We don’t often admit it to ourselves, but we have this deep subconscious belief that good artists only ever make good art. This pressure to try and produce art that is consistently good can cripple your creative joy.
But what if you are someone who does make good art consistently? What if you have been a practicing artist for some time now and your skills and technical ability are well harnessed? What if you know how to structure a good composition and have mastered the balance of aesthetic and concept? What if you are admired among your peers, take part in regular group exhibitions, and inspire up-and-coming artists? What if all this is true, and yet, you are still not entirely happy with your creative practice?
I want to argue that you are not finding your soul singing because you are making good art, and you need to make bad art.
Breaking Free from Perfection
When you consistently produce good art, there’s a tendency to fall into a pattern of self-censorship, or even worse, a copy-paste trusted and proven methodology of making art (an art ‘recipe’). You become wary of making mistakes so you don’t stray from what you know works, and this fear can stifle your creativity. By allowing yourself to make bad art, you break free from the constraints of perfectionism. Bad art is liberating—it’s an exploration without the fear of judgment. It’s a process of discovery, where failure is not just accepted but celebrated.
Reconnecting with Playfulness
When we start to consistently make ‘good’ art, our creative practice can become formulaic, relying on precision and sticking to established techniques, which can sometimes drain the joy out of creating. Making bad art allows you to reconnect with the playful, experimental side of artistry. It’s about embracing the process rather than fixating on the outcome. This playfulness can reignite your passion and remind you why you started making art in the first place.
Innovation Through Mistakes
Many groundbreaking artistic movements have originated from what was initially considered bad or unconventional art. When you give yourself permission to create without the pressure of producing something “good,” you open the door to innovation. Mistakes can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and new perspectives. Bad art can be the breeding ground for originality and uniqueness in your work. If you’re feeling uninspired and stuck, looking for a new fresh idea, one of the quickest ways to find inspiration is by making bad art!
Personal Growth and Authenticity
Creating bad art also fosters personal growth. It teaches resilience and humility. It encourages you to take risks and step out of your comfort zone. More importantly, it pushes you to be authentic. When you are not bound by the need to impress, your art becomes a true reflection of your inner self. It is raw, honest, and deeply personal.
Inspiring Others
Interestingly, making bad art can also inspire others. It shows emerging artists that perfection is not the goal and that every artist, no matter how accomplished, has off days. Or, more importantly, you are showing others that serious artists know how to be playful. It humanizes the artistic process and makes the journey of creation more accessible and fun. By sharing your bad art, you contribute to a culture that values creativity and expression over flawless execution.
What is bad art?
This varies from person to person, but essentially, bad art is anything you create that you feel falls short of your own high standards. It's the art that doesn’t meet the rigorous expectations you’ve set for yourself. Surprisingly, making bad art requires a lot of discipline and can be quite a struggle. Our muscle memory and mental conditioning are so geared toward producing work we’re proud of that breaking free from this pattern is challenging.
Bad art can take many forms, including fan art, kitsch art, cartoony art, using clashing colors (or colors you typically avoid), creating with cheap and subpar materials, working on low-quality paper, or engaging in arts and crafts projects. The goal is to step out of your comfort zone and allow yourself to explore different, less refined avenues of creativity.
How to make bad art
If you want to add a practice of making bad art, here are some ideas I have for you to get you started.
Dedicate one of your artist dates a month to the sole purpose of making bad art
Draw with your non-dominant hand
Combine random, unrelated materials like glitter, pasta, duct tape, and fabric scraps to create a chaotic mixed-media piece.
Deliberately skew the proportions of your subjects, such as drawing a portrait with exaggerated features or a landscape with impossible perspectives.
Embrace kitsch by creating overly sentimental or excessively decorative art pieces with themes like unicorns, rainbows, or velvet paintings.
Give yourself only 5-10 minutes to complete an entire piece, focusing on speed over quality to encourage spontaneity and imperfection.
Create a drawing or painting without looking at your work or using a mirror to challenge your usual techniques.
Use a random word generator or ask someone to give you a subject that you wouldn't normally choose and make art based on that. (Try www.artybollocks.com)
Imitate children’s art
Conclusion
In a world that often equates value with perfection, making bad art is a radical act. It’s a reminder that the essence of art lies in expression, experimentation, and authenticity. So, embrace the imperfect, the messy, and the unconventional. Let go of the need to always create masterpieces. In doing so, you might just find the pure, unadulterated joy of creating again, and your soul will sing.
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