Take a peek at the project I’ve been working on!
There is this concept known to entrepreneurs, artists – and just about everyone who has created something for the world to see – called the “Ugly Baby” .
Seth Godin first introduced me to it in one of his many writings, but the idea itself has been around for a long time.
Broken down, ‘ugly’ relates to something being unpleasant or affecting the eyes.
The ‘baby’ portion here connects to something that you made or produced – like an actual human baby. Typically, you’d be very proud of your baby – caring for it, telling everyone stories about it, Lysol-ing the crap out of any potential germ that may cause your baby discomfort.
You know, that sort of thing.
When an artist produces a piece of work – and I’m not just writing about those who can make a Moana Lisa look-alike in the time it takes you to down the bagel you got in 3rd street – I’m including everyone who has ever made anything – often thinks about it as their ‘baby’.
Like a parent, an artist may be overly protective of what they have created.
Artists can be so defensive of their art that they sometimes hide their babies away from the real world, shielding it from the criticism that it may inspire from others.
And therein lies the issue.
If artists hide their babies, how is the world ever supposed to know they exist or what is it capable of?
Depending on what you have made, not only will the audience miss out on the chance to see what you have created, but your baby will also not become better shaped by the external demands of others.
An extravagant case: I made a cake so good, the British Bake off producers would be pounding on my door if they knew what magic just came into the world.
But they will never know, because I never told them – or anyone – that I even baked.
And why didn’t I tell anyone?
Because I thought they would call my baby – this blend of patterns, architecture, and flavor – ugly.
And so what if they did? What if they said that their sweater-wearing Pomeranian can bake and decorate a better cake than me?
If I were resilient, I would find a way to hone my craft and show that too-cold toy dog that my desserts can best its confections any day.
Or, I can throw off my apron, set fire to my decorating equipment, and wallow in self pity in front of the couch, spoon-deep in a pint of cookies and cream.
Artist’s choice.
It all comes down to what you are willing to risk:
Share your art, understand that judgment will come, and adjust your art or mindset to keep getting better at your craft.
-or-
Keep your art to yourself and never let the world know what you are capable of creating.
The best course of action, according to those who actually make things for the real world to see, is to put your ‘baby’ out there and plan accordingly – to showcase your ‘Ugly Baby’ to the world and see what happens.
Ehem, so, without further ado, welcome to my Ugly Baby.
This website, and everything attached to it from links, to platforms, to content, is my art.
It’s built to be a library, a diary, a peak though the looking glass for people with similar interests to go and see the world through my perspective.
And I know it isn’t perfect: the site themes will change, content will shift, and new tools will frequently be there one minute then gone the next because I found a better place to put it.
But it’s mine – I made it – and I’m excited to see it all put together and take you along for the journey.
If you don’t like it, don’t tell me – I didn’t make it for you anyway.
I made it for me – my interests, curiosity, and lack of impulse control – and for those who want to see where my next chapters lead me.
This is going to be fun.
Behold: my Ugly Baby.
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