Should You Start an Art YouTube Channel in 2025? My Journey + Tips
It’s already a few weeks into 2025, and if you’re an artist, you’re probably thinking about what you want to achieve creatively this year. Maybe you’ve got a plan, or maybe you haven’t started yet. And perhaps one of those goals is starting a YouTube channel.
If you’re wondering whether it’s still worth it in 2025 or if it’s too late, my answer is: it’s 100% worth it, and no, it’s not too late. But there are definitely some things to consider. A YouTube channel can be an incredible tool for creative growth—and if you want, it can even become something monetizable and sustainable. But it’s not without its challenges.
In this blog post, I’ll share how YouTube has played a role in my creative journey—how it’s helped me plan, grow, and achieve my goals. So, if you’re thinking about starting a channel this year, I’ll go over my experience as an artist on the platform, the lessons I’ve learned, and what to keep in mind moving forward. Hopefully, this helps you set your creative goals for the year ahead.
How YouTube Became a Creative Tool for Me
YouTube has become a bigger part of my life than I ever expected. I started my channel back in 2020 during the pandemic—technically before that, but I only started posting consistently that summer. At first, it was just a way to document creative experiments and track what I was learning. Now, it’s a core part of my creative work.
For those who don’t know me, my name is Kevin, and I’m a designer and creative. I’ve worked professionally in entertainment across various roles, but I’ve always considered myself a graphic designer first. That’s what originally got me into digital art when I was younger—but honestly, I love working with new creative mediums in general.
When I started this channel, I had just been laid off. I was working as an Imagineer with Walt Disney Imagineering in Research and Development, a department full of people doing cutting-edge work. It was an amazing role, and if you’re interested, I talk more about it in my ‘Lay Off’ video—I’ll link it below. The job was exciting, but it wasn’t hands-on with creating—it was more about planning, collaboration, and strategy. While I loved the mix of business and creativity, I missed actually making things.
Before that, I was livestreaming art on Twitch, running my own business, and freelancing with different entertainment companies. I was already building something I wanted, but when Imagineering offered me the role, I couldn’t pass it up. Since I was a kid, this was the dream job I had worked toward. But taking it meant putting everything else on hold.
The role at Imagineering was great, but it was also stressful. And while I enjoyed the challenge, I had to shut down my business due to the workload—and some legal issues. I had reached the career milestone I had always wanted, but I started having second thoughts. I realized I loved building something for myself, and shutting down my business felt like I was throwing that away.
The next year, I was up for a promotion—we were literally creating the role from scratch. But I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted it. I ended up accepting, but then the pandemic hit, and I got laid off.
It was an unfortunate way for things to end, but honestly, I don’t think I would’ve turned to YouTube if it hadn’t happened. And looking back, I see it as the push I needed to finally focus on what I really wanted to do.
Starting My YouTube Channel
By that point, I was pretty burnt out, and my main goal was to do something creative that excited me. When the idea of YouTube came up, it didn’t really make sense to me. I kept wondering what I was even going to do. I had creators I admired and watched regularly, but I wasn’t sure if I could find a format that worked for me. Thankfully, my sister Heather and brother-in-law Tom were already established on the platform, and they encouraged me to just put out whatever I wanted.
I decided to ignore my reservations and use YouTube as a documenting tool—a way to track my creative growth and progress. I started with videos of me practicing drawing because it was something I wanted to improve. Procreate was a big focus for me at the time since I’d just gotten an iPad.
At the same time, I started exploring 3D with Blender. I initially learned C4D, but there were far more resources for Blender, so I made the switch. I started doing process videos. Some were timelapses, and it was exciting to see my progress and push myself to improve with every new piece I created. I was just having fun with it.
YouTube became an accountability tool that helped me challenge myself to create work that improved with every video and take on projects I was excited about. In the early days, everything felt experimental, which made it even more exciting to explore new ideas.
How I Used YouTube to Push Myself Creatively
YouTube became my living portfolio—a way to visualize my creative journey. I started looking at my content as a viewer, thinking about what I would want to see and what would impress me. It also helped me set deadlines on projects, which made goal-setting more achievable.
Looking back, each year had a specific focus:
2020: Learning different creative mediums.
2021: Exploring Blender.
2022: Creating tutorials and refining my skills.
2023: Defining an art direction and creating stories like Little Maxwell.
2024: Diversifying my video content with 3D printing, AR, and addressing creative topics I was interested in.
It’s been fun to see this trajectory and know that I’ve made progress. And although making videos wasn’t always easy and took time, I loved being able to connect with people who shared my interests. YouTube became a representation of who I am as a creative.
Challenges of Running a YouTube Channel
Running a YouTube channel comes with its challenges. Initially, I treated it as a space to document my journey, but once I wanted to grow it and monetize it, things got more complicated. Engagement, metrics, and consistency became critical, and balancing that with creativity was tough.
I often found myself torn between “I should get this out” and “This is what I actually want to make.” It started to feel like I was working for the channel instead of creating for myself. That pressure, combined with other commitments like freelance work and developing a course, led to burnout. I realized I needed to clarify what I wanted my channel to be and find a balance between growth and creativity.
What My Goals Are for 2025
Do I still like using YouTube as an artist? Yes, absolutely. YouTube helps me stay accountable and track my creative growth while sharing that experience with others. This year, I want to continue using it this way but with a stronger focus on balance and intentionality.
Some key milestones I hit last year included:
Theo: My AR project, which became a fun experiment in vertical video and storytelling.
3D Printing: A surprising yet rewarding addition to my creative toolkit.
Launching My Online Store: A way to share my creations and merge content with product development.
For 2025, I want to:
Develop IPs like Little Maxwell, Theo, and a new project I haven’t shared yet.
Explore new creative tools and technologies, including Blender’s latest features and gaming engines like Unity or Godot.
Continue growing my online store and create behind-the-scenes content around product development.
On a personal note, I also want to dive back into books as a way to recharge and stay inspired. Right now, I’m reading The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and it’s already sparking new ideas.
Tips for Starting a YouTube Channel in 2025
If you’re thinking about starting a YouTube channel this year, here are some tips:
Set Your Expectations: Define whether you want your channel to be a creative outlet, a business, or a mix of both.
Stay True to Your Vision: Don’t get caught up in trends. Focus on what excites you.
Provide Value: Create content that you’d want to watch—something that resonates with your audience.
Be Consistent: Consistency builds trust and keeps you accountable.
Be Patient: Success takes time, so be patient with your growth.
Final Thoughts
Starting a YouTube channel as an artist in 2025 is worth it. It’s not too late, and the platform can be an amazing tool for growth and creativity. If you’re thinking about starting, know that your journey is your own—create something you’re proud of, and the rest will follow.
Let me know in the comments what you’re working on—I’d love to hear about it! Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one.