An Artist Christmas Time Reflection:

Well, this is my 2014 Christmas Card that I actually created in my little chunky art journal.  This was also inspired by one of my favorite artists Cori D...I love her work!  I was hoping to do a nativity scene these last few years but since becoming a new mommy to my little 5 yr old girl (that we fostered from age 4 to adopted this year) I can only make time for a little drawing here and there like this one!

The last 2 years have really been a challenge that I didn't expect...as an artist especially.  I just took for granted that I would be able to just keep creating consistently.  I soon learned after much emotional events that only another mother of adoption would understand that I had nothing inside me to give out to my work.  I realized that my art would need to be in the back burner until we could get things a bit more stable.

Thanks be to God...now things have become alot more stable...not saying that we still don't have some emotional issues that arise but we know that will always be a something to deal with.  We are happy though to be a family...her adoption was finalized in May and we baptized her in September.
And today I was blessed to witness her first 'reconnection' with her big brother...he is adopted by a wonderful family in Washington and we felt she was finally emotionally ready to be able to recieve a Christmas gift and card from him.  She was so happy and I documented the whole thing...it was a touching moment and she looks like she feels content!

As challenging as the last few years have been I know that the Lord has sent her to me because she is what I needed in my life to push me out of my comfort zone (my cocoon if you will) she is so full of life and has reminded me of what I used to be...I had allowed (not willingly) the bad things that happened to me through out my life to change me into someone I no longer recognized not only in the mirror but also being too fearful...she has been a tool to stretch and pull me in so many ways.  It's so amazing that this child has no idea of how she came to rescue me...and she only thinks (and says) how we rescued her.

With all that, I am hoping that next year I can actually work on bigger pieces...may be fewer but I just feel like I want to work on some more intense pieces...also I sooo miss working on canvas!  I decided that I am also going to start doing some monthly mixed media workshops here at my home and do art journaling tutorials for my youtube channel as well.  In fact, I asked my husband for a video camera...nothing big just a newer one because my old camera hardly works.  I tried recording but it kept messing up and my iphone comes out to skinny...lol!

I feel in my heart that working in my art journals is what really helped me to get through alot of the trials, heartache, frustration and joy that life brings our way.  So that is why I feel I need to share that with others but from a Christian Artist Perspective of how God has blessed us with this gift of Healing through creating and expressing our soul on to our work.  This is part of my mission...I believe this strongly and with passion...to share what I believe with the world...exciting things are on the way!!  Cre8tvlyYrs in Christ and Christmas Blessings to you all!  Gina Marie