As a software engineer working 9-to-5, I wanted a passive creative outlet that didn't require me to code another dashboard over the weekend.

Three months ago, I set up a regional travel guide account (hidden gem cafes & hiking routes in the Pacific Northwest). The catch: I don’t have time to travel and photograph every single spot every weekend.

Here is the exact stack I’ve been running:

Research & Scripting (Free): Perplexity + ChatGPT to find local history, curated spots, and pull menu details from Google Maps reviews.

The Visual Host & Consistency ($20/mo): I needed an outdoor explorer persona who could appear in diverse scenic spots without looking like a random stock photo model each time. I set up a character in APOB AI. Why not Midjourney? MJ is unmatched for fantasy art, but trying to keep a backpacker looking identical in a foggy forest vs inside a cozy cafe was driving me insane.…