Messy May challenge is complete, and this little accordion journal now holds 31 prompts, 31 days of creative exploration, and far more than I expected when I began.
When I started this project, my goal was to show up each day and respond to the prompt. I wasn’t trying to create finished artwork. I wasn’t aiming for perfection. I wanted a place to experiment, play, and stay connected to my creativity.
What surprised me most was how quickly this journal became more than an art project.
As the pages accumulated, they began reflecting something deeper happening in my life. Thoughts I hadn’t fully acknowledged. Feelings I was still processing. Tiny moments of clarity that appeared between layers of paper, paint, stitching, and collage.
What began as Messy May slowly became something else entirely.
How I Created This Book
One of the best decisions I made was preparing this accordion journal before the challenge began.
Instead of starting each prompt with a blank page, I already had layered, textured backgrounds waiting for me. That meant I could spend my creative time responding to the prompts rather than preparing surfaces.
Because the pages were connected, I could also see the journal growing as a whole. Each spread became part of a larger story.
If you’re considering joining an art challenge—or creating your own personal creative practice—an accordion journal is a wonderful format. It gives you structure without feeling restrictive and allows you to build a body of work over time.
This is the same process I teach in my Accordion Art Journal class, where I share how I create the journal, build the pages, add texture and layers, and prepare a book that invites daily creativity.
Flip Throughs
Days 1-2-3
Days 4-5-6
Flip Throughs
Days 7-8-9-10
Days 11 – 15
Day 17 - Transparency
Artist: @raspberrybluesky
Day 19 - Doorways
Artist: @emmafreemanartist
Day 21 - Mend
Artist: @thistleandthimbles
Day 23 - Outside
Artist: @jessy_flow_art
Flip Throughs
Days 16 – 20
Days 21 – 25
Day 25 - Nesting
Artist: @expressyourartsysoul
Day 26 - Story
Artist: @taniaahmed
Day 29 - Forage
Artist: @shelle.creates
Day 31 - Portals
Artist: @dansmoncrane
Flip Through
Days 26 – 31
What This Challenge Taught Me
As I worked through these final prompts, I realized that this month has been about so much more than making messy pages. More than Messy May, it feels like Clarity May.
This little accordion journal became a reflection of a deeper transformation happening in my life right now. Page after page, it revealed thoughts, feelings, questions, and insights that I wasn’t consciously planning to explore.
Looking back, several pages feel especially meaningful.
One of my favourites is Coming Home, the page where I included a photograph of myself. For a long time, I resisted looking at myself with kindness and acceptance. Creating that page felt like a quiet act of returning to myself.
I also loved creating Thoughts. The page became a visual reminder of releasing limiting beliefs and making room for more open, expansive ways of thinking.
The biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed creating the interactive elements. Adding doors and windows was something I had never explored before, and I found myself completely drawn into the process. There was something symbolic about opening a door, lifting a flap and peeking through a window.
By the time I reached the final pages, Light & Portal, it felt as though the journal itself had been leading me there all along.
The portal became a window into possibility—a reminder that there is always another perspective, another path, another way of seeing.
What began as a creative challenge became something much more meaningful.
When I look through this journal now, I don’t just see pages. I see a record of change.
I see evidence of growth.
I see a month spent showing up—not only for my art, but for myself.
Final Thoughts
This project reminded me that creativity is rarely about individual pages.
It’s about returning again and again.
Trusting the process.
Allowing small actions to accumulate into something meaningful.
This accordion art journal now holds 31 prompts, but it also holds a month of reflection, growth, experimentation, and discovery.
Thank you to the Get Messy team and all the artists who shared this journey. I’m grateful for every page.
