The Power of Making Something Ugly

The Power of Making Something Ugly

Last week I painted something truly hideous. Wonky proportions, clashing colours, a general sense of “what is this?”—it just wasn’t working. And yet, I loved making it. Because sometimes, creating something ugly is exactly what we need.

My studio’s full of these pieces. Unfinished, awkward, destined to be reworked or painted over. But they still tell a story. They’re part of me. And they mattered in the moment.

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Why Creating the Ugly Matters

• Ugly is honest. It’s the splatter-truth of how we feel when words don’t quite land.

• It’s freedom, no pressure, no perfection, no Pinterest boards.

• It’s rebellion against the idea that healing must look pretty.

•And here’s the twist: it’s also where technique grows.

When I let go of trying to make something “good,” I experiment more. I layer, I scrape, I play. I learn.

Some of my favourite pieces started as disasters. Something beautiful often follows because I gave myself permission to begin.

• Almost all my finished paintings went through an ‘ugly stage’. That awkward, messy middle where nothing feels right. But I’ve learned not to be defeated by it.

If I keep going-adding, adjusting, trusting the process, eventually it clicks. Eventually, it feels like mine.

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What It’s Taught Me

• That I’m allowed to be messy.

• That joy can come from chaos.

• That sometimes, the ugliest pieces hold the deepest truths.

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A Little Invitation

If you’re feeling stuck, sad, or just a bit meh, then I invite you to make something ugly. A scribble. A collage. A finger painting that smears more emotion than technique. Then look at it with love. Because it’s yours. And it’s real.

Thanks for reading. I hope you find joy in the mess, and maybe even a little magic in the ugly. ☺️

Emma

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