Brian started freelancing in 2011. At his peak, he earned $40-50K a year — decent before ChatGPT. Then everything changed.
"It didn't happen overnight. First one client said 'we tried AI, it works pretty well, let's pause.' Then a second. Then a third. Within 6-8 months, an agency that used to beg me to take jobs went to zero."
He tried every adaptation. His ironic lifeline: generating AI images to sell on Adobe Stock. Now he makes $2,500/month from AI images and only $1,000-1,200 from writing. "My writing work got crushed below a living wage. AI images are what keeps me alive."
He says: "I 'adapted and survived,' but I'm more vulnerable than before. If Adobe stops accepting AI work someday, I'm done."