The Impossible Quest for Bad Art
In college, a professor threw us a wild challenge:
“Make art so bad it has nothing good about it.”
I tried. Oh, I tried. But every smudged line landed with accidental grace. Every clashing color hummed with defiance. Even the ugliest shadow whispered a story.
Meaning sneaks in like a guest who ignores the “No Entry” sign. Beauty is a terrible gatecrasher.
The News Prompt That Broke Me
Today’s writing prompt sounded deceptively simple:
“Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Connect it to your life.”
I scoured. I failed.
Why? Because we see the world as we are—and I’m interesting. (Not bragging. Just… human.) My inner life won’t let a headline stay dull. Even the most mundane story glints with meaning if you tilt your head just right.
Three Teachers Who Slayed Boredom
When students groaned, “This is boring. You are boring.” three teachers I’ve known delivered responses that still echo in my head. Each one rewired how I see the world.
1. The Army Medic Who Didn’t Coddle
“If you were more interesting, you’d find me less boring.”
Ouch. This art teacher, a former medic, had no time for fragile egos. His blunt truth hit like a dodgeball: boredom is a you problem, not a world problem.
2. The Scientist with a Flair for Explosions
Her lab was a carnival of fizzing beakers and bottle rockets. Yet when a kid whined, she’d smirk:
“Sweetie, my teaching degree didn’t come with an entertainment license. Do the work.”
A sharp reminder that learning isn’t always a spectacle.
3. The Stargazer Who Saw Souls
He studied constellations and beetle wings, but he saw us most clearly. His quiet response to “boring” cut deep:
“You find this dull because your inner life has not yet developed. When it does, every detail will fascinate you.”
That one still stings. And inspires.
Even a Streetlight Bulb Glows
Determined to nail the prompt, I dug through the news and found this headline:
“City Council Approves Replacement of 314 Streetlight Bulbs.”
Boring? Hardly.
Light is stewardship. Someone budgeted for those 314 bulbs, balancing a city’s fragile priorities.
Light is safety. A child walks home from choir practice in February, fearless under that glow.
Light is sacrifice. A worker climbs a ladder in January’s bite to make it happen.
Tell me again: is that uninteresting?
The Secret? Live from the Inside Out
The real question isn’t whether the news is boring.
It’s whether we have an inner life that can feel its pulse.
When we live from the inside out, the smallest details turn sacred. A “bad” painting still carries the artist’s soul. A “dull” headline hums with human care.
I failed the prompt. I didn’t find a boring story.
I found my own curiosity instead. And it lit up the news.
Your Turn to Find the Glow
- Where do you slap a “boring” label because your inner life hasn’t caught up yet?
- What “small” headline or daily chore could become a parable if you let it?
- Which teacher’s wisdom do you need today: the medic’s tough love, the scientist’s sass, or the stargazer’s call to wonder?
Tags: boredom, creativity, storytelling, finding meaning, living from the inside out, teaching wisdom, inspiration, mindfulness, writing prompts, curiosity
Forming 2.0 
Dean, I’m going to use all three on my daughter and even myself.
Thankyou for this reminder that I have to live from the inside out. I have forgotten how to do that. But then again, I’ve forgotten how to live life well… the inside requires quite a lot of cleaning up 😊…
I enjoy your thoughts and wisdom Dean. Thankyou.
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Iba, I have noticed something about your writing—it does not perform, it reveals.
You let people in mid-thought, mid-struggle, mid-sigh. That takes more than honesty—it takes courage rooted in something deeper than approval. Your words remind me of Wendell Berry’s poem “How to Be a Poet (to remind myself),” especially his line:
“Any readers who like your poems, doubt their judgment.”
I do not think he meant that as a dismissal—but as a reminder that good writing is not designed to please; it is meant to tell the truth. And yours does—quietly, bravely, and without disturbing the silence from which it came.
If you ever want to sit with that idea, here’s Berry reading it himself. It is worth the two minutes:
🔗 Wendell Berry reads “How to Be a Poet” (YouTube – On Being)
Please keep going. There is more in your voice than you’ve likely let yourself believe.
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I love love that… anyone readers who like your poems, doubt their judgement.. this is me to a T.
Thankyou Dean, I hope i can continue to write with authenticity.
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If you were more interesting you would find me less boring lol I love this. You did fail the prompt. There is no boring story here. lol I don’t think I could slap a boring label anywhere on my life right now. The wisdom I need the most today would be the star gazers call to wonder. Sometimes life moves fast and this wisdom reminds me to slow down and look at the beauty in every little thing and step along the way. Wonderful post you brought so much light and wisdom to this prompt. Bravissimo
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JAM,
You ever hear something that’s funny and a little too true at the same time?
I went to a funeral a while back for a woman named Marta Bach—a strong, brilliant, German plant-whisperer who loved like a lighthouse and took zero nonsense. One of her older sons got up to speak, and through his tears, he said something that made the whole room cry and laugh at the same time.
He said, “I think what I miss most is how, when I was with her, she reminded me of how wonderful I was… who I was in Christ… how important I was to her and to the world.”
Then he paused and added—
“…So maybe what I really miss is just hearing how great I am.”
We all burst out laughing. Because it hit something true.
Anyway—I thought of that recently. And honestly… if you ever stopped showing up in my comment section, I might find myself missing how great I am too. 😏
Thanks for your steady presence and the way you reflect truth and light with such clarity.
It means something.
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😏🤣 well you have no worries there. First I just speak truth, 🤷🏻♀️ I can’t help the fact that your writing is indeed wonderful and when you write somehow it manages to touch a place in my soul. Idk if there is a word for this but I am grateful for it. 🫶🏼🙏🏻❤️🔥 Stay blessed Dean and Thank you for being someone who’s light connects with mine.
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