Think back to the last time you set out to make something ugly.

Wait. You haven’t?

Yeah, not many people have.

From the time we’re wee lasses and lads, we’re introduced to a world of aesthetic pleasure. We learn to value things that are good-looking, attractive, pretty, cute, fashionable, lovable. And really, of course we should value these things.

But what happens when we find it a real challenge to create attractive things with our own hands? We’re hard on ourselves. We say things like, “I can’t do it.” “I’m untalented.” “I’m not creative.” “I’m a terrible artist.” And we stop making stuff. Or we only make stuff we feel we’re good at.

Well, screw it. Ugly gets short shrift, and it’s just not fair. And beyond that, you might be surprised by what you feel and think when you try hard to make something hideous.

So here’s the challenge. (It’s not as easy as it seems, so hush.)

  1. Set aside an hour or two. Unplug the phone.
  2. Grab materials and supplies you won’t miss. If you’d just as soon give them away or throw them out, they’re perfect.
  3. Make an ugly creature. And by ugly, I mean hideous, grotesque, revolting. Not, “not so pretty.” In this challenge, “not so pretty” is a big fat FAIL.
  4. Notice how you feel and what you think as you do it. Does the voice in your head sound different while you’re making ugly? What do you feel and think when you’re done?
  5. Take photos. Share them in the Mighty Ugly Flickr group.
  6. If you feel like sharing your experience, submit to Mighty Ugly and we might feature you here on this site so other people can get inspired by your ugly.