Vulnerability
#gmseasonofvulnerability
This season’s artwork is created by our guest artists
Dear Messy Artist
Working in an art journal is inherently vulnerable. Even if you never share it with someone else, it’s confronting to look at the page and see bits of yourself in it. Bits that you didn’t know were there, bits that you’ve tried to hide, great bits, all the wonderfully messy bits that make up parts of you. The way David and Ted articulate it in Art & Fear is as follows: “In making art, you lay bare a truth you never anticipated: that by your very contact with what you love, you have exposed yourself to the world.”
This season I encourage you to get naked. Expose yourself. That exposing doesn’t have to be with others; sometimes revealing yourself to yourself is the hardest bit. Put yourself out there in your journal, and then if you’re ready, to your community. Get Messy is a safe space and a soft place to land. We’ve got you. In your own act of vulnerability, you not only allow yourself to be seen but you also show others that it’s okay too, and there’s something very powerful about that.
Download the Season Sidekick
Save this PDF to your computer, print it out, and let it accompany you on your artistic journey this season. This PDF is curvy in all the right places – it contains loads of images and text, so allow it some time to download.
Let’s get naked
Art + love
Your fairy artmother, Caylee
Season Structure
You can see the full Calendar here.
Week one: The fresh start
On day one, you’ll receive a Season Sidekick that’s filled with prompts, ideas, encouragement, and digital ephemera you can use in your journal. We start by connecting ourselves to our journal with a (re)introduction and set a new direction for the journey ahead (this is the purpose behind our seasons.)
Week two and three: The creative challenges
In the second and third week, a guest artist will set a challenge for you and your journal in the form of a prompt or tutorial. You can accept/adapt/decline the challenge based on what speaks to you.
Week four: The empowerment experience
Our final week is devoted to realigning and refilling our inspiration well. We connect, and we reflect. Depending on where your heart is right now, you can choose to use our list of suggestions to embark on this week however you’d like.
Lisa Goddard
Lisa is a mixed media artist and tutor with a passion for art journaling and book making. Her journal pages are an expressive grungy mix of collage, colour and vintage imagery that explore different emotions and untold stories. Lisa lives on the outskirts of the Peak District National park in the UK with her husband and two daughters.
Anouk Karssen
Anouk is an all-round creative from the Netherlands. For Anouk art journaling is a way to process her thoughts and emotions. In her creative journey Anouk tries to let go of her perfectionism by creating on a more intuitive level.
Action Steps to kick off your season
Take what you need
Receive your weekly invitation to create from the host artist that week. Accept, adapt, or decline the challenge. Create.
More than zero is enough
Any and all art that you create is enough. Use the last week each month to replenish and refill your artist well.
Want to know how to make the most out of your Get Messy membership?
This is a community genuinely and authentically rooted in kindness. Here are our top three tips for rocking your messy life.