Why I ditched my “proper” shop for RedBubble (and why I’m not mad about it)

This post contains affiliate links, marked with an asterisk*. That means if you click and buy something, I might make a teensy commission. Will I use that money to buy a yacht? Probably not. More likely it’ll go toward my coffee addiction and keeping this blog running so I can keep serving you the good stuff. I only recommend things I genuinely love and use or that I think will make your life easier/better/more fabulous. Because recommending crap would be weird and gross, and we don’t do weird and gross here.

So I need to tell you about a little business pivot I made, because apparently I’m one of those people who thinks you care about my every entrepreneurial move. (Spoiler: you do a little, because you’re here reading this.)

I used to run my shop through Printful*, and let me just say – their products are chef’s kiss. Like, genuinely gorgeous quality. The kind of stuff that makes people go “Wait, you made this?” in that tone that’s equal parts impressed and slightly suspicious.

The white label printing was a dream too. No minimums! No garage full of inventory that my family definitely didn’t sign up for! Just beautiful products appearing magically when people ordered them, like some kind of capitalism fairy tale.

But then reality called (and she was not polite).

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about running your own shop: it’s like adopting a very needy digital pet that never sleeps and always has needs.

Customer service emails at midnight about tracking numbers. Order management spreadsheets that multiplied like rabbits. Processing returns for that one person who definitely ordered the wrong size but insists it’s my fault.

And don’t even get me started on the “Where is my order?” messages when USPS decides to take a scenic route through three states that aren’t even on the way to their house. I’m an artist, darling. I want to make pretty things, not become a customer service wizard who can recite shipping policies in my sleep.

Enter RedBubble: the lazy entrepreneur’s best friend.

So I made the switch to RedBubble, and honestly? It’s like the difference between cooking a five-course meal and ordering really good take out.

Are the products exactly the same quality as Printful? Look, I’m not going to lie to your gorgeous face – not exactly. But they’re still very good quality! And more importantly, they handle literally everything that was making me want to fake my own death and move to a small island.

Customer service? RedBubble’s got it. Order fulfilment? RedBubble’s on it. Shipping drama? Not my circus, not my monkeys.

I upload my designs, set my markup, and then I can go back to doing what I actually love – creating art instead of becoming an accidental small business operations manager.

The result? I’m actually happier.

Yes, it was a downgrade to use the RedBubble store front rather than something I built myself. And yes, the mock ups can be a little so-so. But I’m making art again instead of just managing a business that happens to sell art.

My stress levels dropped from “caffeinated hummingbird” to “person who remembers to drink water”. I’m sleeping better. I’m creating more. And ironically, I’m probably making more money per hour of actual work because I’m not spending three hours a day answering “Is this shirt true to size?” emails.

(The answer was always “check the size chart,” by the way. It was always check the size chart.)

Look, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with running your own shop if that’s your jam. Some people love the control, the customer relationships, the whole shebang. Those people are heroes and I salute them.

But if you’re an artist who got into this to make art – not to become a shipping logistics expert – there’s zero shame in choosing the path that lets you actually do the thing you love.

Your art doesn’t become less valid because someone else handles the business-y bits. Your creativity doesn’t shrink because you chose convenience over complete control.

Sometimes the smartest business decision is knowing what you don’t want to spend your time on. And I still enjoy making my own mock ups and doing my own product photography, but being able to just link to that product or design on RedBubble and not have to think about it after is gold.

So here we are.

My RedBubble shop is humming along beautifully. People are buying my designs. I’m creating new work instead of drowning in order management. And I can honestly recommend products without having to add “assuming USPS doesn’t decide to take a detour through Narnia” to every conversation.

It’s not the most traditional entrepreneur story, but it’s mine. And honestly? I’m pretty happy with this plot twist.

And I still use Printful* for small batches and personal orders, so it all works out just fine. I happily recommend you check out both services and see which one fits into your art business journey better.