“Because sometimes you have to do something bad to do something good.” ~Oscar Wilde
Friday the 13th is the perfect day to start being Bad, dontcha think?! Especially now that we have hopefully completely mastered the art of being IMPERFECT! Today is the day to take it a step further… This week our challenge is to be, not just imperfect but actually BAD. Bad to the Bone! (now you will all have that earworm in your head…so enjoy it if it helps you to be bad).
Many many years ago I was told very specifically to never say that I’m ‘bad’ at something unless I’m actually good at it! What?! Yes, that is what I was taught in the business world, the art of deception. A false bravado if you will. If I say I am bad at something that I then turn out to fabulous with, how awesome does that make me look?! As well, people begin to wonder how much better I must be at things I say that I am good at! Right? Wrong. So don’t do that anymore! okay?
What I have learned recently in life is also not to say that you are bad at something if it is something that generally everyone else is bad at as well. This is bad form, singling ourselves out this way is a bit of a double edged sword; we are impugning ourselves for not being good at something – that if we were honest, we knew we wouldn’t be good at it in the beginning. On the other side it’s a bit of a reverse vanity, a manner in which we can make excuses for ourselves. It’s as if we are saying that everyone else must be quite proficient at whatever it is – which we know is not true, so stop using that excuse as well! It doesn’t look good on you, or impress anyone.
Now that we have those first two things out of the way, let us begin to wrap our heads around the prospect of being BAD this week!!
Easier Said Than Drawn
Let us begin by saying that it seems that most often people – especially creative people – are afraid to be bad at something, or to be seen as being bad at something as it might be embarrassing. Well, sometimes it is embarrassing. But more often than not – especially in art –that is not so. As an example I would like to bring your attention to an orchestra out of Edinburgh…The RTO or The Really Terrible Orchestra! This is a wonderful group of musicians who have chosen to be BAD despite any outside expectations. They are unapologetic in their commitment to lowering standards, as they say.
Delivering the best performance possible is something all musicians strive for; yet the pressure to be perfect (or even just good) can often times spoil the enjoyment of simply playing music. The RTO would prefer to experience the enjoyment of playing music, and to do so properly, sometimes they had to play badly. Does this mean that they really are a terrible orchestra? No it simply means that the creation is the enjoyment, even if it doesn’t turn out to be perfect, and sometimes that is better than being the BEST at something! It is more comfortable, happier, thriving, and enjoyable. People are drawn to it for that very reason, because it isn’t perfect! The point is this…that if the Boston Philharmonic and the RTC both had parties on the same night, the RTC party would kick the BP party’s ass! Because the vibe or feeling of the RTC is free and open, exhilarating in its imperfection. They are looking to experience more than just being perfect; they are perfectly willing to be unabashedly BAD, and they don’t care who knows it!! That’s what we are going to do this coming week!
I make bad art. I make good art. I make art.
We have also learned on our journey this year, to not Judge Judy anyone, not even ourselves. So as we experiment this week, try to keep that in mind. Especially if we are young in our artistic process, or even beginning a new one. If we are new to it, we are probably making bad art. Keep making it! It’s ART!! And that is the important part of the process. I read an artical about a play not too long ago. I believe the actual play was written about being a playwright, and the conversation was between a ‘new’ young writer and a well-seasoned playwright – which is one of the reasons it fixed itself in my head (a play about making a play! Made me Laugh Out Loud!) and I totally related to the young writer… Anyway it went something like this:
- Young: “I feel like everything I write is crap.”
- Seasoned: “It probably is, you are too young to write a great play.”
- Young: “Well what am I supposed to do then?”
- Seasoned: “Keep writing of course!”
- Young: “But you just agreed that everything I write is crap”
- Seasoned: “Yes, but it is from the manure that the flowers will grow their most beautiful.”
Right?! So we actually must begin badly to make it our best! This week, we are going to pick something that we do not know how to do, and we are going to be bad at it! Our beginning efforts are of course going to be bumpy and rough, they are meant to be. We must work on building our Creative Courage, by allowing ourselves – without judgement – to be truly and completely bad at something. This in turn will help actually grow creatively. Not just in that we are learning a new process or medium, but that we are also developing our creativity! When we are being bad this week, we must remember that it is more of a “cleansing” of sorts. Like the way the first pancake never turns out right, and we throw it away and pour the next one, which amazing turns out wonderful! We are going to hold our heads high, we are going to Walk Tall, and we are going to be bad at something and NOT be embarrassed about it! We are going to use it as a stepping stone to embrace, fertilize and grow our art and our creativity!
We must also remember that often when we are creative, our muscles may get weak and sore; from non-use or even mis-use, often there are good ideas mixed all up with the bad ideas and the only way to ‘cleanse’ ourselves is to get all the bad out! I don’t know about you but when I’m feeling a creative block, it’s generally because I haven’t been working in the studio for a while. So while I’m in there feeling ‘blocked’ I just try harderto be creative…which never works, and I end up making really bad stuff.
BUT when I walk away from my studio and spend a few hours (or the remainder of the day) thinking about the bad works I made, I’m frustrated with myself, embarrassed that it turned out so badly, angry that I wasted time and materials….and then I go back to the studio, alittle afraid of whats going to come off the bench, and believe it or not it is always as if I was mysteriously struck with creative inspiration! I make wonderful, creative and beautiful work!! I feel fantastic, free, clear an open. I have come to realize that the BAD stuff needed to get out of the way, so the good stuff could move in!! So in time I’ve learned that when I am not feeling so creative I go into my studio, or start something new that I’ve never done before and I am BAD at it! I now enjoy being bad at things (even my own work, but especially new things) because I know that the flower is about to bloom!! I love being bad!!
Therefore, this week not only are we going to BE bad, we are going to ENJOY being bad!! Got it?! Because that only means there’s more good coming our way!! That is why I figured Friday the 13th would be a perfect day, because if you are beginning to master being bad, it’s nice to have a fall-guy (well, it’s Friday the 13th afterall, it was bound to turn out badly!) to ease the pain. So remember the great and wonderful Mae West, and remember that when you are bad, you are better! She may not have been talking about art, but we’ll pretend she was!
“Come on, say it again. I’m a perfect devil. Tell me how bad I am. It makes me feel so good!” ― Anne Rice
Now being Artist’s and Creatives, we all know that now comes the sticky part, attempting to figure out what it is we want to try to be ‘bad’ at. Most of us are thinking that we don’t want it to be something we are really horrible at, we will look foolish. I am here to tell you to go ahead and appear to be foolish, because only a fool will judge you! Please don’t allow this first part of the process to create additional procrastination in your work this week. Simply choose something to be bad at!! Most of us – especially as we get older – are not willing to be bad in front of others, much less enjoy the badness. But I say we must take pleasure in the badness, as it will only prove to serve us! If we allow it to happen, we will enjoy the badness because we know it’s okay to be bad AND that only means that the good it on it’s way!! So I say do not spend too much time trying to figure out WHAT you want to be bad at, just be willing to enjoy being bad - it will come to you.
If at all possible, the best thing to do is be bad at something that you are truly passionate about. This will keep you grounded, as you will be a beginner (and bad) at something, as well as keep fire stoked in your soul (for the passion) at the same time! This will make us very lucky people this week! If we can keep this in practice throughout our lifetime we will always be grounded and passionate continually; which can only bring us additional joy for a lifetime! Have you chosen what to be bad at yet? Is it a new painting? Writing, singing, yoga, cooking, jewelry design, playing an instrument, learning a language ANYTHING within your creative realm or completely outside of it…begin and be ready to be bad, and enjoy the badness as it is happening!!
Remember it takes a great deal of courage to be bad at something; most of us have forgotten that it is necessary to feel like an idiot now and again, it is how we grow. We forget that it was our feeling stupid and embarrassed with our old experiences that have accumulated themselves into the actual wonderful skills we currently possess. Unfortunately when we avoid feeling silly and being bad at things, we begin to resist new experiences and trying different things; then we ineffectually stop learning new skills….and no one wants that right?! We are here to grow, learn, love, and create…so let’s get to it!
We need to feel the sheer freedom and joy in being truly bad at something! It’s easy to get started, a simple four step process…
1. Find a new activity that we are bad at.
2. Spend some time fully enjoying the badness of the activity.
3. Become skilled at our new activity
3. Become skilled at our new activity
4. Start again (with passion) with #1
We can do this as often as we like this week, and I implore you to work this four step process as often as you can throughout your life!! Because as we build our creative courage we will begin to understand how important it is for our creative souls to be truly bad or awful at something and of course take pleasure in it!
Because all of these experiences…our feeling stupid from being out of our comfort zone, of being our own wonderful bad selves, they help to shape and grow every single aspect of our craft and our business! And who doesn’t want that? Am I right?!
Run along now, find something to be truly bad with – and enjoy being BAD TO THE BONE !
Cheers,
JeaneMargherite Meria McMahon Murray Schintgen
(yep, that’s my name, don’t wear it out!)
I would love for you to “check me out” in my other realms…..
