Christmas Play


When Making Baa-d Art is Good

By Chris Dunmire | Posted 12/13/20 | Updated 12/26/24

"Be creative. Feed your soul. Love your life." —Chris Zydel


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Banana ArtWhat is art? This age-old question first emerged with prehistoric critics at the sight of a cave painting of a banana affixed to the wall by a leaf. Crushed by the criticism, Grog the esteemed Paleolithic artist, eventually ditched the paintbrush and became a diet guru.

So what is art? Is it the consciousness-shifting end result? The skilled technical process required for execution? The joy of the process of creating? A ripe concept* selling for $6.2 million as an edible PR stunt?

In the world of art, you'll hear plenty about art being subjective, usually followed by a list of famous artists who have been considered controversial for their "bad" art:

  • Andy Warhol — Many people consider his pop art and paintings of soup cans to be shallow and commercial.
  • Marcel Duchamp — His "readymades," which were ordinary objects presented as art, have been criticized as being unoriginal and uninspired.
  • Jackson Pollock — His splashed-paint-on-large-canvases (SPOLC) was often called "Action Painting" because of the physicality involved in creating his works. Many thought that anyone could "action paint" splatters and drips, without much skill or talent.

Soup cans and bananas aside, let's imagine a world where bad art really works. How? Well, in the realm of creative confidence, I'm a big fan of making "bad art" just to get over being afraid of the blank canvas or making no art at all. Think of bad art as a warm-up.

Where does this helpful strategy echo from? Perhaps from Anne Lamott's encouragement to writers to embrace the idea of writing a "shotty" first draft. Yes, in her book Bird by Bird, Lamott is often cited for the best way to overcome writer's block and start a writing project is to just start writing, even if the first draft is terrible and runs like bird poop. She encourages writers to embrace the messiness and imperfection of the first draft, and to view it as a necessary step in the writing process:

"The first draft is the child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later."

Hmm, I wonder what other creative activity has lots of messiness and imperfection potential? Perhaps Jackson Pollock thought of his splashy colors as child's play, too, and decided to stay there because it worked out just fantastically for him. And since Lamott's advice has resonated with many writers and has become a popular strategy for overcoming writer's block and getting started on a writing project, why not borrow it for getting started on art, too?


Today's Play


Bad Art


Make Bad Art

By Chris Zydel | Creative Juices Arts

Today, we're going to make some art.

What you will need for this creative play activity is a pad of paper and something to draw or color with such as colored pens, pencils, crayons or oil pastels.

Take your pad of paper and your art supplies and find a place to sit where you can be comfortable and undisturbed for five minutes.

Take a moment to close your eyes and center yourself.

Then open your eyes and look around you and begin to draw or color what you see.

But do it in the worst way possible.

Let yourself make some stupendously bad art.

Let go of the need to be perfect.

Make an enthusiastic mess.

Don't try to be realistic at all.

Let things be out of proportion, lop-sided or weirdly-shaped.

Allow your four-year-old child self to come out and play and draw and color with total abandon.

At the end of the five minutes, congratulate yourself on making such wonderfully bad art!


Bad Art


5 Times Making Bad Art Was Good

  1. When your third grade teacher patted you on the head for effort.
  2. When it sold for $6.2 million in cryptocurrency.
  3. When an animal made it and a book was written about it.
  4. When it got you past your artist's block because Anne Lamott told you to write a shotty first draft.
  5. When it saved you thousands of dollars in art school tuition.

A Truly Bad Lesson

By Terrell Belteechar

Trash ArtAlright, let's get our hands dirty and make some "bad" art!

Welcome to "The Art of Making Bad Art 101", where we'll explore the depths of our creative (or not so creative) minds. Today, we'll be unleashing our inner artist by creating masterpieces that'll make your momma say, "What the heck is that?"

First things first, let's grab some unconventional materials — think old newspapers, expired food, or even some smelly socks! The weirder, the better.

Now, let's get to work. Our first project will be called "The Trashy Still Life". Take those funky materials and arrange them however you want.

Don't worry about composition or technique, just go wild!


Finally, Banana Art Worthy of Framing

Trash ArtHere's a fun prompt continuing with the banana and duct tape theme:

  • Peel the banana carefully, making sure to keep the peel intact.
  • Use scissors to cut the peel into various shapes and sizes.
  • Cut a piece of duct tape that is long enough to wrap around the banana.
  • Wrap the duct tape around the banana, making sure to cover the entire surface.
  • Use the banana peel cutouts as decorative elements. You can stick them on the duct tape-covered banana or arrange them around the banana to create a unique design.
  • Use a permanent marker to draw or write on the duct tape-covered banana and the banana peel cutouts.
  • Hang the banana on a wall or display it on a table as a piece of art.
  • Enjoy your eco-friendly and creative artwork made from all parts of the banana!

*Comedian, a banana taped to a wall with duct tape is a 2019 artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.