Caylee Grey

First and foremost, Caylee Grey is a journaler and artist. She’s also a wife, mom, and the Fairy Artmother of Get Messy.

South African by birth, German by heart, her own art journaling adventure began as a way for her to get messy, ditch perfectionism, stay accountable, and consistently create art. It ended up transforming into something much more than that. Caylee has spent the last decade facilitating Get Messy, a community where she helps other recovering perfectionists embrace the mess and magic of a fulfilling creative life.

Caylee is a recovering perfectionist who believes that more than zero is enough, and that the messy middle is right where the good stuff is.

Catalysts by Caylee Grey

031 Habit

This season, a host of incredible artists take you on a creative journey focused on what Get Messy believes is the most important part of being an artist: habit. These artists show you how they fit an art habit into their full, rich lives. Learn creative warm-up exercises to get you started, how to build a 20 minute art break into your schedule, how to keep a digital art idea notebook, and how to utilize the Get Messy hangouts and community towards your art habit. This season shows you exactly how, in very actionable steps, to make a creative habit as second nature as brushing your teeth.

Ep 001: Just do something

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...

How to use modeling paste

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibSfX4bolNw&feature=emb_title

Reflections + Intentions 2019/2020

This annual Get Messy tradition has two exciting guests join in…

Non creative books that help your art

We all love to read about creativity, fill our homes with beautiful giant books with art photos, patterns, and photography in them. These books are as beautiful as they are educational. But living a creative life as an artist begs for more depth and inner exploration,...

Find Your Style

We have a hack for finding your style and it doesn’t involve selling a kidney, so that’s a bonus.

How to make an easy journal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6MTr2A5j1c

2.1 Quiet Backgrounds

how to quieten a background with gesso
how to quieten a background with vellum
how to quieten a background with tissue paper
how to quieten a background with white out text
the glory of the blank page
inherently quiet backgrounds

How Lauren and Caylee Built a Business Out of Creative Habit

Artist SpotlightHi friends!! Welcome to the first Member Spotlight of 2016! We thought we would kick off this year with sharing some of our own experiences with art journaling to introduce ourselves to you a bit more. We try to feature the amazing...

Make Your Own Paper Embellishments

Supplies old book paper ballpoint pen paintbrush acrylic paint sealant scissors 1. Draw shapes onto the paper Three simple ones for me, on two types of paper. The hearts and stars were on...

Messy Recipes

Sometimes, your creativity needs a catalyst, and Messy Recipes includes a bunch of catalysts for creating an endless amount of art journal pages. Get Messy Fairy Artmother Caylee Grey has designed 12 recipes that include a list of “ingredients” (or supplies), a method with step-by-step directions, and pictures for guidance and inspiration. Guests artists have shared their favourite recipes too. Following the recipes exactly or using them as a guide, you can create endless variations. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike, Messy Recipes provides the catalysts for creativity that you can return to again and again.

How I went from lazy and passive to deliberate and goal driven

Let’s officially kick off the podcast with my story and the reason I’m here.

How to Start Art Journaling

What’s the secret to art journaling? Okay, here it is: it’s the starting, the making, and the keeping on making. In this free class, Fairy Artmother and Get Messy founder, Caylee Grey, archeologist and founder of Art Witch Academy, Vanessa Oliver-Llyod, and art therapist and mentor at Mindful Art Studio, Amy Maricle share their perspective on the starting and making part of art journaling. First, they share a peek inside their art journals to answer the question: what in the Frida Kahlo is art journaling? and gush over their favorite supplies. Then, they show you how art journal recipes and prompts can take the overthinking and overwhelm out of starting as they each tackle the same recipe and share their differing results. Finally, learn tips for translating inspiration into action and how to hold yourself accountable by making and connecting with art friends. If you are ready to kickstart your creative practice, then dive in with this class.

Reflections + Intentions 2018/2019

We’re talking creative reflection and intentions. Looking back at what you’ve made, and how to make great art goals.

We love people who make art, and if you’re here then we love you too

How to start art journaling > WelcomeWe love people who make art. And if you're here then we love you too. Yay! We're so excited you're here. Who are we? Caylee, Amy, and Vanessa....

Lesson 1 – So what the Frida Kahlo is art journaling?

How to start art journaling > Lesson 1 So what the frida Kahlo is Art Journaling? Ah, the big question: What is art journaling? It's whatever you want it to be! Wait, saying...

Lesson 2 – It’s not about the tools, it’s about how you use them

How to start art journaling > Lesson 2 It's not about the tools, it's about how you use them This lesson has our favourite supplies list. Are you ready for them?Supplies whatever you...

Lesson 3 – The breakfast of art journaling

How to start art journaling > Lesson 3 The breakfast of art journaling (How to make your first art journal page)You may have already created art journal pages, and if you have, GO...

Lesson 4 – How to do the actionable inspiration thing

How to start art journaling > Lesson 4 Translating inspiration into art (How to do the actionable inspiration thing)All over the internet we have sites that promise inspiration,...

Lesson 5 – Prompts are real life art catalysts

How to start art journaling > Lesson 5 Prompts are real life art catalysts One of Get Messy's three main pillars is prompts. Oh man, how we love prompts. We believe they are the key...

Lesson 6 – Art friends are not like regular friends

How to start art journaling > Lesson 6 Art friends are not like regular friends Have you ever been in your art studio (fancy loft warehouse, kitchen table, or living room floor) and...

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...

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,...

How to bind a vintage book into a junk journal (no perfection needed)

Bind your own journal using an old book… as old as you’d like. With a lot less perfection than you think you need.

Create a Life Mind Map

Reflection Life Mind Maps are a fantastic way to reduce anxiety. They give a bird’s eye view of your life and helps you be objective. When you know exactly what pieces build...

Find time to art journal by keeping a digital idea notebook

Habit Caylee Grey Get Messy is led by Caylee Grey, your fairy artmother, who with a swish and flick of her magic paintbrush empowers humans to live a creative life. She knows a...

Season of Starting Intentions

Starting Beautiful artist! Welcome to the Season of Starting. No matter what kind of starting you are doing, I'm excited for you. The first week of a season is dedicated to...

Step 2 – Direct your aim

Failure To do better is better than to be perfect. - Toba Beta This lesson is all about the new. By directing our aim, by focusing on just one thing at a time, we dance naked in...

Step 4 – Eff comparison

Failure Comparing ourselves to others is one of the most debilitating ways we stop ourselves from creating. We create our own idea of perfectionism from others....

Class Kit + Workbook

Workbook + Digital KitDownload these files and save them to your computer. Print them out and use them in your journal for this class or for other projects. Copyright © Caylee Greyvenstein and Esther Smith. All files are for personal use only. You may not distribute...

1.3 And Then There Was You

Arrival Few of us have days in our lives that are more memorable than when our babies came into our worlds. For the majority of us it’s a story that involves giving birth, though for adoptive and non-birth parents it’s still an unforgettable, life-altering event.Write...

2.3 Self Care

So we’ve looked at who you were and who you’re becoming, and now it’s time to think about practical ways of taking care of you moving forward. Now that your life is busier and fuller than ever, it’s important that you’re cared for and supported as much as humanly...

1.1 Life Before

It might be hard to remember right now, but before you were a mother, you were you. There’s nothing like having a baby to completely turn your world upside down, and make you feel like your identity got shattered in the turning. All of a sudden you’re a shuffling,...

2.1 Who Am I?

So far, we’ve talked a lot about the process of becoming a mother, and what that was like for you. But that’s actually the shortest part of the story. What comes next, is the rest of your life. No matter what happens to you from now on, you are a mother. It's...

Closing Thoughts

Here's a look at our completed journals...

1.2 Suddenly Real

While the sperm-meets-egg biology of conception is universal, the process of creating our babies is different for everyone. Some of us fall pregnant easily, and some of us struggle. Some of us are biologically linked to our kids, while others adopt, or are the other...

2.2 Loving Mama

We’ve talked about how motherhood can change the parts of you that existed before, and how you can reconnect with those in your current life. Now it’s time to identify the things that were born in you when your child became yours. The new, awesome, scary, surprising...

Loving Mama

When you have kids, you can become so absorbed in the daily work of caring for them that you become disconnected from your personal stories. In existing for others, you can lose yourself. This class is designed to help you take the stories of your mother-self, weave them into the self that existed before you became a mother, and move forward with both of them intertwined. You’ll record the process in a creative journal, and when it’s done, it will be a beautiful love letter to yourself that honours all the parts of who you are and tells the story of how you came to be the amazing woman you are right now. This class comes with the Camellia digital kit, extra journal cards, and a printable workbook to get you creating as quickly and easily as possible.

Orientation

Get started becoming a Get Messian with Messy Orientation! Messy Orientation will show you how to get the most out of the Get Messy website, connect with your art tribe, and build and maintain your creative practice. Learn all the ways Get Messy can get you making right away with Get Messy Seasons and website resources such as the Choose Your Own Adventure Library. Then see how the Get Messy forums can help you connect and collaborate with other members and make new art friends. Finally, learn about setting art goals and creating art making habits that get you making daily or as often as you need. Messy Orientation is your resource for all things Get Messy.

1.2 Preparing the Journal

how to choose, and prepare paper for a handbound journal

1.3 Binding the Journal

how to bind the journal using threaded saddle stitch

2.2 Abstract Acrylic

a super easy way to paint abstractly with paint
how to keep abstract painting minimalist

Prepping an Altered Book

In the video, I show you how to take pages out of your book by finding the signatures and by ignoring the signatures. I demonstrate how to prepare a page for paint with gesso. I also...

Resources for making an altered book

We're giving the prep an entire week in the season. Use this time to prepare the cover and pages, then share your book on Instagram with #getmessybook. For some people, this week will...

Abstract painting Tutorial

Here's a tutorial showing my process from start to finish for an abstract acrylic paint page. I like keeping whitespace, but it looks gorgeous if you cover the whole thing too....

Season of Documenting Intentions

Documenting For the season intentions, I'd love you to trust me. We're going to do things a bit differently. Dig Deeper Let's start this season in the deep end. Let's jump...

Recipe 12

#getmessyrecipes acrylic paint in a bright or fluorescent colour black and white image or Xeroxed image (if you don't have one, you can download one of flowers below) neutral paper thick washi tape...

Recipe 10

#getmessyrecipes a poem on paper - written by you, from a magazine, or you can use one scanned in from an old e e cummings book (just click below) image from a magazine thread - from a sewing machine...

Recipe 09

#getmessyrecipes /your gorgeous self pencil modeling paste acrylic paint stencil (if you'd prefer, you can download and print the background) brush pen (if you're not into your own lettering, you can...

Recipe 08

#getmessyrecipes magazine image to use as the focal point pattern from a magazine to use as a background text from a magazine ledger paper (if you don't have, print some out from the Get Messy...

Recipe 07

#getmessyrecipes dried tea bag typewriter or computer printer collage fodder - 2 pieces that mean something to you, 1 piece that you simply love, and 1 piece of discarded art washi tape pen One Open...

Recipe 06

#getmessyrecipes paint your favourite paper old ledger paper or book paper (click here to print if you don't have your own - make sure to print on both sides) a reference image (if you don't have one,...

Recipe 05

#getmessyrecipes two colours of paint in the same colour family pencil a dark or light colour paint paint in an opposing colour old credit card, gift card, or silicone tool paintbrush gesso brush pen...

Recipe 04

#getmessyrecipes four colours of paint - acrylic, gouache, watercolour, whatever acrylic ink or fluid acrylic paint marker stencil One Add small smears of paint equally all over your page. Two Add the...

Recipe 03

#getmessyrecipes scraps of artwork, preferably matching scissors and glue brush pen or actual paint brush dipped into paint thread - either on a sewing machine or on a needle One Tear out a bunch of...

Recipe 02

#getmessyrecipes old book or book pages (if you don't have any, click here to download and print with a laser printer) gesso or white acrylic your favourite colour acrylic paint a matching colour...

Recipe 01

#getmessyrecipes collage papers tape - washi or masking tape glue acrylic paint watercolour, ink, or watered down acrylic a typewriter, computer, or magazine a favourite quote One Tear out your...

Our goal

Failure Art is the perfect imperfection. - Alvaro Castagnet If you joined this season hoping for ways to get over failure, or to learn how to prevent failure and...

Step 1 – Celebrate how far you’ve come

Failure It's not about perfection. It's about the joy of striving. - Thomas Keller We're jumping head first into the Season of Failure with two extremes - a...

Step 3 – Do the work

Failure We must understand that the drive for perfectionism is a corrosive waste of time. Because nothing is ever beyond criticism. ... At some point, you really...

Step 5 – Let go and sparkle

Failure Action Steps go through the five steps again, and again Feeling like you're not good enough

II. Art: Anti-Supply List

II. ArtAnti-Supply List • Swatches • Swatch Table • Colour TableThe Required Supplies list is: whatever you already own Nothing is required. In fact, while you go through this lesson I actively encourage you to give away any supplies that you don’t actively love....

2.1 Catalyst: Mind Travel Kit

2.1 CatalystMind Travel Kit • How to use the Mind Travel Kit Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Do You • Art Application: Wait / Great Things Take Time • Art Application: PruneHOW TO USE THE MIND TRAVEL KIT CREATIVE CATALYST Watch the video below to see how I...

V. Journal: Found

V. JournalFound journal for a calmer look • Ideas for your Found Journal • Found Catalogue Art Journal in One SittingSee things not as they are, but as opportunities. A found journal is something that you can really play with. I tend to find a lot of calmer looking...

3. CALMER LOOK

3. Calmer Look Brain DumpReduce the NoiseA Journal as a WholeMonochrome BackgroundLayered Minimalism

1.2 Art: Watercolour Smoosh

1.2 ArtWatercolour Smooshes • How to create watercolour smooshes • Art Application: Germany / Love • Art Application: t / eReady for the easiest art lesson you’ll ever receive? HOW TO CREATE WATERCOLOUR SMOOSHES Told you it was easy! One supply. One colour. Loads of...

3.3 Art: A Journal as a Whole

3.3 ArtA Journal as a Whole • A Journal as a WholeA JOURNAL AS A WHOLE I had a whole bunch of real life ephemera that I wanted to use and let go of. I bound a small, A6 journal, and put it all in there. I put my music on loud and got everything down onto the page....

III. Journal: Handbound

III. JournalHandbound Journal for Less Stuff • Handbound journal inspiration • How to Hand Bind a JournalThis journal uses up your supplies. It provides you with a base made out of paper that you already love. It removes the fear of the blank page. If you put in the...

2.2 Art: Taking In / Letting Out

2.2 ArtTaking In / Letting Out • How to dip dye paper • Art application: Resistance HOW TO DIP DYE PAPER Watercolour dyeing is something that I have been in love with for years. In the video below, I show you how easy it can be. ART APPLICATION: RESISTANCE Put...

3.1 Catalyst: Brain Dump

3.1 CatalystBrain Dump • How to use the Brain Dump Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Kaylee • Art Application: When We Have Less • Art Application: Freedom HOW TO USE THE BRAIN DUMP Morning pages are something incredible that I took from a meh book. A short while...

I. Catalyst: The MAJ Manifesto

I. CatalystThe Minimalist Art Journal Manifesto • How to Use the Catalysts • Eight Principles of Minimalist Art Journaling • You As An Artist • Art Application: Although you WorkHOW TO USE THE CATALYSTS Firstly, have you downloaded the catalysts yet? Download them....

2. SIMPLER PROCESS

2. Simpler ProcessMind Travel KitTaking In / Letting OutBotanyLacy PatternsStacked Shapes

IV. Journal: Plain

IV. JournalPlain journal for a simpler process • Plain journals are awesome too You have permission to use a plain journal. I use pretty much exclusively Moleskine – this isn’t the perfect journal. It does not enjoy paint even a little bit. Do not go out and buy a...

2.3 Art: Botany

2.3 ArtBotany • The Minimalist’s Paint Pour: Acrylic Smoosh • The Minimalist’s Paint Pour: Flow • Art Application: Botany • Art Application: She Had a Feeling THE MINIMALIST’S PAINT POUR Paint pouring is a beautiful technique, but it gets very overwhelming and busy....

1.1 Catalyst: Mood Board

1.1 Mood BoardCreative Catalyst for Intentional Creating • How to use the Mood Board Creative Catalyst • Art Application: Always be Kinder • Art Application: Am I Good Enough?HOW TO USE THE CREATIVE CATALYST This is one of my favourites for ensuring that a page has a...

3.2 Art: Reduce the Noise

3.2 ArtReduce the Noise • Process your ephemera • Morning Pages in the Morning PROCESS YOUR EPHEMERA Ephemera is one of those things that can get seriously out of control. Watch this video showing tips for maintaining a collection of ephemera that you truly love,...

The Minimalist Art Journal 1

Minimalist art journaling is art journaling that strips away the excess, takes away the non-essentials, and focuses on what’s important. The Minimalist Art Journal is all about finding your calm and putting your emotions on a page. Including 16 lessons and 7 guest artists, you will learn to not fear the blank page and embrace it. Get away from the clutter and overload of normal life and focus on what makes this moment, this hour, this day important. No overload of extras and stuff. Just you, a blank page, and the basics. Take time, do less, and create more art where you are with what you have.

The Minimalist Art Journal 2

Minimalist art journaling is art journaling that strips away the excess, takes away the non-essentials, and focuses on what’s important. Get Messy Fairy Artmother Caylee Grey builds on the first Minimalist Art Journal class and takes you on a deeper dive in this premium class. MAJ2 Includes 20 lessons with 48 videos and a 37 page workbook filled with creative catalysts, as well as a wealth of guest artists who share their insights and methods. MAJ2 is not about “making time for art,” but about fitting art into the life you already have: the one with commitments and responsibilities. MAJ2 is for those who have less time, less room, and less brain-space to devote to art journaling, but whose need to create still burns.

Creator Incubator – Classes

30 days to creating your first online art class

1.1 Tools You ♥

why it’s important to keep your tool kit small
how to build an art journal kit that you absolutely love
what my ultimate tool kit is

3.1 Preventing Over-Embellishment

The Minimalist Art Journal > Lesson 3.1Preventing Over-EmbellishmentWelcome to Lesson 3.1 of The Minimalist Art Journal. In this lesson, we’ll be learning how to prevent over-embellishment by...

3.2 Using Found Images

The Minimalist Art Journal > Lesson 3.2Using Found ImagesWelcome to Lesson 3.2 of The Minimalist Art Journal. In this lesson, we’ll be learning how to alter found images to be more minimalist...

4.1 Say What You Need

The Minimalist Art Journal > Lesson 4.1Say what you needWelcome to Lesson 4.1 of The Minimalist Art Journal. In this lesson, we’ll be learning how to say only what you need This is an...

4.2 Get it All Out

The Minimalist Art Journal > Lesson 4.2Get it all outWelcome to Lesson 4.2 of The Minimalist Art Journal. In this lesson, we’ll be learning how to get what you need to say out, but still rock the...

05 • IDEAS + TAKEAWAYS

The Minimalist Art Journal > Bonus05 • Ideas + TakeawaysHere’s a bonus “lesson” with a bunch of past minimalist pages – quick examples, ideas, and takeaways. Takeaway: use an image to get the...

Class Bonuses + Prompts

The Minimalist Art Journal > BonusClass Bonuses + PromptsOh man do I have presents for you! Just click on the image to be taken to the download link.

Why I Share My Art Journal Pages and Why You Should Too

I will get right to the crux of the matter: not everyone will like your art journal page. Heck, most of the time you won't like it either, and some of the time almost no one will....

000 Bootcamp

If you’re in need of a realignment, Bootcamp is what restores you to a creative state and gets you ready for your journal. It has three parts to it and can be done every month or whenever you need a reset.

Season of Habit Intentions

Habit It's the first week of the season and this week will really set you up for success. Habit is going to change your art life. Just take a look at the comments on Instagram,...

Welcome to Loving Mama

Welcome to the class!

1. LESS STUFF

1. Less stuffMood BoardWatercolour SmooshInner LandscapesRecycled PaperMultimedia Collage

06 • THE FINISHED JOURNAL

The Minimalist Art Journal > Bonus06 • The Finished Journal

Level Up Resources

Applications Links are to the Chrome store or iStore where applicable. This list is constantly being updated Reference : Notion, Evernote, OneNote Task Management : Todoist (alternatively: Wunderlist, Teux Deux, Any.Do) Project Management : ClickUp, Asana, Trello...

0. START

Start You're an art rockstar.Welcome to The Minimalist Art Journal 2.0. Go you for prioritising your art. I'm excited for our hearts to mush together. In this class, we're gonna be focusing on three things: less stuff simpler process calmer art Each section will have...