Being bad at things is hard. Unfortunately, you should do it anyway!
January has finally disappeared, leaving behind in its wake cold weather and lingering mostly-abandoned New Year’s resolutions. February’s not far behind either, but as long as the weather is still cold the year is still ‘new’ and there’s still time to christen it. In this case, 2026: the year of doing things you’re bad at.
In an environment such as university, where you’re surrounded by people who seem to know exactly what they’re doing all the time, the idea of trying something new that you suspect you may be bad at is rather daunting. Although perhaps less intimidating than trialing an extreme sport, experimenting with a new craft is no exception to this feeling. This is especially true if you’re someone has historically considered themselves to be less artistically inclined.
However, that feeling is exactly why it’s so good to try new things, and trying out new ways of making things is one of the best ways to do this. From painting to pottery, and sketching to sewing, there’s a whole wealth of activities at varying levels of equipment and accessibility, any one of which is waiting for you to try it.
Experimenting with a new craft, regardless of your level of previous experience, is a good distraction from the stresses of academic demands.
The hands-on nature of most crafts is a guaranteed break from your screen.
Also, choosing to do something you’re bad at can be liberating when your life feels governed by assessments — it’s ok, and even good, to prioritise the process over the outcome. It can help to free yourself (albeit temporarily) from the need to create something worthy of good feedback. When you know that you’re not going to be creating the next Mona Lisa, no matter how hard you try, then you can give yourself permission to stop trying and just have fun with your new craft instead.
Additionally, although it might be a struggle to do something new that comes less naturally to you, the great thing about continuing to do things that you’re bad at is that one day you’re no longer bad at them! This is even more true for art than for most things, with subjectivity and personal taste meaning that there are so many different ways to make things that you or others will appreciate, even if they don’t quite look how you originally expected them to.
If you can separate the act of making and creating from the pressure to be ‘good’ at the act of making and creating, then you allow yourself to enjoy the process in and of itself. Sometimes, as the well-worn adage goes, “it’s about the journey and not the destination.”
“Scissors” by Spin Spin is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.