Midjourney V7, AI Action Figures, and the True Cost of Creativity

Hello Friend,

Welcome back to the Generative Path, your weekly dose of AI powered creativity curated by ZenRobot to demystify the latest tools, trends, and techniques shaping the future.

This week: Midjourney V7 drops with a fast new Draft Mode, we spotlight AI artist Fabio Matos Cruz, and break down the real monthly costs of creative AI tools. Plus, tune into our new Flow State playlist for calm focus, explore the rise of AI-generated action figures, and test your eye in our AI vs. Reality image challenge. Let’s get into it!

Feature of the Week: Midjourney V7

This week, we’re spotlighting Midjourney V7, the latest evolution of the widely loved image-generation tool, now more powerful and intuitive than ever. V7 introduces a dramatic leap in realism, rendering images with sharper detail, richer textures, and improved coherence across subjects, environments, and anatomy. It’s particularly impressive when working with complex prompts, offering more nuanced interpretations and faster iteration times.

Whether you’re crafting cinematic storyboards, high-end product visuals, or bold branding assets, Midjourney V7 helps you push creative boundaries with ease. If you’ve used earlier versions, this one’s a major upgrade, and if you’re new to AI visuals, V7 is the perfect place to start exploring.

Creative Hack: Midjourney V7 Draft Mode

Draft Mode in MidJourney V7 is built for speed. It gives you rapid, low-res previews, perfect for sketching visual ideas without waiting on full renders.
Here are three simple ways to use it:

• Add --draft to your prompt

• Click the “Draft” toggle before generating

• Use the mic icon to speak your prompt directly

It's a fast, intuitive way to explore ideas. Once you see a draft you like, click on the image to open it. From there, hit “upscale” in the sidebar to render it in full detail.

Pro tip: Combine --draft with --chaos 50 to explore more unexpected directions before committing to a final design.

Community Spotlight: Fabio Matos Cruz

Fabio Matos Cruz is pushing the boundaries of realism in AI art. His images look like authentic street photography and portraits, capturing candid, human moments that feel deeply familiar. But here’s the twist: none of them are real. Using AI, Fabio constructs scenes that never happened, yet carry the emotional weight and visual detail of documentary photography. This uncanny realism is what sets his work apart.

As the founder of Nimble Lab, Fabio is also helping others harness this technology. Through practical tools, clear insights, and hands-on training, Nimble Lab supports creatives and businesses in using AI to produce high-quality visuals with ease. Fabio’s work proves that AI can be both technically powerful and emotionally resonant, making him a standout voice in the evolving world of visual storytelling.

The Real Cost of Creative AI: Ross Symons’ Monthly Subscription Stack

Let’s be real, creating high-quality content with AI isn’t free. A solid creative stack can run you around $160 to $180 a month. That monthly spend covers:

• ChatGPT – $20

• MidJourney – $30

• Kling AI – $20

• Adobe Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, etc.) – $60

• Pika, Ideogram, Krea – occasional credits, around $10 to $20 when needed

It’s not cheap, but it’s not outrageous either. Roughly the cost of a phone bill or a few coffees a week. And the return? Speed, creative flow, and the ability to turn powerful ideas into high-quality, scroll-stopping content. These tools are your brushes. Learning to use them is the skill. And over time, they pay for themselves in growth and opportunity. If you’re serious about creating consistently, there’s a price of entry.

Flow State Weekly: Your Soundtrack to Deep Work

Introducing Flow State, a new addition designed to help you find your rhythm and creativity. Every week, we’ll share a curated playlist of mostly Lofi, chillhop, and ambient beats, the kind of sounds that melt into the background and elevate your focus without distraction. Whether you’re powering through a big project or easing into your Monday, Flow State is your sonic companion for smooth, sustained productivity. Plug in, press play, and let the vibes on Spotify do the rest.

AI Trend: Action Figures

The internet’s latest AI obsession? Custom-packaged action figures generated with ChatGPT (pro version only, unfortunately). From superheroes to mini plastic versions of themselves, people are packaging their personalities and turning all kinds of characters into shelf-ready collectibles. We took the trend in a different direction: meet Netflix the Action Figure. Equal parts nostalgic and absurd, this buffed-up “N” is our nod to pop culture’s reigning binge king. It’s a playful remix of branding, AI, and toy shelf aesthetics, and proof that with the right prompt, anything can be an action hero.

AI vs. Reality: Can You Tell the Difference?

Last week, we launched our AI vs. Reality challenge, and if you guessed that the left poster was generated by AI, you nailed it. The design was created using REVE, showcasing the program’s impressive ability to handle typography with striking precision. The two side-by-side visuals highlight just how blurred the line between AI-generated art and human creativity has become.

This week, we’re back with a fresh set of images to challenge your eye once more. Can you spot the AI-generated one from the real thing? Take a look below and make your guess. We’ll reveal the answer in our next issue!

Join the Conversation! AI is constantly evolving, unlocking new creative possibilities every day. What caught your attention this week? Hit reply and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

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Stay curious,
David and Ross

Don’t miss out! Stay tuned to receive exclusive details and updates on our highly anticipated Masterclass, launching this June.