Nature Hello there, beautiful people! Sasha here today. I still cannot believe it is the last Season of the year. Somebody, pinch me! This beautiful, creative, challenging year...
Create a DIY portable flower press
Dig in
Art Journal Catalysts
Collage
The benefits of creating an art journaling habit
Connections Hi Messians! Misty here in the Season of Connections. As I was looking through the prompts for the season, a prompt in week 3 really grabbed me at the heart of...
Layering vellum and transparencies to produce soft layers
Fairy Tales Hello all, Vanessa here, a little later in the Season this time around! Riet's post last week gave us all so many ideas for creating interactive pages and my...
How to weave with paper
Contrast Hello lovelies! It's Ashley here, and I'm so excited to share a new technique for you to try in your art journals. When I was a child I loved all sorts of paper...
Repurposing small pieces of old artworks
Contrast One fun way to create unique journal spreads is to find "mini masterpieces" in your old art. Even when I don't care for a piece or a page, if I focus on small areas,...
A comprehensive introduction to collage
Art 101 Hello beautiful Messians, it's Ashley here! Today I am sharing the basics of collage, including a few tips and tricks to try in your art journal. I enjoy collage because...
The Mailable Art Journal
Hello, splendid Messians! I'm jazzed as hell to be back sharing another post here on the blog with you. Especially one that's about giving! Most of the people I've met through Get Messy...
How to make Watercolour Collage Paper
Hi lovely Messians! It's Essie again, here to share a video tutorial (ooh, faaaance!) of how I make watercolour collaging paper. I love to go through magazines to find...
Using your own photography in your art journals
Hi Messians, Julia here with a confession - I am awful at documenting my life. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t quite get into that format. I always start with such good...
Make your metallic dreams come true with gold leaf
Hey Get Messians! It's Torrie here, and I am super excited to bring you a tutorial on a new technique that I am in love with, gold leaf. You read that right. Gold. Leaf. As in, making...
Incorporating peek through pages in your journal
Hi all. It's Vanessa. Here is a quick tutorial that I think is just perfect for the Season of Words. You can use either a page in your altered book or use one of the pages you took out...
Art journaling from a kit
This season, we've been sending and receiving art journal kits. For those who are struggling to get started with using your kits, Julia, Karen, and I (Caylee) thought we'd share what...
Using tissue paper in your art journal
Hello Get Messians! Vanessa here. Today I bring you a tutorial on how to use one of my very favorite papers in your art journal: tissue paper. You know, the paper that sticks out of...
Creating Collages in Photoshop
Hello, Get Messians! It’s Julia here for a digital collage tutorial. I shared a collage that I had created in photoshop a few weeks ago and had some comments asking how I had achieved...
Abstract art journaling with acrylic paint and ephemera
Abstract painting is so much fun, and SO easy to do. You can level it up by adding ephemera.Action Steps Create in your journal. Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need,...
Movable Idea Catchers by Kiala Givehand
IdeasYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create an interactive way to explore and discover the ideas that live inside you. Part 1Bonus Save this file to your computer, print it out, and...
Recipe 13
#getmessyrecipes Unfinished/ extra tags and magazine cut-outs (choose the ones that will fit your current journal) Any homemade embellishments – I used clay. Anything goes. Acrylic Paint and brush....
Lesson 3c – Collage
Collage is the best way to use those prints and backgrounds, and any other piece of paper or ephemera that you have in your stash.
Lesson 2 – Joy and Happiness
This lesson is about connecting with happiness in our art journals. In the video I’ll introduce you to this idea, and to an artist whose work inspires me to create bright, joyful pieces of my own.
1.4 Essie Ruth – Collage in Monochrome
The conversation between colours in an artwork can make it complex and busy. When you reduce your palette to shades of one colour, you reduce the noise, and make a much more minimalist piece. It can still be intricately detailed, and multi-layered, but doesn’t get as intense.
Collage presents a unique way of including a wide range of textures and shapes while sticking to shades of a single colour.
Infuse your Art Journal with Emotion
Find the right media to express specific emotions.
Gathering ephemera for meaningful collage
Connections Hi Messians!Today I am sharing with you a super simple idea that I use a lot in my art journaling - it is essentially grouping ephemera. The word ephemera was...
Using vellum to create soft layers
Hello wonderful Messians! It's Zinia here again to share with you a tutorial/idea inspired by the theme of this season. When I first saw that we are having a season of Dreams, the first...
Creating a Floral Collage
Hello, beautiful Messians. It’s Essie from the blog team here. I hope this season of Happy is doing your soul good and setting the tone for a joyful and creative year. This week, I’m...
Creating an art journal page based on colour
Hey! It's Emily with my first creative team post for the year. So I am jumping into my role on the creative team with an idea that grew and grew in the middle of the night to become...
Making a strip collage
Hello delightful and delicious Messians! I’m Essie, and I have a tutorial for you today. I’m going to share my strip-collage process. Just so we’re clear I don’t mean that in the...
Simple Paper Splicing
Hiya friends! Lauren here. In real life I have the amazing privilege of being friends with a Get Messy community member, Karen H. We actually work together and I'm pretty sure Karen is...
How to Store and Use Ephemera
All right, art journalers, let’s take a look at ephemera. I LOVE paper. All types. Tissue paper, wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper, vintage scrap paper, wallpaper, packaging, vintage...
Bloom Season Hangout Replay with Francisca
This is a snippet of our Season of Bloom hangout with Francisca. This is an unstructured hangout and the only invitation was to bring collage papers with.
04 – Visual Gratitude Pages
While I love writing in my journal, there are also times where I just want to get my paints out and play. This lesson focuses on just that. We will still be documenting things we are...
Our Archaeological Dig by Lisa Goddard
VulnerabilityYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Work in layers to express different aspects of yourself and your life. Imagine an archaeologist peeling back each layer in 200...
03 – Creating Tags, Pockets & Tuck Spots
In this lesson, we will cover different ways to decorate tags that you can add to your journals. They are a quick way to get creative and make a lovely addition to your journal pages....
Feelings from Music by Anouk Karssen
VulnerabilityYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: While you listen to a song that moves you, that reminds you of a happy memory or simply inspires you. Take a moment to feel what...
01 – Making a Gratitude Journal
In this lesson, we will start off by creating a beautiful cover for out gratitude journal. We will then select a wide variety of papers and bind them together using a really simple...
06 – Into the Woods
This lesson will further explore collaged landscapes. We will build on this collage process by creating a forest landscape and adding a figure and a guide animal to explore that...
Words and Lists by Abbey Sy
OKYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a journal spread with a list of things that make you feel OK. Start with the phrase "I feel ok when..." and get creative with your...
06 My Story
Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug history’s in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The...
02 – Creating Writing Spots
In this lesson, we are going to start putting our journals to good use by creating writing spots. There are lots of fun ways to do this and I will be sharing some of my favourites....
Vanessa – Feminist, Anarchist Zines
Zine-making is historically a mode of expression used by marginalized groups. Zines are inherently underground, queer, feminist, anarchist, punk, and rebellious. They were photocopied works of...
Flip Through
Here’s a complete flip through of how I documented my days using The Diarist, the A5 journal I’ve used for the previous year.
Textured Reflections by Amanda Trought
ChaptersYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a reflective texture-rich art journal page. Bonus Save this file to your computer, print it out, and allow it to accompany you on...
Gather, Spark, Create by Felicitas Mayer
IdeasYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Use your old paper scraps and other crafty left-overs to find new creative ideas for art journaling. Action Steps create something based on this...
Collage Relaxation
Promise#gmseasonofpromiseYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Relax with your art and get into flow state with this easy art journaling technique. Repurpose scraps...
Pocket Goodies
Add a pocket to hold tags or other created goodies in any art journal.
Finishing with the Unfinished
Finishing#gmseasonoffinishingLet's finish our journal spreads with unfinished things. I know I have a lot of sketchbooks and journals of pages I didn't finish, forgot about, or didn't like. Can...
The Scaredy Cat’s Guide to Color
Download Save this mini workbook to your computer, print it out, and let it accompany you on your artistic journey this season. Your guide Caylee Grey Hyperbolic journaler and imperfect artist, Caylee Grey is also a wife and mother from South Africa. Caylee is the...
05 – Hand-Lettering Headings & Quotes
In this lesson, I will be talking you through some of my favourite tips for hand-lettering and faux calligraphy, along with providing you with a brush-lettering workbook. We will then...
07 – It’s a Matter of Perspective
The integrating self grows in confidence and is open to other perspectives. As the new integrated self builds its new habits, it makes choices based on its core values. It acknowledges...
06 – The Integration
The self is ready to bear the discomfort that might come from realigning with its own truth and re-integrating with its core self - its inner child. The self has finally committed to...
05 – The Leap of Faith
Despite its fears and doubts, the self takes the leap of faith! Doubt and uncertainty feel overwhelming to the self. It weighs the pros and cons over and over again. Fear paralyzes any...
04 – The Tower Moment
The self feels torn between its obligations and disappearing dreams, desires and worth. The self feels obligated to abandon itself in order to meet the societal expectations. It doubts...
03 – The Fragmentation
The society’s need for conformity widens the gap between the inner child and the growing self. The growing self continues to internalize the beliefs and paradigms that it learns every...
02 – The Journey
The inner child’s life journey begins to tear it away from its own truths. As the inner child begins its life’s journey, it leaves its core and is programmed to adapt to the requirements...
Sarah – Art Journal Zines
Make a Zine inspired by pages in your art journal and create a tip-in pocket to store it. Do you have a spread (or more!) in your art journal that you just love? Why not create a zine inspired...
Rory – Origami Zines
Fold and crease your single page zine in new ways, and use the literal unfolding as a visual journey through your own history or personal layers. When I started making zines in the 1990s, riot...
04 – Stitch a Meadow
In this lesson, we begin working in our journals by creating a collaged meadow landscape and adding stitched flowers. I’ll take you through my collage process and how I would build...
02 – Vision Boards
This lesson takes you through my process of creating a vision board centring around the theme of environments that inspire me. In this process, I take the time to go through and...
Step by Step: Monthly Recap
This lesson walks you through a step by step process of creating a monthly recap journal page.
Found Nature Objects by Arlyna So
SlowYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Incorporate what you can find outside, in nature, and bring them inside into your journal. Part 1Part 2 Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy...
Inspiring People Sketches by Shemi Dixon
EnoughYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create fun, and messy people sketches to honor the inspiring people in your life. Supplies Journal Paper scraps Washi Tape glue tissue paper...
Artist Affirmations
I love to incorporate artist affirmations into my art journal practice. Let’s create a beautiful and meaningful art journal spread to silence our inner critics.
Wild Abandon
Moments#gmseasonofmomentsYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create with wild abandon. Let go of perfection and expectations and gather things that you love. Art...
SOUL
Self#gmseasonofselfDownload the Season of Self: Soul Sidekick Save this file to your computer, print it out, and keep it inside your journal to spark journal ideas.For each lesson...
BODY
Self#gmseasonofselfDownload the Season of Self: Body Sidekick Save this file to your computer, print it out, and keep it inside your journal to spark journal ideas.For each lesson...
Bonus Before We Say Goodbye…
A little bonus before we say goodbye, we will take a little time to flip through some of my puzzle pieced journals, taking more time with what fills the pages. I’ve also included a few files...
The Missing Piece
So far in this course we’ve been focusing on being in conversation with the bits and pieces of life we’ve collected, and letting that tumble out onto the page. Now, we are going to shift a...
The Edge
When we’re putting together a jigsaw puzzle, it often helps to start with the edge or a foundation of sorts. For some of us, myself included, that means putting together all the actual edge...
03 – Warm Up Collage + Front Cover
When I am feeling stuck, uninspired or unsure I love to make mini collages. Using all of my favourite scraps of paper ad small journal, I create these mini collages as a way to warm...
Fun Formats to Try
This lesson walks you through fun formats to try with documenting your days.
Step by Step: Daily Entry
This lesson walks you through a step by step process of creating a daily entry page.
Form
Form is a three-dimensional object with volume of height, width and depth. These objects include cubes, spheres and cylinders. Form is often used when referring to physical works of art, like sculptures, as form is connected most closely with those three-dimensional...
Intuitive Collage & Paint by Tamara Egem
Flow Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create your own flow moment. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more than zero is enough. Click here...
Grungy Papers by Melanie Theriault
MessYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create grungy tissue papers with a gel plate and acrylic paints to use as a quick background. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take...
04 My Truth
At the core of who you are is your truth. We often need to remind ourselves of this truth. The world likes to try to get us to forget. Journaling.Meditating.Heartstorming.Creating. All of these are great ways to remind us of our truth. For MIND, meditate on the...
Rooted
New#gmseasonofnewYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Go back to your roots.I went back to my roots by going back to old journals. Here are some more ideas: copy one of...
Mindfulness Through Art
Mindfulness#gmseasonofmindfulnessMindfulness. Turning towards ourselves and listening. Being patient and curious and open. Imagine how much our...
How to Create a Scraps Diary
In this video, Autumn Moon shares what exactly a Scraps Diary is about. She pages through her Diary and shares the spirit behind it, the guidelines, the essence, and what it means to her. Video Transcript Please note that this transcript has been automagically...
All of Self
Self#gmseasonofselfWe as human beings are complex. By focusing on the details of ourselves, we are able to fully appreciate and celebrate them. Process Step One: Digitise your...
01 – The Inner Child
It is time to give the silenced inner child a voice to speak with us again. In my understanding, the inner child is the feeling, intuitive and sensitive part of each one of us - the part...
4.1 Symbols of You
Welcome to Symbols Of You. Together we will be exploring how the use of colors, words, and symbolism can be used to illustrate the positive energy we would like to celebrate and bring more...
Erin – Mundane Zines
Every moment offers an invitation to stop and notice what is happening around you and within you. We’re all way too busy to notice everything, all the time (also, that would be overwhelming!)...
The Big Picture
One of the fun things about a puzzle is that the picture comes together as we work on it, like a journal page. We don’t always have to see the end result to begin, with a puzzle or a page, but...
The Piles of Pieces
Creating the edges of our pages gives us a great place to begin, but now it’s time to fill those pages in with all our pieces. And once again, just like a jigsaw puzzle, we will turn to all...
03 – Drawing with Scissors
Firstly, we will prepare our sketchbook page with a nice dark background with either ink or paint and let it dry. We'll then look at our photographs for inspiration to create nature-themed...
05 – A Stitched Specimen
This lesson will explore some of the inhabitants of our landscapes. Personally, I find butterflies to be such a source of inspiration and the perfect partner for our stitched meadows...
Honing Your Habit
Sharing with you some habits and tips for your journaling journey.
Step by Step: Media Journal
This lesson walks you through a step by step process of creating a media journal page.
Shape
A shape is a two-dimensional design encased by lines to signify its height and width structure, and can have different values of color used within it to make it appear three-dimensional. In animation, shapes are used to give a character a distinct...
Line
Lines are marks moving in a space between two points whereby a viewer can visualize the stroke movement, direction, and intention based on how the line is oriented. Lines describe an outline, capable of producing texture according to their length and...
Frame it, Landscape it, Populate it by Tammy Murdock
AweYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Use this 3 step guide to fill your pages with something playful, serious, or perhaps perfectly preposterous! Part 1Part 2 Action Steps Bring your...
Flower Fever by Cathy Nichols
SlowYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a field of flowers using warm and cool colors. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more than...
Breaking Patterns by Mou Saha
ChaptersYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Use your art journal as an intentional self-healing tool. We will focus on spotting some of our unproductive thought patterns and creating...
Your World by Jana Clinard Harris
EncouragementYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Create a journal that shows what your ideal world looks like. This is a place you wish you could live in all the time. It should...
Making Moveable Collages by e bond
HeartYour challenge, should you choose to accept it: Explore how to make moveable collages in your art journal. Action Steps Bring your imperfect, messy self, take what you need, and know that more...
Messy Recipes: The Overthinker’s Guide to Making Art
Workshop Replay Messy Recipes: The Overthinker's Guide to Making ArtThe workshop is for the perfectionist who chooses mess instead. It’s the perfect, practical antidote to overthinking. I’m a recovering perfectionist myself. Embracing the mess is a...
Movement as a Distraction
We constantly are moving, doing, and staying busy in our daily lives. How can we carve away slivers of time for peace and creating? In this journal we will connect to a moment of calm in the midst of the chaos playing on contrast and complimentary colors to highlight this dichotomy in our lives.
Envelope Pocket Journal
Finishing#gmseasonoffinishingLet's set ourselves up to finish strong this year. I'll be showing you how to create and easy envelop pocket journal that can be accommodated into your workflow....
Caylee – Reverse Zines
A reverse zine is a zine that starts as a sheet and becomes a mini journal, rather than the other way around. It uses the magical power of cropping to make your art look absolutely gorgeous no...
The Pieces
We live such varied lives, holding so many roles, loving so many different things, and with all of that comes a lot of bits and pieces, many of which we easily overlook when it comes time to...