Messy May 2026

I’m taking part in the Messy May challenge this year, 2026. There are 31 artists (including me), each sharing a prompt for one day of the month.

For my day, I’ve chosen the prompt Fragile (Day 9 – my birth month).

In this blog, I’ll be sharing all the pages I create throughout the challenge. This is where everything will come together—each day, each prompt, each page.

I’m not approaching this as a series of finished pieces, but more as a daily practice. Some pages may feel complete, some may not—and that’s okay.

How I Created This Book

I prepared this journal beforehand, building up pages with layered, textured backgrounds to respond to during the challenge.

I’ve shared this process in my Accordion Art Journal class if you’d like to explore it.

Here’s a flip-through of the journal before I start.

Day 1 - Coming Home

Artist: @cayleegrey

Day 2 - Compassion

Artist: @art_journallove

Day 3 - Thoughts

Artist: @mindfulmimi

Day 4 - Opposites

Day 5 - Emergence

Artist: @sjrondon

Day 6 - Regenerate

Artist: @megjournals

Day 7 - Quest

Artist: @ellymack_

Day 8 - Glimmer

Artist: @herlandstory

Day 9 - Fragile

Artist: @debasreedeyart

Day 10 - Energise

Artist: @juliacusworth

Final Thoughts

This project is not about finishing something every day.

It’s about returning to the page, again and again, and allowing something to build over time.

This book holds that journey — not as perfect outcomes, but as evidence of showing up.

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