Art Journal Catalysts

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Ronni Nicole gives herself the freedom to evolve through art

Ronni Nicole gives herself the freedom to evolve through art

Artist SpotlightRonni creates what she loves to call “Floral Inspired Fossils”. For as long as she can remember, she’s always had a connection with flowers. She’s consumed by all the little details within their design. Even from a young child she can...

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Jaimee Ulmer uses art journaling to release the pressure

Jaimee Ulmer uses art journaling to release the pressure

Artist SpotlightWHY DO YOU LOVE ART JOURNALING? I love art journaling for the opportunity of processing, working through, and celebrating my life journey in a tangible, creative way.  “Art it Out” definitely works for me!  I also appreciate the...

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The Power of Community

The Power of Community

Hey Messians. Misty here. I talked about community a little bit on my blog back in January and about how I missed the community I had in my college art classes. This article functions as a sort of Part Two to the story of how I've found community in Get Messy. Fair...

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Ep 004: Find something deeper with art journaling

Ep 004: Find something deeper with art journaling

Messy ConversationsMessy Conversations is a series of interviews with amazing art journalers who share their favorite tools, tips and why they art journal. You’ll get an exclusive peek into their art journal pages and their process. We have a top...

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How Lauren Pearl uses art journaling as a path to freedom

How Lauren Pearl uses art journaling as a path to freedom

Artist SpotlightWhy do you love art journaling? I love art journaling because it gives me a chance to focus my mind somewhere else. I am one of those annoying people that have a million thoughts bubbling away in my brain and if you know me and have...

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Jennifer Bilton Finds Her Voice Through Art Journaling

Jennifer Bilton Finds Her Voice Through Art Journaling

Artist SpotlightWhy do you love art journaling? Art journaling has become a way to document my feelings and thoughts, to combine my passion for words with my passion for art, and to explore art techniques & mediums that excite me. For me, art...

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How simply creating art makes Sharon Nullmeyer an artist

How simply creating art makes Sharon Nullmeyer an artist

Artist SpotlightSharon is a painter, pattern maker, flower picker, and collager! She loves things from time gone by, books, peonies, neons, poster colors, and hot sauce.Why do you love art journaling? I really do love art journaling. I stumbled into...

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How Katie Jones avoids overthinking by making art

How Katie Jones avoids overthinking by making art

Artist SpotlightWhy do you love art journaling? It's just fun! I've always admired great scrapbook pages but felt a little restricted by the style, Art Journaling means freedom to create and just throw anything down on a page and make it art. Describe...

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How art frees Anke Kramer and brings more fun to her life

How art frees Anke Kramer and brings more fun to her life

Artist SpotlightI love beautiful things and like to be creative. In addition to painting and stamping, I also discovered photography and scraping for myself. I want to give all these things a space here and share them with others.Why do you love art...

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70 Ways to produce more than you consume

70 Ways to produce more than you consume

The focus of my life currently is this:

PRODUCE MORE. CONSUME LESS.

It’s a bold statement. With so much great stuff on the internet, and with it being so easy to be sucked into Pinterest, Instagram, blogs, and galleries, I’m needing to step back all the more. We consume so many things every day that actively trying to produce more than that is a big feat. There are two ways of doing it: either producing more than a hundred things per day, or drastically reducing how much you consume and making more than that number. I don’t want what I make to be influenced by someone else’s. I don’t want to be comparing how much I make. I don’t want to be making less because I’m too busy staring in awe at someone else’s stuff. I want my Ideas book to be a to do list and I want to get. shit. done.

There are a million reasons why I want to consume less and the number one reason is to produce more. I want to make a lot of stuff. I want to make up for lost time. I want to record all my memories before I lose them. I want to make a whole bunch of rubbish stuff so that I can get to making the good stuff.

And so I made an action plan. Here are the ways that I’m shifting my default to producing instead of consuming.

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Art as a Must Do Rather than a Nice to Do with Gilly Welch

Art as a Must Do Rather than a Nice to Do with Gilly Welch

In this Messy Conversations episode, Jenna chats with Gilly about her creative process and thinking around art journaling. They discuss how art journaling encormpasses everything and how you make it what you want it to be. 

Gilly shares how she’s able to be creative every single day due to the freedom given – no boundaries, and no rules. We are all busy but when we put small bits together with pockets of time, it starts to make a huge difference.

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How to Create a Scraps Diary

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...

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How to Collaborate with Other Artists

How to Collaborate with Other Artists

The Get Messy Season of Collaboration was in January. But community continues to be a Big Deal to us Messy Artists.

If you’ve ever experienced a creative drought, you’ll know the impact that your creative family can have on helping you through it, giving tips on finding the other side, and making you feel less alone in your struggle.
If you’ve ever experienced a creative high, you’ll know how much higher it feels when you share your wins and celebrate your creative flow with others.

In this episode of the Get Messy podcast, I’m calling on the combined knowledge of a small group of Messians. Traci and Meghan, Jenna and Dawn, and Sarah and Melenia share what they learned and what they gained from their creative connection during Get Messy’s Season of Collaboration.

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Collaboration for Art and Heart with Char + Claudette

Collaboration for Art and Heart with Char + Claudette

For the month of January, we focused on creative collaboration at Get Messy. Claudette Hasenjager and Char DeRouin led the way to nurture a safe space for artists to find their creative soul mate. For just the month, or for beyond. This excitement about creative...

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No Rules. No Perfection. Just Expression with Karen Price

No Rules. No Perfection. Just Expression with Karen Price

Nope, Caylee didn't become an American for the new year. That smooth, calming radio voice you're listening to is Get Messy Guardian's @ginnistonik. She's interviewing the marvelous Guardians of the Community to bring even more inspir-action and encouragement to your...

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Creative Reflections and Intentions: Goal Setting as an Artist

Creative Reflections and Intentions: Goal Setting as an Artist

The end of the year holds so much resolution and finality. It’s the closing of a chapter. But this also implies the newness of the next. It holds so much promise. Rather than focusing on the end or on the beginning, I encourage you to sit right in that feeling of...

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The Art of Book Writing with Misty Granade

The Art of Book Writing with Misty Granade

When I started art journaling, I started because I wanted to be an artist. But, step one to being an artist is making art. It's the same for writing a book. Step one to writing a book is actually sitting down and writing. The absolute Queen of Process, The Queen of...

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Routine vs. Spontinaeity with Sarah Gardner

Routine vs. Spontinaeity with Sarah Gardner

Sarah and I chat about the way she sees creativity - a place that has space for both structure and chaos. We talk about the harmony of her left and right brain sides of her brain. Creativity is impossible unless you're willing to embrace uncertainty. You have to widen...

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Let Go of Control and Make Imperfect Art with Kelli Saginak

Let Go of Control and Make Imperfect Art with Kelli Saginak

You guys. This is an episode in which I share the wisdom and kindness of my life coach. This is the one single human who has changed my life the most in the past year - the beautiful Kelli Saginak. Kelli opens up about her history with control and anxiety, we talk...

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Tools Over Rules with Laurel Greenfield

Tools Over Rules with Laurel Greenfield

I have a massive girlcrush on Laurel. If you've ever struggled to create art that looks like the art going on in your head, then you're going to discover your newest girlcrush too. If you're a food person, same thing. Hell, if you are a living, breathing, creative,...

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How to Write an Art Book in a Pandemic with Kellee Conrad

How to Write an Art Book in a Pandemic with Kellee Conrad

Last year, Kellee went through an intense creative burnout. I've been through many of those myself. This episode is about what's waiting on the other side. Kellee and I have loads in common, including writing a book with the same publisher and even the same superhero...

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A Spa for Your Creative Soul with Shay Kent

A Spa for Your Creative Soul with Shay Kent

Shay is so full of wisdom and kindness, and she encourages that you create the same within yourself too. After hearing a testimonial about her class, that it was “like a spa for your creative soul”, I knew I had to pick her brain. Grab your supplies and listen while...

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Creating Authentic Art from the Inbetween with Rachael Helmore

Creating Authentic Art from the Inbetween with Rachael Helmore

Rachael is my friend in real life. Not only is this episode proof that I have friends, it's also an exploration into what creating art in the "in-between" looks like. Rach is someone who says things that are so profound that I have to whip out my notebook in real life...

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Using Art to Narrate Your Journey with Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd

Using Art to Narrate Your Journey with Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd

The podcast is back! And we’re jumping right into the deep end. We’re not talking about surface level art here, no no, you can’t really do that with my guest. Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd and I are talking about a way to get around how damn hard it is to put your inner heart into your art. Not just putting your likes and dislikes onto the page, not just your paper ephemera, and not just what you did that day (although all of those are great). We’re discussing V’s favourite technique for telling your story without it being draining.

Cause we all have issues. We all have a story that has led us to the point we’re at. We’re all still on a journey. It may be beautiful, it may be painful, it probably is raw. Art is very good at helping unload that weight. But it’s not necessarily easy to do.

We wanted to talk about the creative process of making an online class, but in true Vanessa fashion, we ended up talking about so much more than that.

I’m glad you could join us.

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Connecting with Yourself with Elaine Kiziah

Connecting with Yourself with Elaine Kiziah

One of the biggest things that art journalers struggle with in their creative practice is the journaling part of art journaling. It’s weird. I know. A while back, I invited a journaling expert to help the Get Messy community with how to find the words. Elaine Kiziah...

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Why Art Journaling? with Wendy Solganik

Why Art Journaling? with Wendy Solganik

What is it about art journaling that makes it actual magic? Out of all the different ways to be creative, why do we choose art journaling? Why is this the one thing we have stuck with over time, and the one thing that we are constantly falling in love with? In order to answer this question with Wendy Solganik, we need to dissect her entire creative story.

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How to Publish a Book with my Fairy Bookmother Jeannine Stein

How to Publish a Book with my Fairy Bookmother Jeannine Stein

Prepare yourself for a bucket load of fangirling. Jeannine is one of my favourite people in the world - my editor, my Fairy Bookmother, and all-around dream maker. She changed my life, and in this episode, we're sharing insight into the process of publishing a book...

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7 Ways to Feel Less Alone as a Creative (Zoom-Fatigue-Free)

7 Ways to Feel Less Alone as a Creative (Zoom-Fatigue-Free)

The life of a creative can be lonely. And let’s face it: whether we identify as creatives or not, we all know what this pretty rubbish state of being feels like. As humans, we’re hard-wired for connection: we long to be understood by others, we long for relationships...

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Being an Artist vs. Just Making Art

Being an Artist vs. Just Making Art

I believe that anyone can make art but not everyone can be an artist. I know that the common narrative is that everyone can be an artist, however, I disagree with that. Well. Slightly. Let me explain... For some, capital A Artist is a stifling term. It renders them...

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Bookcast Series 2: It’s All About the Proposal

Bookcast Series 2: It’s All About the Proposal

The proposal was the first official task to writing my book. It's also what ended up being my compass and my rock. It was a mammoth task, but it was also easy? Why? Because I had already done the work... the year before in a very deep way and also every single year...

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How to Fill a Travel Journal

How to Fill a Travel Journal

Whether you're exploring a new country or your own backyard, here are practical tips on how to travel like an artist rather than a tourist. Podcast Show Notes We discuss: how to fill up a travel journal - whether you're away from home or just around the neighbourhood...

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Bookcast Series #1: The Beginning – I Wrote a Book!

Bookcast Series #1: The Beginning – I Wrote a Book!

Life is experienced in moments. Some of these moments hold more weight. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can feel the weight of some moments. There are certain moments in my life that I knew while they were happening that they would change everything. Bookcast...

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Follow Your Curiosity with Pete DeMarco

Follow Your Curiosity with Pete DeMarco

I had never thought of photography as art. I had always thought it was just for logical people following a very precise way of doing things. It felt like the opposite of creativity to me. Enter Pete. Pete sees creativity in a way not unlike my own - as a looping...

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How to Deal with Artistic Block with Tricia Poulos-Leonard

How to Deal with Artistic Block with Tricia Poulos-Leonard

Today I sat down with Tricia. Tricia is wise and someone that you wanna have in your corner because she's very zen about art making, very knowledgeable and plays between the right and left side of your brain so well. She's a great encourager and wise mentor. We talk...

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Dance Naked in Perfection’s Face with T Grey

Dance Naked in Perfection’s Face with T Grey

Every guest I have on the podcast is my favourite, but this is my favourite favourite and most exciting. It's someone who excites me every day. My husband, T Grey. We're talking about what it's like being on the other side of someone who lives life creatively. We get...

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Creating After a Drought, Art Meditation, and other Questions

Creating After a Drought, Art Meditation, and other Questions

This is an AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode, where you’re the one who asks me anything and I’m the one who answers. We cover a host of topics, mostly about supplies and where I’m at in my creative practice.

I share my favourite tools, classes, and resources for making art.

I discuss themes I’m processing through art (now and always), coming back to art after a creative drought, and a new way I’m merging meditation with creation.

A host of miscellaneous questions and answers.

And an in depth look at my love for white hair and #ff66cc.

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A Girl and her Studio: A Love Story

A Girl and her Studio: A Love Story

The best thing to come out of 2020 for me has been my studio. It’s my one true love (sorry T). It’s an old shipping container in an old slaughterhouse. It’s gritty, and raw, it’s hipster as hell, and its mine.

This studio has enabled me to do that weird thing people talk about called “work-life-balance” and for that, I am truly grateful.

I wanted to dedicate an episode of the podcast to it. It has a story. It’s a love story. And to make it worth your while, I’m sharing what a studio space of your own might do for you… 

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Take Time to Make with Anna Baer

Take Time to Make with Anna Baer

Why is it so difficult to just. make. art? We know how much we love it and how it feeds our soul. We know it makes us better in a multitude of ways, but sometimes even the thing we love the most can feel like a massive effort. 

I talk to Anna Baer, aka Olive Green Anna, about this. We talk about her mad skills – in creating art, in getting others to make art, and in pep talking directly to the heart.

I wanted to get together to talk about her latest offering, the Take Time to Make at-home artist residency, mainly because I’m taking part in it.  I also sneakily wanted to learn more about her as a human since she lives so close to me.

Our conversation lit me on fire. I loved hearing about how her process and seeing art as wildness in control; a way to see what comes out of her. We speak about destroying your own art in order to make space, removing the preciousness of supplies, making shit art, and where we put our worth as artists.

Grab your supplies and let us keep you company while you create… 

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