The Power of Ugly Art
What if I told you that making ugly art is one of the most important parts of your creative practice?
It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it, especially since we’re always striving to make something beautiful and meaningful.
But here’s the truth: if you only focus on making “good” art, you’ll limit yourself. You’ll hold yourself back from experimentation, growth, and the possibility of discovering something truly special.
Below, you’ll find a video where I talk about ugly art, why it’s essential, how it helps you grow, and why embracing it could be the breakthrough your creative practice needs. You’ll also find these ideas expanded on and tailored for artivists in the text below.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Why is Ugly Art so Powerful?
First, I want to mention that ugly art doesn’t necessarily mean aesthetically unappealing. It can also include the arts that are not visual.
Second, I see ugly art as a part of the creative practice because all of us definitely make art that’s bad and that we’re not particularly proud of. Just remember that it doesn’t have to be something you share with others, unless you want to.
Now, in short, making ugly art is powerful because:
Quality comes from quantity
It allows you to experiment more, which leads to growth
It can also lead to something unexpected and exciting
Let’s go through these one by one.
Quality Comes From Quantity
One of the biggest myths about great artists is that they only make great work.
The truth is that the best artists (both the new and old masters we admire) have created a great deal of bad art. I’m pretty sure some of the old masters have made more bad art than you or I will ever make in our lives.
Think about it. Every master painter has a huge body of work (even those who are not Picasso). Then imagine how many bad paintings they’ve painted to get to that body of work that’s publicly known as some of the greatest works of art through history.
We all know their highlight reel (most of the time because that’s the only work that’s survived history), but imagine what it’s taken for the artists to get to that point.
The reason they got better in the first place was that they kept making art. They allowed themselves to make mistakes, to experiment, to create ugly things along the way. That’s how you learn and grow.
The more you create, the more you refine your artistic skills and instincts. Over time, your definition of “quality” sharpens. But even then, you’ll still make things you don’t like. And that’s okay, because quantity leads to quality. The only way to create something truly great is to allow yourself to create things that aren’t.
Ugly Art Allows You to Experiment More
One of the biggest killers of creativity is perfectionism. At the same time, it’s easy to fall into the desire to make it perfect when you care so much about your work and want it to mean something and make an impact (however big you want that impact to be). Artivism is important, especially nowadays when the world is dark and heavy, but perfectionism isn’t the answer.
One effect of perfectionism is that it can hold us back from even creating something in the first place, which is definitely not the effect we want as artists and creatives.
Another effect of perfectionism is that, when we put pressure on ourselves to make something good every time, we play it safe in a way because we stick to what we know works.
But real growth happens when you experiment, when you push your boundaries and step outside your comfort zone.
When you embrace ugly art, you give yourself permission to try things you might not otherwise try, perhaps:
New color stories
Different subject matters
Weird textures
Unfamiliar genres
Strange compositions
Etc.
It takes the pressure off and, suddenly, art becomes play again, which is where real breakthroughs happen.
The more you experiment, the more you discover new techniques, new ideas, and new ways of expressing yourself. Ironically, that’s what leads to making better art in the long run. And it all started when you gave yourself permission to make ugly art.
Ugly Art Can Lead You to Something Unexpected & Exciting
Some of the most exciting art comes from what Bob Ross would call “happy accidents”. These were things that weren’t planned or that weren’t controlled. They just happened.
If you only ever try to make “good” art, you miss out on these surprises because you’re being too controlling. The creative flow doesn’t like control; it loves freedom. The freedom to come and go, the freedom to express whatever it wants, the freedom to come up with new and interesting ideas, the freedom to go down and explore rabbit holes, etc.
When you let go of control and allow the flow to take over and create what it wants to create, no matter how strange it seems or ugly it is, it can take you to unexpected places:
Maybe you try a brushstroke that feels completely wrong, but suddenly, it sparks a new idea
Maybe you mix colors that “shouldn’t” work together, but somehow, they do
Maybe you make something you don’t like, but later you realize it has a certain energy, vibe, or emotion you want to explore further or is more aligned with your message
The point is, ugly art isn’t a wasted effort. It’s part of the process. Sometimes, it even becomes the foundation of something fascinating or truly incredible.
Using the Power of Ugly Art Regularly
As artists who want to make art for activism and social change (AKA, artivism), there’s often a pressure (mostly from ourselves) to create something meaningful and impactful. This pressure can often lead us to be too perfectionist and too controlling of the outcome, the impact, the way it looks, the way you want it to be perceived, etc.
If this is the kind of perfectionism you struggle with, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
One way I’ve found to deal with perfectionism is to practice self-forgiveness, especially when the results are not up to the standard you aim for or expect of yourself.
Having a regular practice of just letting go, experimenting, and not worrying about the quality or the result of what you’re making is a great way to get out of the perfectionism and the controlling tendencies.
You can make it a daily or weekly habit to experiment with something just to see what happens. It doesn’t have to take long, either. Even if you only have 10 minutes to spare, you can do something small just for the sake of doing something.
What if you:
Explored a different subject matter you’re curious about to see if you want to go down that path
Experimented with your creative skillset to see what new techniques you might discover
Explored a different creative discipline or media just to see how you can express your creative ideas in a different way
And what if you did that without controlling the outcome and worrying about the quality of it? What if you just had fun with it?
The key is to see it as a moment for experimentation and then to learn something from it. Even if you end up absolutely disliking it, you now know what not to do next time.
Final Words
Ugly art is not a failure or a waste of time. It’s the foundation of many creative breakthroughs. So the next time you feel stuck, the next time you’re afraid to make something that isn’t perfect, just make ugly art.
Let it be messy. Let it be weird. Let it be something you don’t even like. Because that’s how you grow, evolve and, eventually, make something you’ll love.
Join the MDC email list to get news, peeks behind the scenes, and other things I only share in email right into your inbox.
