What does ugly work mean?
I talk a lot about ugly work.
Often times it gets misunderstood. I think you deserve some clarity.
So, here’s the deal.
Make ugly work.
When I say make ugly work, I’m not telling you to make bad work. Instead, ugly work is about giving it your all and not worrying about whether or not it will turn out incredible at the end. Create with intention.
It also turns out, creative work is subjective. There is good, bad, beautiful, and ugly. None of that matters when you make ugly work.
The more important question is, does it work?
Does it tell the story you want to tell?
What is the purpose and is it efficient at doing so?
Does it do what you want it to do?
Does it serve the person it intends to serve?
When I say make ugly work, all I’m asking is for you to show up at your desk and put in the work you told yourself you’d do.
Face resistance dead in the eyes.
Don’t worry about the aesthetics.
Just make the work happen and share it with the people who need to see it.
Rinse and repeat.
That’s ugly work.
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