How Much Money Did I make- Selling AI ART on RedBubble?
TLDRIn this video, the creator Mel recounts her six-week challenge of selling AI-generated art on Redbubble. Initially skeptical about the potential earnings from such endeavors, she found herself making more than expected. Throughout the process, she explored various AI tools, learned valuable lessons about her working style and the importance of marketing. Despite the tedium of creating AI art, she discovered her niches, including animal puns, Van Gogh-inspired designs, and tie-dye patterns. Mel emphasizes the unsustainable nature of AI art for mass sales without proper marketing and the importance of finding joy in one's work for long-term success. She concludes by sharing her plans to continue using AI for inspiration, her commitment to blogging, and the potential direction of her Redbubble store, aligning with her newfound insights.
Takeaways
- 🎨 The creator, Mel, embarked on a six-week challenge to sell AI-generated art on Redbubble, aiming to understand the viability of making significant income from it.
- 🤔 Mel was skeptical about the claims of earning thousands of dollars per month from AI art, recognizing the need for substantial sales volumes and effective marketing.
- 🔧 Over the course of the challenge, Mel used various AI tools and techniques to create and upload 20 designs each week, also utilizing Pinterest for promotion.
- 📈 Despite initial doubts, Mel earned more than expected, though not reaching the often touted figures of rapid wealth from AI art sales.
- 📚 Mel found the process of creating AI art tedious and not as fulfilling as traditional creative processes, missing the personal connection to the work.
- 🚀 A significant outcome of the challenge was the learning experience, which Mel values more than the monetary gains, including insights into personal work preferences and marketing strategies.
- 🌐 Mel highlighted the importance of SEO and blogging for sustainable online business success, rather than relying solely on AI-generated content platforms.
- 💡 The challenge revealed certain design styles and niches that resonated with Mel, providing clarity on potential future business directions.
- 🔗 Mel emphasized the value of keeping all created files and considering multiple platforms for sales and promotion, not just limiting to one marketplace like Redbubble.
- 📉 Mel experienced the downsides of platform dependency, noting the risks of being banned or facing changing policies on a single platform.
- ✨ The experiment concluded with Mel feeling accomplished and eager to apply the lessons learned to future projects, with a renewed focus on blogging and chosen niches.
Q & A
What was Mel's initial challenge on July 3rd?
-Mel's initial challenge was to sell AI art on Redbubble for six weeks, using different AI tools and techniques each week, and to share the results and lessons learned from the process.
How many designs did Mel plan to upload each week during the challenge?
-Mel planned to upload 20 designs each week during the challenge.
What was Mel's strategy for promoting the designs on Redbubble?
-Mel's strategy for promoting the designs included creating and posting five Pinterest pins for each design using different AI tools and techniques.
What was the total amount of money Mel made from selling AI art on Redbubble after six weeks?
-Mel made a total of nine dollars from selling AI art on Redbubble after six weeks.
What did Mel learn about herself and her work preferences throughout the challenge?
-Mel learned that she found making AI art as is very boring and that she missed blogging. She realized that she prefers to focus on style and niche markets and that she values the process of creating and the connection to her work.
What was the most valuable outcome for Mel besides the monetary gain from the challenge?
-The most valuable outcome for Mel was the growth of her Pinterest account to 32,000 monthly views, which she sees as a significant asset for future marketing efforts.
What changes did Mel make to her original plan for week four of the challenge?
-Originally, Mel planned to create collages using creative Fabrica spark PNG, but due to time constraints, she changed it to using Lexica AI and vectorizing it using KIRO.
What did Mel discover about her preferred design styles during the challenge?
-Mel discovered that she is particularly inspired by and enjoys creating designs related to animal puns, Van Gogh's Starry Night, and tie-dye patterns.
What was Mel's opinion on the sustainability of making and selling AI art as a business model?
-Mel found the system of making and selling AI art as a business model to be unsustainable and uninteresting. She believes that focusing on quality designs and effective marketing is more important for long-term success.
How did Mel's experience with the challenge influence her future plans for her online business?
-Mel's experience led her to decide to start a general gift blog and to focus on SEO keywords for Google and Pinterest. She also plans to continue using AI art for inspiration and as a base layer for her designs in Procreate.
What advice does Mel give to others who are considering selling AI art on platforms like Redbubble?
-Mel advises that if something is not your passion, it's likely to become monotonous and unsustainable. She also emphasizes the importance of marketing and having a clear business structure, rather than relying solely on AI art creation.
Outlines
🎨 AI Art on Redbubble: The Six-Week Challenge
Mel, a creative online art seller, recounts her six-week challenge of selling AI-generated art on Redbubble. Despite the skepticism towards earning a substantial income from such an endeavor, she managed to earn more than expected. The process involved using various AI tools, structuring her workflow to mimic a typical person's approach, and reflecting on the results. Mel also purchased items from her own store and from others, providing insight into the entire experience.
🤔 The Reality of Earning from AI Art on Redbubble
Mel discusses the impracticality of earning a significant income from AI art on Redbubble, emphasizing the misconceptions spread by some YouTubers. She clarifies that success on the platform typically involves having a large social media following or selling copyright-infringing items. Mel shares her experience with different AI tools and the reality of earning from such sales, including her own purchases and the variety of products she acquired.
🛍️ Personal Purchases and Product Reviews
Mel shares her personal experience with purchasing products featuring AI art from her own Redbubble store and from other artists. She provides a detailed review of the items she received, including shirts, stickers, and other merchandise, and discusses the quality and appeal of the products. She also comments on changes in product sizes and materials, noting differences from previous experiences.
📈 Earnings and Lessons from the AI Art Challenge
Mel reveals her earnings from the six-week AI art challenge, which, although modest, exceeded her expectations. She emphasizes that the real value lies in the knowledge and self-discovery gained throughout the process. Mel also discusses the importance of marketing, particularly through Pinterest, and how it contributed to her online presence. She invites viewers to guess her earnings and reflects on the sustainability of AI art sales.
📈 Blogging and Business Insights from the Challenge
Mel outlines the lessons she learned from the challenge, particularly regarding blogging and online business strategies. She expresses her preference for blogging over AI art creation and discusses the importance of sustainable business practices. Mel also shares her findings from analyzing the performance of her Pinterest pins, which informed her marketing strategies and preferences for certain design styles.
🖼️ AI Art Creations and Personal Enjoyment
Mel shares her personal enjoyment in creating AI art, especially when combined with other tools like Procreate. She discusses her love for certain AI tools and effects, such as Lexica and Kittle's Color Splash, and how they have influenced her creative process. Mel also reflects on the importance of finding a niche that aligns with personal interests to maintain motivation and avoid exhaustion.
🌐 The Future of Online Business and AI Art
Mel concludes the video with her thoughts on the future of her online business and her relationship with AI art. She plans to continue using AI as a creative tool for inspiration and in her designs on platforms like Zazzle and Redbubble. Mel also discusses her commitment to completing the challenge and the sense of accomplishment she feels. She encourages viewers to keep all their creative files and to learn from their experiences, regardless of the outcome.
📹 Filming Challenges and Art Parodies
Mel addresses the filming challenges she faced due to disturbances from a neighbor and her decision to film early in the morning to avoid them. She ends the video by showcasing her favorite item from the challenge and discussing the concept of creating art parodies using AI. Mel also provides a tutorial on working with public domain art and AI, encouraging viewers to explore their creativity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AI Art
💡Redbubble
💡Mid-Journey
💡SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
💡Blogging
💡Print on Demand
💡Kittle
💡NightCafe
💡Creative Fabrica
💡Tie-Dye Designs
Highlights
The challenge of selling AI art on Redbubble for six weeks resulted in more earnings than expected, providing valuable insights into the process.
Despite the common belief that AI art can lead to significant monthly earnings, the reality is that it requires a substantial volume of sales to achieve high income levels.
The experiment involved using various AI tools and techniques to create and sell art, simulating the workflow of a typical individual new to AI art.
The speaker purchased from their own store and from other sellers to understand the experience and the impact on the platform's algorithm.
A total of 116 designs were uploaded to Redbubble, with each design receiving five promotional pins on Pinterest.
The use of different AI tools like Kittle, Fabrica Spark, NightCafe, and Lexica was explored to create diverse designs.
The challenge revealed that creating AI art as-is was less engaging compared to the process of vectorizing and customizing the art.
The importance of marketing and SEO in selling art online was emphasized, with a focus on Pinterest as a promotional tool.
The experiment led to a significant increase in monthly views on a Pinterest account, offering a valuable marketing channel.
The process highlighted the unsustainable nature of creating and uploading large volumes of AI art without a focused marketing strategy.
The speaker discovered a preference for certain design styles that were both engaging and inspiring, indicating a potential niche.
The challenge demonstrated that a weekly task structure was more manageable and motivating than a daily task structure.
Microsoft Designer was used for creating pins, but manual creation with Kittle yielded better results in terms of engagement.
The experience of selling on Redbubble was revisited, with a realization that the platform's uploader had been missed for its flexibility and features.
The conclusion emphasized the importance of passion and long-term commitment in any online business venture, rather than seeking quick gains.
The speaker plans to continue using AI art for inspiration and in combination with other tools like Procreate, exploring various creative applications.
The decision was made to maintain the Redbubble store and to focus on blogging as a primary promotional method, targeting general gift ideas.
The challenge, although exhausting, provided a deeper understanding of personal preferences and work styles, shaping future business strategies.