Have you ever tried to make something purposefully ugly?
Not something that you aimed to look good and it just ended up being ugly due to whatever reasons. But something where your aim was to create something just bad. Like really bad. Like so bad you want to apologize for ever creating it. (I’m sorry).
This week, we want you to aim for bad. Aim for ugly. Aim to make something that makes you cringe when you look at it. Make something that you’ll want to shred by the time you’re done with it. And the best part? It doesn’t matter, because this is all about letting go.
When you stop worrying about making something “good,” you might just unlock something unexpected.
The Challenge Prompt
Your mission this week: Make the worst version of something you’ve ever created. On purpose.
Let go of perfection.
Break the rules.
Embrace the mess.
This isn’t about failure. It’s about freedom. Give yourself permission to create something bad just for the sake of creating.
Creative Examples to Inspire You
Here’s how you can approach this challenge based on your creative discipline:
Visual Artists
Paint or sketch without worrying about composition or detail. Make it wild, chaotic, or bizarre.
Smudge colors together randomly, use clashing shades, or draw something totally unrecognizable.
Draw or paint with your non-dominant hand and see what happens.
Writers
Write the most ridiculous, poorly structured story, poem, or dialogue you can imagine.
Make your grammar horrible, your plot nonsensical, and your descriptions over-the-top.
Try writing in a style that feels completely wrong for you.
Designers
Use clashing colors, chaotic layouts, or “wrong” typography choices.
Deliberately make a design that breaks every “good design” rule.
Overload a page with fonts, contrast, and completely unnecessary elements.
Musicians
Record a goofy, experimental track without any pressure to sound polished.
Play instruments in a way that doesn’t “fit,” add offbeat sounds, or intentionally mess with timing.
Make a song full of wrong notes, weird harmonies, and unexpected key changes.
Optional Add-On: Reflect on Your Process
Once your ugly draft is complete, ask yourself:
How did it feel to create something without worrying about it being "good"?
Did this process help you loosen up or reveal something about your usual approach?
What, if anything, did you learn about your perfectionist tendencies?
Consider sharing your reflections alongside your “ugly” creation. Your insights might help someone else embrace imperfection, too.
Closing Encouragement
Perfectionism can be a creativity killer. This challenge is your permission slip to break free from that mindset and just make something without overthinking. I definitely did not over think this week’s graphics.
The best part? Sometimes, when we stop trying to make something good, we end up stumbling onto something unexpectedly brilliant. As you can see above.
So go ahead and make something ugly. Make something messy. Make something bad on purpose. And most of all, have fun with it.
Want to share your gloriously terrible creation? (please don’t) Tag @SimplexMinds and use #SimplexChallenge—we want to see your best worst work 🤢
Ready to make something awful? Lean into the chaos, embrace the cringe, and make something that breaks all the rules. Let’s create without fear this week.