The Power of Ugly Art ✨ Creativity Exercise for Dealing with Your Inner Critic in Your Sketchbook

I currently have a 7 day free trial to join my Moonmoss Club, with monthly art classes & live sessions: / marienoellewurm
hiya and thanks so much for watching, and hopefully, joining in!! :D
This is a little set of two exercises to help you feel loose and free, and a little less 'constrained' by all the terrible things your inner critic says when you try to open up your sketchbook and draw.
We'll be getting messy, lowering our expectations, and surprisingly working WITH our inner critic. I can't wait to share with you this little set of exercises to help with the fear of the blank page, and the anxiety that can sometimes come with that. :)
Materials I used:
Luminance colored pencils: bit.ly/luminance40
Neocolor 2 : bit.ly/3Kpxxkg
If you want to become friends on Instagram: / marienoellewurm
Skillshare classes (+ 1 free month of Skillshare Premium): skl.sh/Marie-Noelle
Original art & art prints: marienoellewurm.gumroad.com
Video breakdown:
00:00 Intro
1:38 First Exercise - Making Marks & Ugly Art
Second Exercise
9:08 Expectations
12:04 Intuition
13:30 My Art Needs to Be Beautiful
16:15 My Ugly Art Means I'm a Bad Artist
17:22 I Need to Create Something Appealing
19:42 My Art Has to Reflect Everything I'm Capable Of
25:40 Final Thoughts

[@Elena-Studio]

I like that you used the word "scribble" because I feel even "doodle" is now seen as something that produces a complete drawing.

[@marienoellewurm]

True!! And yes scribbling is such a wonderful word for our creativity 😁

[@wenwoods]

Yes!

[@johikva546]

I absolutelly agree on this, I go to art school for context and the word doodle is commonly used these days as a cute little silly and quite simple drawings that are percieved as a cute product of creativity and inspiration so a lot of people are scared to even doodle cuz they have the feeling doodles are suposed to be cute and a piece itself totally missing the point of doodling (is at least my opinion)

[@mikuenjoyerXD]

I used to get in trouble for 'scribbling' in art class so I have a little bit of a negative connotation with 'scribbling' but fuck that art teacher!!!! Stupid rule

[@justyourlocalrat7]

+

[@melissaamyx2196]

My biggest "fear" is "wasting" paper with bad art... it absolutely horrifies me! 😢😢😢

[@yasmin985]

if u want any advice mine would be, use the cheapest paper you can find. dollar store sketchbook. printer paper. hand me down paper your parents or siblings or friends didnt finish using up in school. second hand. for bigger projects use wood you find in the street, like when people put their old or broken furniture there to throw away. stuff like that

[@yasmin985]

the back of cereal packages, recepts, generally trash !!

[@marienoellewurm]

Those are great recommendations from @yasmin965 ! I’ve also done that, bought sketchbooks with paper I’m not afraid to waste - it helps!

[@cheerubebayonettaholopaine2638]

or rip it into little pieces amd glue them together fresh. make a collage. i do that with my ugly gelliprints. i hate it to waste paint or colours. paper i use wastepaper in my job, which i cut out. perfectly fine, whenever some single swntence of printed mails i can rwmove is on it 😂

[@LKayArt]

I am a professional artist who uses paper from the dollar store! "A master does not blame their materials for the quality of their craft" something I heard once and it always stuck

[@anasofialozano7914]

I’ve never allowed myself before to do ugly art. It’s so freeing!! Not trying to always chase perfection is life changing

[@marienoellewurm]

yes totally!! :)

[@ninalockie]

i’m so detached from the final product of my art that it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s “good” or “bad.” all i care about is the process and what kind of things i learned about myself, my medium or the world. we get very tied up in the idea that art needs to be perfect or something amazing. it just needs to be something for you. that’s all.

[@marienoellewurm]

yes exactly this!! thanks for chiming in Nina :)

[@lcarolc03]

I’m a mental health counselor by career and an oil pastel artist since retirement. So this video for me is like coming home. Art is such an emotional , intuitive process and I don’t think artists talk enough about all the internal things behind their pieces. I finally started an on line art group to provide a space for personal discussions - internal orocess.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so honored to hear that Carol. :) and yes I couldn't agree more that art is an emotional intuitive process first and foremost, and that it's so so important to talk about what goes on internally! all the best to you.

[@angeliquew2131]

Hello Carol, where can I find your group, please ? I would love to join if it is possible. I'm a rookie with AS and would appreciate to discuss with other artists.

[@lcarolc03]

@@marienoellewurm I shared the link to your video in my small private group. Several group members jumped on the idea and raved about his freeing it was. Thank you again.

[@GrayWithMe]

Hey I’d like that info for your group too

[@juanblanco1267]

I am an accidental artist. I owned a cafe for 11 years and shut it down to move to the mountains. I started attending furniture making school and now i am in love with this obscure art form called marquetry. This is what i do every day now

[@marienoellewurm]

sounds fun!

[@jenmdawg]

Your comment just changed a trajectory I am on! I just began a course with a woodworkers guild and was struggling to find a "reason" (despite a life long fascination with wood and art) to pursue there. Thank you!

[@neromillie]

This is exactly why I teach abstract art now instead of realism. It's so much more fun!

[@marienoellewurm]

agreed! Abstract is just too fun.

[@ArtemisZannou]

It probably also is a direct line to our subconcious,completely bypassing the logical mind! It sounds like a relief especially during this era! Maybe I will study abstract art one day, as well... It sounds like freedom ❤

[@Lantear]

to me the first "ugly" art piece looks so coooooool. my inner child loves it :D

[@marienoellewurm]

hihi thank youuuu from my inner child to yours :D :D

[@MsHGH1]

I bought a 'Wreck this Journal' journal a few years ago - you know, one of those books that has prompts like 'rip up this page', 'rub this in the dirt', 'scribble wildly with your eyes closed', on each page. I found it incredibly difficult at first - even my so-called destruction was very deliberate and compositionally aware. Ridiculous!! That book is really mangled now and I think these exercises might have a similar freeing affect. I'm going to have a go!

[@marienoellewurm]

ooo yes I've seen those around! And so cool that you noticed that your destruction was 'deliberate and compositionally aware' - it's wild isn't it how strong our impulses for 'controlling the outcome' can be, right?? hahaha. Hope you enjoy the exercise!!

[@justa_gigi]

i watch this video repeatedly. Beyond the 'good vibes' and positive energy, it's like a walking cane and a lighthouse to me. "perfection" only happens when you're not trying

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so honored, and so glad the video is helping!! :)

[@912009]

My butt clenched at the idea of scribbling ugly art in my sketchbook 😂. I'm so glad I found you, I have much to learn. I actually recently started doodling in my 2022 planner that I forgot to use. It didn't get to fulfill it's purpose as a proper planner, but in a roundabout way has now become a creative planner where I pull it out to brainstorm ideas or thumbnail sketches. It's now my favorite "sketchbook" because it feels like a judgement free zone

[@marienoellewurm]

haha that's hilarious. Keep it up!! it sounds like you're on the right path. :)

[@justyourlocalrat7]

My journals and sketchbooks used to be so messy and free back when I was in High School, and I really miss that. I've started feeling like I don't have any hobbies because everything I pick up I'm so focused on getting good at that it becomes just another job. This was a great step for me in starting to find that joy of creation again

[@RJE95]

I was really interested to hear your experience because mine was the opposite. Having everything I put in my school sketchbook graded and critiqued was what gave me the anxiety of what I put down on the page

[@goldfishzzz]

Thank you for this. Ever since I started art school I felt the need to please my professors and never being good enough. It created an unhealthy relationship where I equated my art as my value and worth as a person. Today is how I'll start healing.

[@glynissweeney]

I took know this as I was younger, I let go of that a long time ago and now I just enjoy the process of new mediums and exploration, it is truly freeing. Create art just for yourself and not others, you'll enjoy it completely that way.😊

[@jaybee7617]

That's beautiful. I strongly relate to that feeling of pleasing my art teacher, to feel worthy.

[@islanddryad]

This is the kinda art channels I need more of on KZbin. So many artists here put waaaaay too much emphasis on only presenting their perfect art pieces and even if they are aware of how harmful that can be for themselves and the art community they’re too afraid to just show their humble little scribbles. I can empathize with that fear, the internet can be an unforgiving place but we need relax, take ourselves less seriously and just enjoy making some stanky doodles to please our inner goblin child ❤️❤️ this video was exactly what I needed, thank you for sharing ❤️❤️

[@marienoellewurm]

yes yes yes I agree, we need to show more of our scribbles :) Thank you for seeing it and I"m so glad you like the video. :)

[@marienoellewurm]

haha you even get a little tidbit of me clearing my throat/repeating my presentation of myself because I forgot to edit that out. hahahaha - this is a perfect example of including 'mistakes' in whatever it is that we create!! 😅 oops 🤣

[@marcilynn2943]

Love it!

[@marienoellewurm]

@@marcilynn2943 aw thanks so much! :)

[@RawSpirited]

Loved it, haha. Was cute

[@marienoellewurm]

@@RawSpirited 😅

[@willbephore3086]

Perfect 😂👍

[@amajjikakumara6942]

The pornification of creating beautiful “art” on social Is a doubled edged sword: it is inspiring and limiting at the same time. It takes me a fair amount of ugly art to work through to create something I am satisfied with. There is a great book called Art and Fear. I highly recommend anyone interested in understanding themselves and “art practice” to read it. Marie, thanks for discussing this topic and providing a great resource to let inner demons sit on the page and out of our bodies which is where they belong 🥰

[@marienoellewurm]

yes that's such a great recommendation! I"m embarrassed to say I still haven't read it, but it's on my list!! :D haha

[@marienoellewurm]

also I couldn't agree more, YES they belong away and out of our bodies - much easier to deal with when you can 'see' what you're working with! :p

[@justme9818]

Gosh, aren't expectations awful. I mean REALLY awful. Seeing them illustrated really highlighted how destructive they actually are...

[@marienoellewurm]

YES, so true! Making the invisible visible is really a powerful thing because it strips those things of their 'hold' over us.

[@ArtistRebeccaLS]

I used to think things about art like you mention “oh that looks like a child did it” or “that’s rubbish " even to my own artwork but now , I follow the Picasso quote which my artwork seems connected to without me even trying to »Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Most negative comments towards our artwork will most often be from non art people - I use your idea about cheap paper before using an expensive sketchbook because let’s face it, sketchbooks have all increased in prices lately even the art creations ones. In France anyway 😅 Using children’s fibre tip pens are a great way to loosen up too , they tend to have more durable tips for scribbling fun 🤩

[@marienoellewurm]

yes yes yes love this quote. :) and so true about the negative comments! My guess is they maybe don't do art themselves because their inner critic yells THAT loudly to them... and yes cheap paper can be such an amazing way in to our sketchbooks! You're right that all the prices have increased, ugh. oh I should try out children's fibre tip pens, I don't think I own any but it makes a lot of sense that they've made them more durable hahaha. All the best Rebecca!

[@amcreative3784]

Helped immensely especially as I was taking on unnecessary suffering again.

[@jennifercoopman]

I tried these exercise. The first one went great for me, thank you! On the second exercise, the first expectation i wrote was 'work must be completed and perfected in one sitting'. I had other expectations written as well, and so started drawing. I felt like it went well, until i noticed a collection of abstract shapes on the page from the first exercise. I expanded on it, added to it, and eventually tried to perfect it. Which of course made it worse. I didn't even realize until that moment that i had already succumbed to the first expectation!

[@siobhanrose1680]

I have this huge block that I cannot get past, like rational me knows all these things, but then I paralyse myself with these other thoughts. If it’s not perfect, I don’t deserve to be doing it. If I can’t make good art, what right do I have. Mine will never be good enough, therefore how dare I think I can. I also just never know what to do. I get bouts of inspiration, and I’ll draw or paint a thing for a while, and then… Nothing else comes and I don’t draw or paint for another 6 months. The thing is I love the idea of making art, I love, love, love it. I have this deep seated lack of self belief. I know somewhat where it stems from, but I also think that’s just me making excuses. I truly feel like I have some talent, like 20% talent, but NO inspiration or creative ability. I cannot think of what and how to create. Ever. My mind is just blank. It’s so frustrating. I love this video though, and am going to cut myself some slack, and practice some of what you speak about in this video.

[@kellystorm6760]

I love that you shared your heart here in your story of your inner world , the feeling state of your situation . I'm understanding how important it is to recognize what's happening in there. So thank you my love for sharing. ☺️♥️♥️♥️

[@marienoellewurm]

so many people can relate with what you're saying! and yes yes yes, please cut yourself some slack because you deserve to just have fun and play with colors and textures :) No need to have any ideas at all or any inspiration, just whatever color speaks to you at that moment, and allowing yourself to make marks on a page. Sending much love your way!

[@Tobazhniazhi]

Omgosh I feel the exact same way! It's so frustrating... I think everything in our world is expedited and we expect our artistic practices to be the same but the truth is our creative skills take time to develop and they also don't remain on a fixed trajectory. I love making portraiture drawing but I suck at it! But recently I've been making small non-objective abstract drawings and I noticed that it was actually difficult to stop drawing! I couldn't believe it. Even though I desired and intend to do portrait drawing, somehow strangely enough, subconsciously, I actually am drawn to abstract art. I think that's why having a vast array of interests is important so we don't restrict ourselves to what we think we want rather we should give permission to allow our innate curiosity to go explore and try new things. IDK

[@isacienfuegos9210]

As someone who feels so blocked, this exercise has helped me to open up a little bit my creativity and see for myself part of the things that are blocking me. It has been quite a cathartic experience.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh Isa that makes me so so happy to hear :) :)

[@paulinelittlewood1229]

I just say to myself, what is the point in making this mess. Wasting my time and art products. I could not let myself do that

[@isacienfuegos9210]

@@paulinelittlewood1229 I used my cheapest pencil colors to do this exercise. You don't need to use your expensive art products. It's about letting yourself do an exploration.

[@drendelous]

i tend to think more and more that those fancy sketchbooks piled on instagram and tours in youtube are made deliberately to show off. i cant believe what they sell are sketchbooks

[@marienoellewurm]

yeah, I think they're more seen as 'portfolios' as sketchbooks. Which is fine too! But also creates unrealistic expectations about what a real working sketchbook might look like. I remember that I used to try to make every page something that I liked, and that was fine, but I also learned a LOT more when I gave myself freedom to experiment and sketch and also have ugly drawings in there too!

[@apatheia3515]

It has therapy value, confronting yourself with your fears and not taking everything seriously is freeing 🌌🌌

[@marienoellewurm]

aw yes, I couldn't agree more, it's so freeing!

[@rchambers1993]

I love this video. I just stepped out of mental health private practice to pursue what's in my heart to teach and grow my art business. My brother passed away a few weeks ago and I had already been thinking about making that change. Life is too short to not do what you love. I am a person of faith. So, I also have the need to share that faith through my art, and freely talk about my faith with others. I made that leap. Changed my company name and now I'm on that path. Excited for each day to come. This is a wonderful sketchbook resource to share with girls I'm working with regarding an after school program. Getting them to draw anything and not be so critical is so important, but difficult for them to understand it's okay to not have a "perfect" drawing.

[@marienoellewurm]

aw that's a lovely idea, I hope they enjoy it!! and yay you for going after your dream :) :)

[@neurospicypisces]

I used this as a way to feel past an anxiety attack. I am definitely feeling into this style for my sketchbooks, so I appreciate this video a lot. Thank you for sharing. From an artist who never believed in herself until I allowed myself to make bad art 🩷 bad art teaches skills and techniques you can carry over as you get better at making the art you want to create ❤️

[@marienoellewurm]

oh wow I'm so so happy to hear that! Art is so powerful isn't it. It can welcome us no matter what we're feeling or where we're art. Sending love your way!

[@einewilderatte7385]

Whenever I watched a sketchbook video, I felt like I was missing something or doing something wrong, but this video reminded me that there are no rules to this. Thank you, always draw like yourself and share it! Love share and learn 💖

[@marienoellewurm]

I'm so glad! yes yes be you :)

[@dislocational]

I just did these exercises. It was hard with the second one, because every time I started to draw something intuitively, I would start to analyze it logically, e.g., "oh, this looks like tears, so let me make it round and not square". So I would coninue down the logic path instead of intuitive, and had to interrupt myself and return myself to a more intuitive way. And secondly, I still think that your "ugly" drawing and also the second one are so beautiful :) , but I think mine are indead ugly. I know that's not the purpose to assess them, but just an interesting thing I noted. Also, I do have a sketchbook that I don't like, and now I symbolically called it "the ugly sketchbook", and it gave me a sense of release and play :)

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad that you shared your experience!! Because I think this is SO common, and it's super cool that you were able to 'catch' the automatic switch to the logic/analytical brain. Once we really learn to 'see' those switches and the thoughts/intentions arising, then you can also more easily decide WHEN you want to use one or when you want to use the other. Thanks for the kind words. :) And yay for having your very own official ugly sketchbook :D that's awesome.

[@willbephore3086]

I'm going to borrow this ugly sketchbook idea, thanks!

[@space_1073]

Crude art like this is like lofi film, purposefully flawed and low effort, all feelings. It's personally my favorite style funny enough

[@marienoellewurm]

ohhh your comment makes me happy because I loooove Lofi, the grainy raw textures, the simple truthfulness behind it. so thank you!

[@whateverpeoplesayiamthatsw3314]

Thank you! I love that what you made and to be honest many art pieces are ugly and they hang in museums seen by millions of people.

[@marienoellewurm]

haha that's true too! Ugly art is really only subjective actually! :D

[@wanderinfeet]

I drew a lot when I was in school, but my studies and job have taken over my life. The past few months I have been diving back into art. I feel self conscious because I don't feel like I am at where I should be/where I was and get down on myself. Loved this video and cant wait to experiment with art this way. Thanks for the video!

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad you're allowing yourself to dive back in, and yes I know 'coming back' can be so hard and really drive that inner critic to be super loud. Sending courage your way and can't wait to hear if the experiment helped :) all the best

[@cathyphegley7848]

Therapy art! Just go for it! Do something…..even if you hate it. It’s like exercise on paper. At least if nothing else you’re learning about different mediums and how they work on a paper. I find this tutorial very helpful as I struggle with perfection. I’m going to start doing this loose and haphazard technique for a while and see what happens. Thank you!🦋

[@marienoellewurm]

aw yay go you!! :) so glad you like the video!

[@michelemaliano7860]

I do NOT believe there is such a thing as ugly art! Art is subjective and just because a piece doesn’t appeal to ME doesn’t mean it’s ugly.

[@kikikoko3266]

I totally agree with you. The real question is if something is art or not..that is a big matter to discuss..this exercise is really valuable for an artist though!!

[@Ab3ndcgi]

Well, Pixar needs to make another ratatouille, because now "everybody can do art". At first I though this was going to be a video about fauvism, primitivism, or other forms of art and movements that purporsely stirr away from the aim to achieve a result that is aesthetically pleasing to the general public... . So I'm honestly at lost here about what is the point of this video. I feel there's no need to call these painting exercises "art", and on top of that "ugly". Same as you wouldn't call doing mantras in order to relax at home "composing music", and go on to qualify it as "bad music". That's contradictory and pretentious. There are some things in every art form by which it can be objectively examined and valued, and those are fundamentals such as harmony, contrast, composition, etc. which take years to master, and set appart afficionados from "pros", even when doing things like tie dye or acrylic pouring. It is fine to just want to express yourself in a plastic form without worrying about mastering the fundamentals. But I feel if you have any respect the artists that have dedicated their lives through history to develop and master the painting and drawing mediums and techniques, you should not put yourself at their level by calling what you do art if you have not done the same work. Ultimately, it should not be you but the audience and critics the ones to determine if what you do is art. In sum, you don't get to call what you do "ugly art" so you get to keep the "art" part when people tell you it is objectively bad.

[@hammill444]

Well, you’ve never seen my “art”. You’d likely change your mind if you did

[@chibicibi6034]

i would love a video on how to practice working by your intuition. thank sm this was so nice

[@marienoellewurm]

ooo good idea, I'll keep that in mind for a future video! so glad you enjoyed this one. :)

[@user-oy4ff1zn7i]

Thank you so much, for bringing this topic to my attention. I am one of those to feel terrified to approach my sketchbook, ❤ now I know someone there encourages me not to be afraid of.😊

[@marienoellewurm]

ahhh there are so many of us that are scared by our sketchbooks... I promise it gets easier! and yes, do it do it do it, despite the fear, with the fear, without the fear, you've got this! :D

[@doop15973]

this was such a fun experience, i really needed to let that shit go

[@marienoellewurm]

I'm so glad to hear that :)

[@doop15973]

I'm on the skill share now 😎 thanks for being a fun teacher

[@marienoellewurm]

@@doop15973 oh that's amazing, I look forward to seeing you there then! :) and thank you ❤

[@sejinkim3394]

Thank you for this video. I used to work with preschool-4th graders and found all their art to be beautiful, not ugly.

[@marienoellewurm]

couldn't agree more!

[@samcollage7682]

I love doing layers over "less than wonderful" sketches or first attempts. As I get closer to resolving the imagery, I feel like I'm saving myself. A wonderful analogy for depression. There's usually a sense of calmness when the imagery is resolved or close to acceptable, to Me.

[@gauthierheurdier4013]

i just try ur exercise and i love my "ugly art" i found a liberty which make me happy and so fun to do , so thank u

[@marienoellewurm]

oh that's so wonderful and huge congrats to you for allowing yourself to play :D :D all the best

[@tinaxvp]

The second exercise reminds me of an exercise from the book No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz! Basically the book is about Internal Family System which in a nutshell means all of us have different "parts" whom have different roles. One of them, of course, the inner-critic. The exercise I'm talking about is meant to "map out" your parts on paper by feeling and intuition as well. I definitely loved your version however as it simplifies it for me. Instead of having to wait and see what comes up in my body and thoughts, writing down the general expectations I have for myself will make it so much easier for me to start mapping it all out. Thank you for this!

[@marienoellewurm]

omg this makes me SO happy to hear. I haven't read that book but have definitely done parts psychology and I think it's truly groundbreaking for resolving inner conflicts (which the inner critic definitely is!). And it makes me so happy to hear that the exercise helps with your inner parts work too. :) Sending much love to you!

[@FoolsandToolz]

Keep the adventure growing within ✨

[@FoolsandToolz]

I understand the secret in the power behind scribbling and doodling

[@pandariver9233]

Perfect timing for me to have come across this video because I painted a hideous tree and felt really bad about it so I cut it up into itty-bitty pieces and put it in the trash

[@marienoellewurm]

haha yes I"ve been there too! It's a process for sure - maybe next time you can use those itty bitty cut up pieces to make a collage fora newer art piece :D

[@ladyjosephine5351]

I've just filled a page that looks like a five year old did it but it's the first thing I've produced in months. My fear of producing a poor piece of art prevents me from getting my brushes out. Choking me and making me so disappointed in myself. Another wasted day and another. I don't know if this will help me turn a corner. It's the worst drawing I've ever done but it came from my imagination and I feel like I got some of my inner angst out. Thank you for not talking at me but leading the way and showing me x

[@marienoellewurm]

oh you can be SO PROUD of putting in the effort, getting out your art materials and just making for making's sake. :) It's such a powerful thing and I"m so glad you felt that, by putting some of that angst out on the page instead of in your head holding you hostage. You've got this. :) Sending love your way!

[@greyzonefilm]

Thank you for this video! I find it really difficult to let go of the idea that once I sit down to draw I need to produce a finished piece, lest my time be "wasted". I also have a constant anxiety about "saving" my materials for my "good" drawings. As such I have several sets of paints, markers, pastels, colored pencils, etc. that I'm "afraid" to use. I am going to try this technique to try to break that cycle.

[@marienoellewurm]

yeah I get this, I think it's very normal!! I hope you try the exercise and that it helps you break some of that pesky stuff getting in the way of your creativity :) :)

[@anzb6731]

I absolutely love your emotions in the process, you are laughing and having fun and this is a real creation. Amazing, thank you ❤

[@marienoellewurm]

aw thank you so much! YEs having fun is the most important thing :D :D

[@maris5888]

Thank for this video. I used to have a numbing feeling about my sketchbooks, afraid to put something unprofessionally looking there. But recently I allowed it to be just a work area where anything as acceptable. Beautiful art doesn't have to be "beautiful" in common understanding. It just should carry some creative energy to be brought to the audince.

[@MagdalenaMantler]

Such videos like yours helped me overcome my "sketchbook fear" - I always was embaressed because my sketchbook didn't look as neat and tidy as many others, full of wonderful drawings. I even left many pages out and there were many white spaces. Than I saw some videos on youtube, were people talked about this and that this is not what a sketchbook is here for. What also blew my mind because I have never thought about it: You can paint over things you don't like or glue something onto it AND you can come back weeks, months or even years later into a sketchbook and fill out blank pages or redraw stuff if you wish to. This is such a great idea I never thought of and I want to incoorperate into my sketchbooks. :) thank you for your great video! It is really needed.

[@marienoellewurm]

yes yes yes I love what you said about all the different ways you can 'work with' the things you don't like in your sketchbook. I actually used to do this a lot - go back into my sketchbook and rework things or draw over them, or collage, until I found something I liked. It was fun!! Now I have to admit, I just allow the ugly sketches to exist because I'm more 'okay' with ugliness in my sketchbook - and it's quite liberating I have to say! thanks for your kind words and yes I hope you keep it up and keep allowing yourself to make a messy sketchbook!

[@MagdalenaMantler]

@@marienoellewurm Yes and that is what I love about your video, that messiness and "uglyness" is also allowed. :) It's just a great thing to know, you would always be able to come back to something or try it again. When this idea of doing something again if I don't like it came to me back in school it was a great relief after all and made me more chill with my sketches. :)

[@beanzburg888]

ive been having a strong intuition to start an ugly sketchbook, and i tried to but it’s still too pretty! thank you for this video, it reminded me that i really want to push myself to make art that makes me uncomfortable because i know it will be very healing for me :-)

[@marienoellewurm]

Yes yes yes I have no doubt it will! :) definitely start an ugly sketchbook I think that’s a great idea!!

[@jimclarkartyoutube]

Great video! I've more or less rejected the beauty of polished portraiture in favour of the raw energy of spontaneity. It's so incredibly freeing, and this video is a great explainer of why. It's helped me fill in some gaps in my thinking, so thank you 🙏

[@marienoellewurm]

oh my yes, it IS so freeing, I agree. I"m so glad you liked the video Jim!

[@vittoriapuca6355]

trying to purposefully do something ugly I ended up with a lovely sketchbook page😅 the second exercise was a bit hard at the beginning, but once I got the first expectation written on the page everything trickled down. On a more personal note, I've started using sketchbooks in 2019 with one of you first skillshare classes (think it was the 10days one) now I'm on sketchbook n°7 and I can't say thank you enough! ❤ Learning to embrace mark making for the sake of it, has been a lifeline, enabling me to express things I don't have words for and sometimes just "decluttering the mind". Really appreciate your art and your approach to it, so wonderfully real and lifelike with ups, downs, throat clearing and the like. ❤❤❤

[@marienoellewurm]

oh that's so wonderful to hear Vittoria, I'm truly honored!! and yes yes yes to everything you said 'expressing things you don't have for' and 'decluttering the mind'. I use it for those things too and it's enriched my life so much! and haha how funny that when you tried to do something ugly you ended up loving what you made... sounds like somehow a life lesson in letting go :D all the best to you

[@Onnamusic]

The way my mouth was open the whole time 😭I was SHOCKED AND SHOOK

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad it resonated! :)

[@Ferchi.]

I totally thought of a flower just right before you started drawing it!! Intuition on point 🤭

[@marienoellewurm]

haha nice!

[@ilahjarvis]

It's always wonderful to see different ways to confront our perfectionism in our art making. I'm a long time watercolorist with a tight, illustrative painting style, and I need to occasionally do messy art without a goal, as well as experiments just to see what happens from time to time. I like the idea of writing down the constricting thoughts and painting the underlying feelings, something I would like to add to my practice for further loosen up.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh absolutely, it's such a worthwhile practice to add to your creative life!! messy art without a goal is the best :)

[@10474.]

Thank you for this video. Made me open my sketchbook mid video because watching you made me excited to create again. Almost in a childlike approach. I love it. Love that you covered the psyche on not taking creating too serious, to the point you have anxiety. Anxiety to create perfection. Would love more tips on this.

[@marienoellewurm]

aw yay so glad you enjoyed the video. Yes perfectionism-anxiety can be SUCH a headache. Practice practice practice doing things like in this video, that's the key! You can definitely find a bunch of other tips on this subject in pretty much any of my videos (or classes!) about art. I'm really passionate about the subject because it's something I battled with for years and years. I promise it gets better and easier if you take on the right practices. :) You've got this!

[@chocomental]

I love this! I’ve run a craft based Etsy shop for a few years and I’m feeling very stagnant creatively. I’ve recently felt a pull to go back to drawing and painting which I’ve not done in years; running a shop meant that everything I produced had to be perfect and sellable, and I want that freedom to make ugly art without expectation. Will definitely be trying this!

[@miklosnemeth8566]

Honestly, at the level of your experience and talent, you cannot make anything ugly, you instinctly cannot make it ugly 8:38 is absolutely gorgeous. The really ugly would be just to mess up all colors and have a grey mass :D

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm super honored, thanks so much! :) (believe me, I do draw ugly things too hahahaha)

[@takyiwah2022]

This was very cathartic for me, especially as someone who feels like everything they do must be perfect even before they have given it a try. I didn’t expect the thoughts or feelings or emotions to come up the way they did. I was skeptical but I went along with the video and I am still shook. I love the idea of the space to make bad art. I feel like I can breathe!

[@marienoellewurm]

that's awesome to hear!! Thanks for joining in :)

[@ShrutiJain-ce1zy]

Best art video I’ve seen

[@marienoellewurm]

Oh thank you!!! ☺️

[@leilaskye8143]

Find the second or third drawing, painting there is a feeling of a shift towards better.

[@mermaidp-uke]

Love love love this video and your message! About a year or so ago I created the goal for myself to simply "make bad art", and this has completely transformed my relationship with creating. It's good to have more reminders of that message, so this is definitely a video I will come back to. I'm intrigued to know more about the intuitive process you mentioned, it sounds like a way of doing art therapy, which I love too. Excited to follow along on your creative journey and see what you share with us next! 💖

[@marienoellewurm]

oh oh that's sooo awesome that you created that goal for yourself. And yes I guess in some sense, the intuitive process is almost like a form of art therapy :D though I wouldn't replace it with actual therapy haha - since therapy with a professional is even MORE transformational unto itself. But I do think it's an amazing therapeutic tool we can include in our life and that makes it better too :) Thanks for dropping by!

[@tamarapetrova8440]

I really enjoyed the first exercise although I had to deal with difficult emotions like not being able to accept that my drawing is ugly. It felt somehow nice though to leave the drawing in the book, not to throw it away. I would like to repeat the exercise from time to time to invite my inner critic for a cup of tea)) I haven't tried the second exercise yet. Would love to. While watching you doing it I came up with the idea that one could use it to work with any kind of expectations or thoughts, not olny about art.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I love that idea of inviting your inner critic for a cup of tea :) Yes I have no doubt that repeating the exercise can be SO SO beneficial, and can be applied to many many different things!!

[@moonflymoonfly]

I’m excited to try these exercises for myself as i’ve related to the anxiety and some of the expectations you’ve mentioned. Thanks so much for this! 😁

[@jasminethewildflower]

i’m so grateful this came up on my algorithm! this is exactly what i needed, thank you so much!

[@marienoellewurm]

Oh I'm so glad! :)

[@ladybellawesome]

Ive always scribbled like this to get the overwhelm out!! I call them my automatic drawings. IIm 25 & building an art business rn and lately ive found myselr only wanting to create "ugly" drawings - the pressure of creating something marketable/people would buy has been really eating at me. Im so relieved & happy to have comr accross this video - its so validating to see that a professional artist has thr same practice & anxieties i do! I wish i could just frame my scribbles and sel them. Theyre ugly but they mean so much to me & while i am good at painting portraits, they are stressful and i would much prefer to just relax & make scribbles for the rest of my life. I suppose i wil be doing that anyways tho 😅

[@hannahharrelson5703]

I am by no means an artist, but I’m trying to get into drawing and I really enjoyed this!! I’ve noticed I get really anxious about doing hobby activities, and I think incorporating exercises like this would really help me in the future. Thank you!

[@marienoellewurm]

yes what an awesome idea!! I have no doubt that it'll help alleviate some of that anxiety and inject a bit more fun and playfulness into it all :)

[@Emi_72]

Hi 👋🏻 I dropped out of art school in October (MA in fine arts) and I haven’t touched a pencil since then. It left me completely empty. I am definitely going to try these freeing exercises, thank you so much for sharing and giving me hope 🖤✨

[@marienoellewurm]

oh yes, please allow yourself to pick up and a pencil and scribble all those 'empties' out onto the page. :) Sending much love your way.

[@ivanmoreno137]

Thank you for this. I just graduated university, and I feel a little lost. This gives me motivation to receive clarity in my mind.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh my yeah, I totally remember feeling lost after graduating too... Transitions can be so tricky! and yes yes yes, I hope doing some of these exercises can give you a bit more clarity. much love to yoU!

[@inesmojo]

Thank you! This is super helpful and i'm delighted that i found your channel. I want to try this now and also see how i can translate that into other areas that frustrate or "scare me" - i feel like this could be an amazing meditation/grounding practice

[@marienoellewurm]

oh what an amazing idea! I'm sure there are many other ways that you could translate this into other areas. Maybe even just writing down thoughts about other subjects that scare you, and trying to represent those visually too :)

[@ankachernika5171]

thank you for your video!! I was drawing after YEARS of thinking of staring it. Please do more of those videos

[@marienoellewurm]

I will for sure :) and yay for you! I"m so glad you enjoyed the video.

[@anorakpark]

This is awesome! Your free flowing examples turned out to be so “beautiful” and I’d rather look at these and be inspired then some realistic looking illustrations any day. Very glad to come up on your channel/video and quite interesting that I did after I’ve intuitively been practicing this free flowing “ugly” art making for some months now :) thank you❤

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!!

[@MedaHalmaciu]

Just seeing you face come up here and I'm already inspired to take my supplies out.

[@marienoellewurm]

awwww thanks!!

[@thelinus]

thank you so much for this guided exercise! it made me shake loose some of the tightness i had going on, made me see the subject i'm currently working on in a very different light.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so glad to hear that!! :)

[@nyleveitak]

what a special experience to work through these exercises. thanks for teaching us ❤

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so so glad you liked them - and thank you for joining in and doing them too! :)

[@marharytaeldemir8009]

Thank you a lot! I will definitely try both of those exercises. Watching your video, I just felt kindness and a strong desire to help people. Thank you for that, too!

[@marienoellewurm]

oh it'd be so lovely if you joined in! I'd love to hear how it went - wishing you all the best :)

[@raraavis1097]

I loved watching this, I am not an artist but used to be when I was little if one can say that haha, and I thought, I would happily just do that as a form of therapy and to relax, I would write things to do with my life and let them out. Thank you for inspiring

[@forgettableotaku]

i just tried this exercise and it was really fun. i even tried working with art materials i own but avoid because im not practiced with it.

[@marienoellewurm]

oooo that's a great idea! and I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)

[@kiekie54321]

i found it hard!! i didn't really know how to translate how i was feeling into a certain shape or expression on the paper. and i feel like my intuition paper is way uglier than my first one lol. it was a difficult practice but i like how you mentioned accepting both the good and the ugly sides of your art and allowing them both to coexist

[@kiekie54321]

i didn't want to do continue doing it a few times too haha

[@marienoellewurm]

haha yay you for noticing how hard it can be and the resistance that came up! That could be a fun one to try to represent on the page too. :D it's all good if your intuition paper is way uglier than your first one. All of it is welcome here :) I also promise that the more you practice how to translate a 'feeling' into a 'shape' or 'color', the easier it'll become. Much love to you!

[@dislocational]

i LOVE this! thank you so much for sharing ❤

[@marienoellewurm]

hihi thank you! :)

[@hifrommyjournaldanice]

This was so inspiring to watch! Thank you for sharing these exercises 🙏🏽

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so glad and thanks for watching! I hope you join in too :)

[@eliausi9696]

Loves this video. Just what I needed. ❤

[@5katt3r8ra1n]

I watched your video while doing a painting, but i just had to come back and do the exercise as described... it's just such a beautiful concept that i plan on trying multiple times. I really felt myself connecting with my inner child and even noticed myself holding my instruments with a fist... one word of warning is that this can definitely bring up some trauma and painful feelings, in my case such a welcome and beautiful thing to allow myself to experience. thank you

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad that this helped you! And yes you're right, that if it DOES bring up things that are too painful, never hesitate to take a break and come back to it when it feels right, or to get professional help - therapy has been the the most beautiful gift I've given myself and I hope others start seeing it for the gift it is rather than the 'stigma' that it's historically been associated with. In any case, thanks for sharing your thoughts and I think it's an awesome idea to come back to it a multitude of times - it brings something new every time :) Sending love your way!

Awesome. The title sent me off on a journey and then the vid was a helpful voice behind me. Thank you 😊

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad!!

[@lstandish9]

Thanks.. that was interesting!

[@marienoellewurm]

glad to hear it and thanks for dropping by! :)

[@candelaguadalupecomas6790]

Thank you. Following you in the video really helped me to reconect to the action of creating without expectation. Also it helped me to reduce my anxiety, thank you. I will continue to watch your videos!! :)

[@marienoellewurm]

oh that makes me so so SO happy to hear :) sending love your way!

[@funkyredhead1]

Really found this fascinating!! Thank you.❤

[@marienoellewurm]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@q2_20]

I give myself permission to ENJOY creating WILD, CHAOTIC, UNTETHERED sketches and paintings without a need for it to be 'pretty' or 'refined' or to care about what the finished product looks like; I choose to now appreciate ALL RANDOM 'UGLINESS' that flows through me without restraint, appreciating the emotional release of the relieving process of creation and experiencing art as a child does at play. I now always love the end result of whatever flows through me and I no longer limit 'beauty' with preconcieved human notions or definitions. Thank you for this very helpful guidance: I'm doing my best to relax and have fun 🤡👹💖👩‍🎤🤹‍♀🧑‍🎨🦄🌼🍄☃🌈🎨🖌🎅

[@lalawest33]

Thank you for this. I’ve been working with a sketchbook this year more than I have, in a long time. What an insightful practice. I think when we dive deep into the mindset behind our art, we free up a lot of our lives. I really really enjoyed this 💗

[@marienoellewurm]

yes I couldn't agree more!! Art and the tools I've built have extended WAY beyond art into my life, and it's such a gift. :) and thank you, I"m so glad you liked it!

[@BigGirlTasha]

The 2nd exercise accidentally turned into more of a test of psychic ability for me. I chose to draw your prompts because I related to them, and was working on them at the same time you without watching. I was surprised by how often I drew the same shapes as you before hearing you say out loud what you drew 😮 the end product was different of course (I used watercolors) but the same shapes showed up in each prompt

[@marienoellewurm]

haha wow that's wild! :) and so cool

[@cf8595]

lol changin' that pencil grip at least three times when writing. Shows your flexibility - I don't think the average person does that, wonder if that has to do with being an artist and feeling for the "right" grip

[@SharonNolfi]

Fun process! Thanks for sharing this.

[@marienoellewurm]

aw yay glad you enjoyed it!!

[@ingrato]

this video is totally GREAT, thanks for making real content and sharing it

[@marienoellewurm]

Oh I’m so glad!! :)

[@francesb7515]

Once you connected the ideas the shape reminded me of a gateway and the spirals as moving in and out, reversing the energy of restriction with a doorway and path out. Neat!

[@marienoellewurm]

oooo that's super cool! love the way you see it :)

[@livingliminally]

"connect with the act of mark making" ....that hit deep. Thank you.

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I"m so so glad :) :)

[@melissamarsella]

Omg! I've taken your classes on skillshare and always loved them - soo glad to see you pop up on youtube ◡̈

[@marienoellewurm]

Oh I’m so honored, thank you so much Melissa!! :)

[@ArtemisZannou]

This was golden ❤️Thank you so much! I was so in tune with the choices you made to connect to those statements! It was as if your hands expressed how I also felt about them. You went for the exact shapes I had in mind! I will definitely try this kind of fun liberating exercise ! Thank you for sharing 🤗❤️❤️❤️

[@marienoellewurm]

haha wow that's amazing!! :) love that.

[@BlueandBats]

It was easy to do the first part, though I did it in words point form. The second I did not do, I didn't feel I ne3d3d to, like you said. I will consider what you mentioned about not being able or ready to face it. I did create the second page, though but with intuitive drawings that turned out nice. All in all that was fun and inspiring even if I didn't follow along the whole way. Thank you.

[@gwenmoore6034]

I need to do this…for many reasons. Thanks for a fascinating video.

[@marienoellewurm]

Please do! it’d be lovely to hear how it went :)

[@Samanehh]

I’m so excited that I’ve found you on KZbin as well! Yayyy 🎉

[@marienoellewurm]

yayyyy hiyaaa 👋😸

[@jaybee7617]

This gave me a fat smile for minutes, I really didn't expect that. Thank you for this enlightenment.We all have far to many rules in our head.

[@marienoellewurm]

ohhhh that makes me so happy :) and YES haha we have way too many rules than necessary lying around. Thanks for watching :)

[@alext1955]

Very inspirational. I started making an ugly sketch with this in mind with some aquarelle sticks and some oil paints in a sketchbook, but actually turned out to be pretty awesome IMO! Completely unintentionally, definitely going to do more of this!

[@marienoellewurm]

oh that's amazing! :) yes it's one of the nice surprises from allowing ourselves to do ugly art - sometimes we make things we love :D hahaha but also, you WILL no doubt also make things you find very ugly too - and that's amazing as well :)

[@risivenkian]

I resonate with this video on a deep level. Thank you for sharing these exercises with us! ❤

[@marienoellewurm]

oh I'm so glad :)