Mess: The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes [Paperback]

Keri Smith (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 7, 2010

Your whole life you've been taught to avoid making a mess: Try to keep everything under control, color inside the lines, make it perfect, and at all costs, avoid contact with things that stain.

This book asks you to do the opposite of what you have been taught. Think of it as your own personal rumpus room. A place to let loose, to trash, to spew, to do the things you are not allowed to do in the "real world." It's time to make a mess.

The only three rules you'll find in this book:
1. Do not try to make something beautiful.
2. Do not think too much. (There is no "wrong.")
3. Continue under all circumstances.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Keri Smith is the author of the popular weblog Wish Jar Journal, which attracts 8,000 readers daily, Living Out Loud, and Tear Up This Book. She’s illustrated for the Washington Post, New York Times, Ford Motor Company, People, The Body Shop, and Hallmark. She lives in Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1 edition (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399536000
• ISBN-13: 978-0399536007
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Reference

More About the Author

Keri Smith is an author/illustrator turned guerilla artist. She is the author of several bestselling books about creativity including This is Not a Book (2009 Perigee), How to be an Explorer of the World -the Portable Life/Art Museum,( 2008 Perigee), Wreck this Journal (2007 Perigee). Her newest book, Mess: A Manual of Accidents and Mistakes will be released fall 2010 by Penguin Books. She is the author of the popular weblog the Wish Jar, and writes on occasion for a variety of magazines. Keri spends her days playing with her husband and son, and divides her time between upstate New York, and the countryside of Canada.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars an extension of wreck this journal September 12, 2010

By Susan M. Unupi

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Manual of Accidents and Mistakes arrived in my mail today! I have been anxiously waiting for it, as I love Keri Smith's books. As I looked through it though, I saw that it seems to be an extension of Wreck This Journal. Some of the activities are basically the same, just worded differently. I was hoping for something diferent, something novel; but I am dissapointed that there's nothing "new" in this book.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Therapeutic and Explorative April 20, 2011

By Christine Bucher

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent book. I am a musician and I sometimes have trouble letting go of the expectations I have of myself. Self-criticism can be incredibly debilitating. When you approach anything with a fear of failure, you give up on yourself before you have even started. If you are a little OCD or a perfectionist this book might be of help. Smith encourages her readers to let go and make a mess. This is also a great book for anyone who needs to get their mind off of something upsetting. With Mess, you will want to get out, live, spend time with your friends, experience and explore your own creative self and the world around you. And you can do so indefinitely because Mess is incredibly long lasting. There are several exercises in this book which I find myself returning to frequently to make additions to. So, you should buy one for yourself or for the person you know who has been told so often to color in the lines that he has lost all interest in coloring. Enjoy.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fun book! October 19, 2010

By Sarah

Format:Paperback

I've admired Keri Smith's work for a little while now but I'd never tried any of her books. Someone convinced me to check this one out, and after just a few of the activities I was hooked! Sometimes you forget how much fun it is to get down and dirty and make a mess.

I particularly loved taping a marker to the end of a long stick and trying to draw with it, as well as the writing mess (write a sentence of each line; cut out strips; recombine sentences to create new poems). It really got me thinking more creatively, sparking more ideas and helping me to get into a more artistic mindset. (Sometimes you need a little push to get the gears turning.) Which I think is the whole point! Some of the activities do get pretty messy (cover the page with something sticky; splatter, drip, and fling; etc) but that's part of the deal.

And of course Keri's illustrations are lovely. It's a really beautiful book! (Until you splatter stuff all over it, haha.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Therapeutic October 16, 2012

By Angel

Format:Paperback

I find this book to be fun, creative, and yes, therapuetic for my OCD.Anybody who suffers with OCD knows that we avoid messes, mistakes, and disorganization about 100 times more than the average person. However, this book makes you do just the opposite, and for some reason it just really helps. When I have this book open, I don't even care about the mess I make, because I'm 'allowed to'. It has become the one and only place in my house(and my whole life) that I can be messy and disorganized, and I actually enjoy it. I know that my real life will still be orderly, but whenever I'm stressed I can come to this book, either to 'work' on it, or just to look through the pages that I've already done. I don't know how to explain why it helps so much, but if anyone reading this suffers with an anxiety disorder, I seriously urge you to try this book; it's better (and cheaper) than therapy. And if you're a 'normal' person, than I would still reccomend it. It allows you to be creative and just do weird messy stuff! And it might really help on one of those 'down in the dumps' sort of days, too. Try it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Book From Keri Smith! May 25, 2012

By Erica G.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've only just started this book/journal but so far its great! It seems A LOT like Wreck This Journal. If you loved Wreck This Journal, then you'll definitely enjoy this book. If your looking for something different from Wreck, then this isn't it. This journal is a lot of fun and has some differences from Wreck. In Wreck you can work on whichever page you want to, but in Mess you have to work in order. This can make he process of Mess take a lot longer but it's more challenging. If you want something different than Wreck, this isn't the book for you. But if your looking for more Keri Smith fun, this is the best choice. Great book, I love it!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great way to free your artistic mind February 25, 2011

By A. Nevius

Format:Paperback

I got this book recently and didn't know about the author's previous one. I mentor an 8 year-old girl and we have much fun doing this together. She particularly loved the page that states all the "do nots" such as Do Not Tear this Page, Do Not Scribble over this page, Do not etc. as obviously it's made to be done! Every time we meet we have a blast, such as yesterday, with cracking an egg over a page, smearing it, specially the yolk, then adding ink. So not just for adults but for kids also, although they need close supervision as they make a mess indeed.

I also work on it myself here and there, and find it a good way to get rid of the fear of the white page, and a great jump start when it's time to get creative (I'm an illustrator/graphic artist). That said, I only give it 4 stars because some of it can be repetitive. Also the book pages are not a good support for a lot of the suggestions: "Bury your book for 3 days" or "Leave it in a rainstorm", well, I'll be curious to see in what state it turns out after these experiments. I understand that it would make the book more expensive if the publisher made it with heavier paper, but the quality used is basic and flimsy for the abuse it must take.

That said, it's certainly fun, forces you to think out of the box, and can be just plain exciting.