Hit 50 drawings in my 'ugly sketch' folder last night and I'm actually proud of it

I've been keeping a folder on my phone for all the half asleep doodles and failed attempts I make after midnight. Last night I counted 50 of them in there. Some are just stick figures with weird proportions, others are supposed to be faces but look like melted cheese. The thing is, these bad drawings showed me something. They made me less afraid to start a sketch because I know I can just toss it in that folder. I've got friends who say I should delete them and start fresh, but I think keeping them is better for learning. What do you do with your worst art? Do you throw it away or keep it around?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason5627d ago

What if those ugly sketches are actually better teachers than your good ones.

-1

robert2757d ago

That phrase "better teachers" really hits home, actually. You see this everywhere once you notice it - like how those cheap crappy diners always make a better burger than the fancy steakhouse. There's something about stuff that's not trying to look good that ends up being more honest and useful. A friend of mine is a mechanic and he swears his old beat-up toolbox (covered in grease and dents) teaches him more about fixing cars than his fancy new digital diagnostic scanner ever could. The struggles and imperfections force you to pay attention, you know? It's like how a messy first draft of a paper can teach you more about writing than a perfectly polished finished copy.