YoruBeats spent nearly a decade working in the HVAC construction industry before moving to Japan to start a new chapter with his wife. Living in Fukuoka sparked a creative shift, as he began photographing urban corners and blending them with LoFi-inspired AI art, reflective captions, and music. What started as casual experiments evolved into a full creative pursuit, combining real-life imagery with dreamlike aesthetics.

Now fully immersed in building his artistic universe, YoruBeats uses AI tools to craft moody, atmospheric visuals that echo his fascination with urban landscapes and nighttime ambiance. While studying cybersecurity full time, he continues to develop his distinct style, drawing daily inspiration from the streets of Japan and his own evolving journey as a digital artist.

We asked YoruBeats about his art, creative process, and inspirations.

You mentioned you only started creating digital images seriously a couple of months ago — what motivated you to finally dive in and start?

I started YoruBeats by posting my own photos of urban corners in Fukuoka (where I live) on Instagram and TikTok. Then I had the idea to mix in some LoFi-style AI images with reflective poetic captions and music, a combo of real-life and dream moods. At some point, I realized I genuinely loved crafting the concepts and ideas behind each piece. That’s when it hit me: why not build a full channel focused entirely on AI art? It was something I’d always dreamed of, but never took seriously, just small experiments out of curiosity in private.

How has your move to Japan influenced your creative journey so far? Do you find new inspiration from your surroundings?

Absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, the inspiration behind starting YoruBeats (Yoru in Japanese means Night) came directly from my surroundings. Moving to Japan has been like stepping into a visual universe I admired for years. Even though I ended up deleting those original photos to keep a consistent AI art aesthetic on my channel, they were definitely the spark that started it all.

Since you're exploring different styles right now, is there a particular theme or approach you feel especially drawn to?

Definitely, I’m very drawn to experimenting with characters in different styles and concepts. Characters are the closest thing to us as humans, so seeing them transformed into unlikely shapes or settings feels powerful and exciting. I like trying a bit of everything to see what truly sparks my passion. Urban scenes and landscapes are also a topic I feel very connected to, and I’d love to explore them more seriously.

You’re balancing studying IT and pursuing digital art — how do these two worlds intersect for you?

That’s a great question! Right now I’m studying cybersecurity full time. Coming from a construction background, it’s been incredibly intense and demanding, a real mental and physical challenge. Creating digital art has become a form of support, almost like therapy. It helps me stay grounded during this difficult chapter of my life.

To be honest, I wish I could dedicate more time and tools to art, but I have a moral duty to focus on my studies and secure a job in the field I’ve been working hard on for months.

What has surprised you most about working with AI art?

How insanely powerful and versatile it is. It’s the kind of tech that humanity couldn’t have even imagined just a few years ago. It really embodies the phrase, “The only limit is your imagination”, and that deeply excites me.

I actually envy the new generations growing up with AI, they’ll be able to turn their ideas into reality so easily. When I was a kid (I was born in 1991), we could only draw or write about our dreams, and even those were pretty hard skills to master.

Sometimes I wonder, is AI art an insult to traditional artists? Maybe. It does remove the years of training needed to become a great painter or sculptor. But at the same time, it makes you appreciate and admire the old masters even more. Those artists created timeless masterpieces with nothing but their hands. Massive respect, they will always be eternal.

Are there any artists, games, or movies that have inspired your interest in concept art?

So many! But without a doubt, the one that had the biggest impact on me is World of Warcraft. Blizzard in general is just next-level when it comes to concept art, they build entire worlds with incredible detail and imagination. Working for a studio like that would honestly be a dream.

AI Generated Art by YoruBeats Digital Arts Blog

What has been the biggest challenge (or most exciting part) of switching careers into the creative field?

I don’t think I can say I work in the creative field just yet, right now I create only for myself and my new social pages. But if I had to pick a big challenge, it would be getting that perfect image. AI tools aren’t perfect, they make a lot of weird mistakes. So I fix the major issues manually using Procreate on my iPad. It takes time, but I love it.

Do you have any dream projects you’d love to work on one day?

I’ve always wanted to create my own fantasy IP, I hope one day I can really dive into that. Working for Blizzard and their projects has always been a huge dream too. But staying grounded, my main goal right now is to focus on digital art and grow as a creator. It’s incredibly rewarding, and I’d love to make it more than just a side passion.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I used to manage construction sites by day and play World of Warcraft by night in New Zealand. Now I study cybersecurity full time and create AI art in a tiny Japanese apartment during my breaks, still dreaming of landing a job and learning Japanese little by little. I think that’s funny enough!