We all want our art to be liked, that’s why we seek to create ‘good art’. But who actually decides if art is good or bad? I tell you: you decide. And you don’t only need to make good art. It is OK to make bad art, too. In fact, it is normal to make bad art, and making bad art is actually good for you. Why do I say so? Well, read on to find out… ʕᴖᴥᴖʔ
We all have bad art days, right? How many times have you happened to create a piece of art and then said to yourself, damn, this doesn’t look anything like I imaged. It’s looking so bad! Well, believe me, it already happened to me a number of times…
Or, do you know the feeling when you look back at your old work and think, oh, wow, I thought this was a masterpiece when I made it. But actually, this looks like really bad art.
Fact is most—if not all—of us have had such moments, and we continue to have them.
While we may tend to beat ourselves up about not creating anything great, it is OK to make bad art (too).
No matter where you look, bad art seems to be everywhere. In a previous post, I already spoke about why bad art gets more Likes.
But we don’t even need to talk about what makes art good or bad. Because regardless of whether you like it or not, bad art is always good.
Why? Because it is a sign of growth. It is a sign of practice. And it is a sign of creativity.
Even if you believe that no one likes your art, it always has a value. It might be a means of self-expression for the artist. It might help them tackle their problems, deal with stress, and take care of their physical and mental well-being.
Or, it might simply provide them with joy. Which alone is a good enough reason to make art.
Is it normal to make bad art?
Not even Picasso created a masterpiece every time he went to the studio.
So, if you will, it is somewhat normal to make bad art. Even though good and bad is obviously a matter of taste.
On the other hand, if you only expect to make ‘good’ art, throughout your entire artistic career, you put a whole lot of unnecessary pressure on yourself.
Too high expectations can be paralyzing because they make you second-guess yourself and increase your likelihood of falling into a creative rut. You might throw away work that wasn’t that bad or—in the worst—not create anything at all.
On that note, we can agree with Sol Lewitt that it is good to make bad art:
“Try to do some BAD work—the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell—you are not responsible for the world—you are only responsible for your work—so DO IT.”
Who decides if art is good or bad?
I could name a handful of people who decide if art is good or bad—from the art critic, to the art gallery owner, to the art magazine publicist, to the art collector…
But, at the end of the day, their decision whether art is good or bad is always their personal opinion. Someone else might have a different opinion. Obviously, everything boils down to your taste in art.
Sometimes, however, you yourself might be your worst critic, right? We all have that little voice in our head that constantly blabbers and keeps telling us that we are not good enough. This can result in us overthinking our art and judging our work harshly.
I understand that it can be hard to silence that voice. But if you want to make art happily and freely, you will have to work on building creative confidence. Because in order to keep creating the art you love, independently of what anybody else is thinking, you will have to become confident in what you are doing.
This is perhaps one of the most important things to do for an artist—as important as developing your creative skillset. Because with confidence, you cannot only make the art you love, you will also have the courage to make art that others consider ‘bad’ (or you yourself consider ‘bad’).
4 Reasons why it is OK to make bad art
1. It is OK to make bad art because it allows you to try new things.
Evidently, the main point of making art is to be creative. And creativity implies trying new things, experimenting, coming up with ideas that have never been there before. Actually, all art movements came into being through artists trying new things.
However, the downside of experimenting can be that things don’t turn out the way you want. The first time you try out a new technique, it is very likely that things might look ugly. But that’s a normal part of creativity.
You should never let slip-ups stop you from enjoying your creative process. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
As French painter and sculptor Henri Matisse said so aptly: “Creativity takes courage.” So, be courageous and create the art you feel like creating—even if that means making ‘bad art’!
2. It is OK to make bad art because it allows you to make progress.
I strongly believe that giving yourself permission to make bad art is absolutely essential in the learning process. Why?
Because by giving yourself permission to mess up, you acknowledge that you are on the road to improvement. Art is a skill, and like with any other skill, you can work on it and get better.
Believe me, when I got started with digital art, my creations didn’t look anything like I imagined. That can be an incredibly frustrating and disheartening experience. But on the other hand, if you know that you are on your way, it will be much easier for you to keep going and continue learning.
That’s why I say that persistence and patience are indispensable for the creative process, too. If you give up too soon—disappointed from all the ‘bad art’ you’ve been making—you’ll never know what you are capable of creating!
3. It is OK to make bad art because it allows you to create without pressure.
When you start with the intention to create the perfect artwork, I dare say that it will turn out everything but perfect. Apart from that, perfection doesn’t exist anyways. That means art doesn’t have to be perfect, either.
However, the point I want to make here is that starting with overly high expectancies might only be counter-productive. I know that lowering your expectations might be easier said than done; I’m a little art perfectionist myself.
But creating art becomes so much easier when you stop obsessing about the outcome!
The word ‘art’ is heavily loaded anyways: many people find the idea of making art as daunting as attempting to make good art. This is especially true for beginners and people who don’t consider themselves ‘artists’ in the first place. Such a belief system kills creativity in the bud. Which is really a pity, because everyone is an artist.
So, if you tell yourself that you don’t have to make a masterpiece every time you create something—or in other words, if you give yourself the permission to make bad art—things become way easier!
Stay positive with daily affirmations!
4. It is OK to make bad art because it allows you to find your unique voice.
Last but not least, you should give yourself permission to make mistakes and try new things because it allows you to develop your unique art style.
Every artist wants to make art that is immediately recognizable. However, if you constantly try to make art that pleases people, you will never find your unique voice.
I know that in this day and age of social media, it can be hard to resist the urge to create work that gets the most Likes. When we scroll down our Instagram feed, for example, it is practically impossible to not compare our art to other artworks we see.
We all desire approval for what we do, so it is just normal for us to want to be as popular as that other artist. Still, comparing your work to others is one of the things an artist should not do in order to be successful in the long run.
Why? Because just making art for the Likes is detrimental to your artistic development. You might get more praise in the short term, but you will never find your true self. Eventually, you might quit making art altogether, because you don’t find it fulfilling anymore.
Giving yourself permission to make the art you love—even if others say it’s bad—means that you no longer let other people (or algorithms) dictate what you do. You give yourself the freedom to experiment, mess up and mess around as you are building your skills and your very own style!
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I hope this post encouraged you to make art. To make the art you love, and to go ahead and create some really bad art, too!
I’d rather like you to make some art than none at all. I’d rather prefer you to be happy making art—even if it’s bad— than chasing Likes and false acclaim.
Let me know what you are thinking. Please leave comments and questions below or reach out to me on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
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Fabulous article with amazing insights. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Sarah, you are most welcome! Glad the article was helpful (: