You Have Permission to Make “Bad” Art

(and Why It Matters So Much)

Have you ever sat down to create something – paint, draw, knit, sculpt, glue pieces of nature to paper – and felt a voice whisper “This isn’t good enough?”

You are NOT alone.

We live in a world that often measures creativity by likes, shares, and polished perfection. But real creativity? IT IS WILD. MESSY. BRAVE. And sometimes….it’s “bad.”

But here is the thing:

You are allowed to make bad art. In fact, you need to. Bad art makes you better.

The BAD ART is Where the Freedom Lives

When we let go of the pressure to make something good, we give ourselves room to breathe. To experiment. To try the weird idea and to feel joy without judgment.

Your creativity doesn’t have to be perfect but instead it needs to be valuable. Your crafts don’t need to be Etsy-ready. Your paintings don’t need gallery walls. Your collages don’t need to mean anything to anyone but YOU.

Striving for Perfection Kills Play

Play is essential to creativity-and perfectionism is its biggest enemy. Children take the lead in “play”, follow them.

Give yourself permission to:

• Splash colors on the canvas just because it feels good.
• Make something you’ll throw away tomorrow.
• Craft with glue stuck to your fingers and allow crooked lines.
• Start something knowing you’ll never finish it.

What if that counted as worthy too?

Every Single Artist Makes “Bad” Work

(Yes, even the Pros)

Behind every finished painting or project that I post, there is at least one that didn’t work. Some never see the light of day. Others teach me more than the “successful” ones ever could.

Growth lives in the mess. In the trying something new. In the “not quite there.” Give yourself the space to make the mistakes.

Here’s Your Permission Slip

Just in case you need it in writing:

You have permission to make art that is messy, weird, silly, lopsided, unpolished, emotional, incomplete, misunderstood-or absolutely terrible. – Creative Twenty8

Because all of it is part of your creative voice.

Honestly, some of the most powerful pieces come from the moments we stop trying to impress and start creating from what is in our heart.

Let Us Celebrate Imperfection Together

So….what “bad” art have you created lately? Do you love it? I would be so honored to hear about it! If you need a cheerleader, I am right here, rooting for YOU. Your wildly imperfect, beautiful chaos, and your amazing journey that got you there.