Get Messy Art: The No-Rules, No-Judgment, and No-Pressure Approach to Making Art

The Book

Getting messy is the best part of creating! Get Messy Art gives you the freedom, inspiration, and ideas to experiment and play with art techniques and projects to create perfectly imperfect art.

We’re always told that play and experimentation is the foundation of growing as an artist.

But where do you start?

Where to find new techniques to try?

How do you bring them all together?

Get Messy Art has all the guidance, instruction, and inspiration you need.

Based on the popular online class and community website Get Messy Art, this book brings together tons of creative art techniques and projects, including painting with watercolor and acrylic, mark making, drawing with markers and pen and ink, sketching faces, and much more.

The fun doesn’t stop there. You’ll also learn how to make your own art journals and trendy junk journals—easy handmade books to work in that are personalized and one of a kind.

In Get Messy Art you’ll discover:

  • A welcoming environment that encourages play and experimentation, to help you become the artist you always wanted to be.
  • How to use no-rules, no-stress art techniques as a creative outlet to express feelings.
  • Actionable inspiration that will keep you going, even when motivation is scarce.
  • Fresh techniques that will show you innovative ways to use low-cost supplies such as paint and mediums, stencils, pens, and paper.
  • Easy background techniques that will get you started and banish fear of the blank page.
  • The satisfaction of making your own unique journals using simple methods.

Ultimately, art is all about creating for the sake of creating. It’s powerful, it’s cathartic, it’s messy—and it’s all yours. It’s time to get messy!

In bookstores, libraries, art museums, and messy desks around the world

Reviews

Basically, don’t be afraid to make a mess, feel your emotions, put them down on paper in art form. There are so many warm fuzzies that I coughed up a hairball.

Karen on Amazon

Full of beautiful and simple ideas to unleash your creativity without having to know how to draw. It immediately makes you want to bring out colors and paper to create something. More original than other similar books and less exaggerated on the excess that many scrapbookers have. If you’re more about minimal scrapbooking this is perfect.

Full of beautiful bright colors and the text is very encouraging, she exudes joy and is contagious.

Helen6 on Amazon Italy

It’s hard accepting the imperfections in my work but it helps to know I’m in the same boat as the whole Get Messy Art community. I would recommend this book!

Melissa on Goodreads

Having been an artist for all my life (I’m 63) I have been getting stuck more and more. I never understood the whole art journaling thing and a lot of my friends have done it since it started. This book has solved my conundrum. The biggest thing is the need to be perfect. Doing journaling discourages that need in a big way. Can’t wait to take an old book and make my first journal! Thank you for getting me past the roadblocks.

Juanita on Amazon

My daughter likes to paint but is pretty unsure of herself. She will complete a project and then ask everyone for their opinion. Then she gets frustrated and changes everything. Then finally she ends up throwing out her arts because she doesn’t like it at all. This book has been very helpful for her. It helped her to feel more creative and not need outside input from others. Now she is actually having fun with her art instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks about it. Excellent book

TosaTat on Amazon

It is so wonderful to have this permission and guidance to make messy art, beautiful art, healing art, connecting art. Even if you’ve never picked up a paint brush in your life, this book will help you discover art journaling, which is a precious tool of self-discovery. Caylee Grey has given the world a generous gift.

Debbie on Goodreads

This is a lovely, enthusiastic guide to journaling. The difference here is that the author promotes the enjoyment and regularity of your journaling as opposed to perfection…

Jilly on Goodreads

If you’ve wanted to start art journaling and didn’t know how, this book will be a fantastic start. If you’re stuck, if you need a good pep talk, if you want a friend cheering you on, this is the book for you!

Karen

on Goodreads

The Author

Caylee Grey

Caylee Grey is a South African artist who created Get Messy Art in 2014. Her creative adventure began as a way for her to get messy, ditch perfectionism, stay accountable, and consistently create art. Other artists wanted the same in their creative practice and a business and a community were born. Behind Get Messy’s digital doors are thousands of creative sparks taught by more than 100 teachers, and a supportive group of fellow artists who love sharing their artwork.

A self-taught artist, Caylee believes in making a whole bunch of really average art in order to get to the good stuff. She’s honored to lead a community of incredible humans passionate about cultivating their art practice. 

Art and heart shared

Book Artists

Alyssa Rothwell

Alyssa Rothwell

@thistleandthimbles

Anika Lacerte

Anika Lacerte

@thehandcraftedstory

Ashley Rodgers

Ashley Rodgers

@sweetashleyann

Caylee Grey (Author)

Caylee Grey (Author)

@cayleegrey

Charlene DeRouin

Charlene DeRouin

@charderouin

Connie Solera

Connie Solera

@conniesolera

Debbie Bamberger

Debbie Bamberger

@debbiebamberger

Felicitas Mayer-Klink

Felicitas Mayer-Klink

@felicitasmayer

Francisca Nunes

Francisca Nunes

@franciscanunes_heartmakes

Gilly Welch

Gilly Welch

@gillywelch21

Johanna Clough

Johanna Clough

@johannaclough

Lynissa Hayes

Lynissa Hayes

@makers_ave

Meagan Elizabeth

Meagan Elizabeth

@meaganelizabethart

Merel Djamila

Merel Djamila

@mereljournals

Misty Granade

Misty Granade

@misty.granade

Roben-Marie Smith

Roben-Marie Smith

@robenmarie

Rose Sheridan

Rose Sheridan

@rosieraindrops

Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd

Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd

@dansmoncrane

Here’s what you’ll find inside the book:

Contents

  • The Messy Movement – The Messy Artist Manifesto: Your official invitation
  • The Power of the Journal – A home for your artistic wanderings, creative explorations, and explored truths
  • The Magic of Habit – Make it easy to fit art into your busy life, and not the other way around
  • The Anti-Supply List – Fall in love with what you already have.
  • Creating a Messy Journal – Bind a home for your art. No perfection needed.

 

 The Trails

  • 1 Spark – Spark your creativity and launch your art journaling habit
  • 2 Grow – Grow as an artist by expanding your knowledge and skills
  • 3 Cultivate – Cultivate your artistic practice and take your creative life to the next level
  • 4 Connect – Connect with a community that gets you and your arty awesomeness

Order now

Order now from your favourite local bookstore or online

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Amazon

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IndieBound

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Booksamillion

US

Bookshop.org

UK

Amazon UK

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Waterstones

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Book Depository

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Books etc.

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uk.Bookshop.org

CANADA

Amazon CA

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Indigo

AUSTRALIA

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