This is where it’s safe (and you’re encouraged!) to ditch your to-do list. Ignore the laundry. Shake off perfectionism. And create for the sake of creating.

Everything we do is rooted in kindness and being a good human. The community is a place to feel inspired, supported, and accepted.

What we stand for

The Get Messy community is a digital open art studio.

Come in with your mug of coffee, wearing your paint stained clothes, and unpack your bag full of art supplies. Pull up a chair, open your journal, and chat as you create. Share your work, celebrate and be celebrated, ask and answer questions, and share your favourite art supplies.

Mess - freedom in imperfection

The good stuff happens in the messy middle. We grow through play, learn through practice, and every smudge, drip and happy accident counts. The only thing not invited to this party? Perfectionism. Leave that guy at the gate.

Connection - finding your art, your self, your people

Being a creative soul can be lonely, so we gather. Here you’ll find humans who cheer, swap tips and become friends well beyond the screen. We grow in circles: everyone learns, everyone teaches, everyone is seen. Ubuntu, my friend. I am because we are.

Art - for pleasure + power, joy + liberation

Art is valid all on its own. Make it for the joy of it, for the power it gives you, for the freedom of a page that asks nothing of you. It needs no market, no likes and no reason (though “because I wanted to” is a great one). We’re unapologetically enthusiastic, and slightly nerdy, about the whole glorious thing.

Belonging - mixed cultures, mixed accents, mixed media

Art belongs to EVERYONE. We’re actively making room for the voices the art world has left out for too long, especially Black, Indigenous and global majority artists, and celebrating techniques and traditions from every corner of the world. Women’s work is serious art, and always has been. Get Messy is a home for artists of all genders and backgrounds. Pull up a chair.

Expansion - a safe, brave space to grow

Get comfy, then nudge your edges out a little further, until trying new things feels easy. Every catalyst is made to get paint on your fingers. Float along with what’s on offer, or stop anywhere and dive deeper. You captain this ship, and you’ll always be held.

Showing up - using our sh*t (and being okay with our own)

Your supplies are for USING. Crack open the good paper, squeeze the fancy paint, close the shopping tabs. Bring your own sh*t too: the tired days, the big feelings, the half-finished pages. All welcome. And when you’re ready, share your work, host a hangout, teach a class (we pay artists for their work, always). We’ll be cheering the loudest.

A seat for every artist

Get Messy is a safe, inclusive home for artists of all genders. Some of our spaces are held for those who identify as femme or female, including trans and non-binary folks. Our members and teachers join from all over the world, with all kinds of cultures, accents and media, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Community guidelines

How we look after each other

Everything at Get Messy is rooted in kindness and in being a good human. These guidelines keep our community inspiring, supportive and safe, for every artist, at every stage.

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Maybe you’re putting your first mark on a page or maybe you’re the headliner at a gallery show in Paris. No matter where you are, we are here to cheer you on as equals, as artists.

We cheer each other on

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Ask your questions, and answer someone else’s too. Share your art struggles, your favourite supplies, what worked and what flopped. You’re an expert of your own experience and that is just as valid as being a “professional”.

We share what we know

2 We take it to the team

Art, cultures and experiences from all over the world belong here. Get Messy is inclusive of artists of all genders, and our women’s spaces are open to anyone who identifies as femme or female, including trans and non-binary folks.

We welcome every artist

3 We keep it kind and on topic

We show up for each other

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Come as you are to our hangouts, with video and audio on. Can’t use your camera or mic? Say hi in the Zoom chat within 15 minutes of arriving, or you’ll be removed. Mute when you’re not speaking, ask creative questions and leave room for others. Shy? Creating quietly while you listen is perfect.

We make art, not therapy

We respect the work

We are multicultural and our backgrounds are beautifully diverse. Our conversations bring us together. Politics, religion or money are saved for our personal journals. Sharing genuinely useful resources is always welcome.

The main purpose of Get Messy is art and community. Get Messy should not be used to replace the care of a health care professional. Do not rely on the site, its members, or teachers for diagnosis or treatment. Any discussion on mental health should be done in the context of art. We believe in therapy with a qualified health care professional.

Tech, membership or newsletter questions go to Support, so we can actually help. If someone isn’t following these guidelines, let us know there too. Thank you for helping keep this space safe.

Inspired by a teacher or a fellow Messian? Credit them. Get Messy content is for your own creative use, so please don’t copy, share, sell or claim it as your own. Breaking these guidelines can mean content is removed or a membership is cancelled. The full details live in our Terms and Privacy Policy.