

And so I think it's actually a really interesting conversation because I think it's a great tool while you're building up that portfolio of real photos as well.

So it's really interesting because I see obviously some of the issues with AI, but I also think I'm seeing more and more people lean into it in ways that can be really beneficial.

And sometimes you got to do what you got to do, you know?