Artist & YouTube Channel Analysis by Punni

Hi, it’s Punni here!
In this post, I’m diving into a case study of an artist whose YouTube video hit 2 million views. Let’s explore whether chasing trends and viral views can truly help grow your brand and monetize it.

Let’s go!

Easy Success? It’s Marketing.

Successful creators often promote the idea that their achievements came effortlessly. But if you haven’t realized yet — this “ease” is a marketing trick designed to sell you something. Be careful, or you’ll end up losing time and money chasing illusions.

I’m currently learning to code. It might sound cliché, but I’m not doing it just for a $10,000/month salary — it’s deeper than that. For years, I felt like I was living someone else’s life. Now, I’ve discovered a love for tech, physics, and digital systems.
The catch? I’m terrible at math and not fluent in English. So imagine the struggle of learning it all, while still trying to find art clients and build a brand — for you, and with you.

Right now, I’m an artist working to grow a brand. I’m not even a full-time designer! I genuinely believe that drawing raster graphics by hand is harder than just combining geometric shapes and nudging users to click a button.
(Though yes, traditional drawing on paper is even harder.)

Art Has Changed: From Value to Free Content

After 8 years in the field, I’ve noticed a massive shift. Art used to matter as art. Now? It’s free content.
AI has flooded the internet with auto-generated images, making competition almost impossible — and even creating a new class of “AI artists.” (Apparently, writing prompts in Midjourney for $20/month now qualifies as being an artist. LOL.)

I personally use AI for references, ideas, and layout help. Let’s be real — most viewers don’t appreciate the effort it takes to draw everything from scratch. People are totally fine buying webtoons that use 3D stock backgrounds no one hand-drew!

Learning code is hard. I’m filled with fear and self-doubt, especially seeing teenagers already mastering it.
But what hurts more is watching the art niche fade away as a monetizable profession.

Sure, some people sell characters, get portrait commissions, or make $30,000/month from comics. But that’s not a system. A real system isn’t just posting art and buying $15 ads to get likes. It’s about brand value, marketing, and turning your digital presence into something real and profitable.

So what actually works? Either invest in ads — or hope your video blows up with 2,000,000 views. But does that kind of virality bring real monetization?

Case Study: YouTube Channel of Artist Miel

I randomly came across the artist Miel and watched her animated video. Let’s break down whether that virality truly helped her brand.

I don’t know her personally. All we need is YouTube data for marketing analysis.
When you want to grow, be ready to analyze others — artists, creators, even companies.

Miel started her YouTube channel five years ago with high-quality animations. She’s clearly a pro — probably working in animation or publishing. Or maybe she draws for herself and works in a totally different field. That’s common among artists.

She posted infrequently, only a few times a year, which made it hard for YouTube’s algorithm to support her.
Her first video got 150,000 views, but the next six videos struggled to replicate that — getting around 8,000–13,000 views.

For a small channel, those are still great numbers!

What’s important is that Miel grew to 194,000 subscribers — a fantastic result for just 24 videos!
She might’ve used paid promotion at times, which isn’t unusual.

Then came a 2-year break. And suddenly — boom!
She uploaded a new video, which hit 2.8 million views. Amazing, right?

Then came more uploads: 120,000 views, 89,000 views...
But then a steep drop — 6,000 views, 1,200 views — even though she started posting more frequently. That can crush motivation.

She kept uploading, but never matched that viral result again.
I imagine how painful and discouraging that must feel.

Miel has strong original characters that really resonated with viewers and the algorithm. But when she tried new directions, the response wasn’t the same.

The Takeaway: A Trendy Character Can Make Your Brand

A viral character can launch your brand.
Can you create one? Yes, Miel’s case proves it’s possible.

The secret: test hypotheses. Post variations of your character in different emotions, moods, or music themes. Watch what the audience connects with. That’s what YouTube and the algorithm reward.

Yes, paid ads help — but real success happens when people fall in love with your world and spread it naturally.
Share what resonates with your audience, not just what you personally love. Find the sweet spot where your passion meets their interest.

That’s what I’m trying to do with my project “Witch’s Pie”.

See you soon!