A Year Of Changes...Remodeling Part 1!!

I can never get over how fast time passes. Since I last wrote here, another birthday had passed in which I felt came a bit too quickly! lol! Last year I was very excited about turning forty but this birthday was different for some reason. It wasn't that I was sad or anything but more like I was reminded of how I lost a lot of precious time from all the things I've been through. Time is more precious to me and I am doing my best to be living in the 'now'! :)

Recently I have been busy dealing with regular 'life' stuff...I am happy to spend time with family and about how things are getting better in different areas of my life. But for some reason I feel like I am stuck in some kind of creative rut. Even though things are getting better for us, it is still necessary for me to work to bring in more money for our household. I noticed that I feel too guilty to be creative and I think that's why I've avoided even going to my creative space as well as what is mentally blocking me from being inspired.

So my current mission is to remove this creative mental block because I miss painting, drawing, creating...I am an artist and as such I need to be living like one!! To do that there are a few steps I need to do: the first thing is asking the Lord to help me get past this and for him to bring me 'Divine' inspiration, the second is to find some type of part time job so guilt won't interfere with my artwork anymore and the final step is to remodel my creative space! We are actually in the beginning stages of the remodeling and I am very anxious for it to be complete so that I can get back to painting and creating again!!

I've felt from the beginning of this year that this will be a year of changes. So far, it certainly has been! God bless you all! Gina :)

"They Sing LaLaLa"

That is the name of the painting featured here on my blog and in my 1st Art Journal Kit that I'm getting ready to release in my Divine Digital Boutique! I actually painted this a few years ago and it's still one of my favorites. Sooo excited to get these kits going! I'm actually going to include an Art Journal Guide with each set. There will also be ongoing challenges here and possibly at Divine Digital as well! Here's a preview of 'Pieces of my heART' ~ Art Journal Kit #1:

*Prints of this original painting featured in the kit and on this blog 'They Sing LaLaLa' will be available here soon. Just working on a few things that need tweeking and I'll be making my prints for most of my artwork available here soon! 'They Sing LaLaLa' is perfect for those rooms that you need a little burst of color and whimsy!

***More Design News:
I'm currently working on lots of Valentine inspired Drawings coming to the Divine Digital Boutique soon as 'Digital Stamp Sets'! I'm sooo excited about these as there will even be card fronts included! I've been wanting to do this for years but never got these together in time! These will definately be in the shop by next Monday ~ Feb. 1st!!

****So that's all for now! Please come and visit as I just may be including a freebie or two here on Monday! ;o) Have a fabulous weekend and God bless you all! Cre8tvlyYrs ~ Gina

One step at a time...

These days it seems I am moving in slow motion...perhaps being too hesitant or is it that I'm being too picky? I can't seem to decide which it is but I am doing one of the two! There is a lot of things going on at the same time and with my ADHD it really makes it tough for me to focus on where to even begin! One thing I have been making sure I do is spend more time w/my family and friends.

This weekend my niece/Goddaughter has stayed w/us since Friday and we've been soaking in all her sweet & innocent enthusiasm for life. She truly is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day! Her & I have been making hand made Birthday cards together and they are actually coming out great! She is a doll about following directions and loves to pay attention to detail...even at the age of 7! So I began last week sort of like the weather and ended it with lots of sunshine!

I did begin to set up my shop over at Divine Digitals but I still need to add lots more! I also am working on a few kits that are actually from some of my original artwork but this is where the hesitancy or pickiness is taking place the most. I noticed that I am really not 'feeling' happy about how these are coming out and I am not going to put just anything out there because these are representing my artwork and for that I'm being a perfectionist about it. So...those may be out when I formally announce the store opening or they might be later. I've learned not to force things as when the time is right then it will be all right!

For now, I will definately be putting only my newer kits and favorites at that! What ever isn't put in the shop is most likely not going to be unless I rework it...which I doubt because I'd like to create all new stuff from now on! :) *I especially look forward to creating a kit featuring 'Valentina' soon! I am moving one step at a time here so you will see changes abound whether they be slow or on swift feet!

God bless you and have a wonderful day! Cre8tvlyYrs ~ Gina

More Changes Going On...

Since the beginning of this year, actually even before...I knew that this is going to be a year of major changes for me. I've been declaring it with so much excitement that sometimes I can't hold back my expressive zeal for it! What changes? You may wonder...well, first of all the most important and exciting change for me is the change I feel within my soul. I KNOW that the Lord has been preparing me for years for what is to come and the Holy Spirit is reigniting my soul and guiding me even more lately!

I know that my artwork will definately be reflecting this and it's got me soo excited...even though I have not felt the prompting to actually begin painting again...I'm still drawing as I always am but since my visit to the hospital I've rarely picked up my paintbrush. I did do a few things but not detailed art just more 'abstracty' type of work. lol. I also have been working in my art journal now and then. But I think that is just how my brain has been trying to mend itself from that incident. :)

Anyways, the other thing that I feel the Lord has prepared me to do is...to WRITE another book! I am REALLY excited about this!! I first got inspired to write about this certain subject at least 5- 10 years ago but more recently...around November 2009, about a few weeks after my 'incident' I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to grab a pen and paper and I just began writing continuosly for at least 10 minutes an outline for the story I feel led to write. I call this the 'downloading' stage...seriously, it's like the Holy Spirit fills my mind and then I write all that I can before my thoughts fade. I don't want to give too much away about this story yet but I will definately be bringing it up as it's developing here on this blog.

Which brings me to the next small change...I have decided to keep things simpler for myself, so this will be the main blog I will be using for all my blogging needs for now. I know I mentioned in December that I have another blog I will be using for my designing stuff but I need to keep things simple and I realized that if I do that I'll just be adding too much confusion for myself! lol. (Especially since I have ADD/ADHD and it's the main reason I had my incident as I tend to do too many other things and neglect my health.) So please don't be confused if you come here and see my Digital Scrapbook/Art Journal kit previews posted here along with my artwork! :)

Speaking of health...I am seriously working on my health in all areas: Mentally (ADD/ADHD issues), Physical (eating healthier and EXERCISE!!) >> to control and hopefully diminish Diabetise, HB pressure & High Cholesterol...as well as lose weight! I am like many others who has said this many times, many years as a "New Year's Resolution" but this is more like a "Life's Resolution" because now my life depends on this and if I don't do this, my life's dreams will not be nor the Lord's Missions for my life be accomplished. Believe me when I say...this realization is what is driving me to pursue accomplishing these health goals this time.

Well, honestly...I had NO intentions of posting such a long and refective post here! lol! So with all that I've mentioned above, I leave you with this: I pray that we will all have a wonderfully blessed and prosperous life in the years that remain for us and that we may always be blessings & inspiration to each other. Cre8tvlyYrs in Christ forever, Gina Arzaga

It's a brand new beginning of time...

I really feel so excited with what this new decade will be bringing me. The last decade was not too good for me. I thank God for the blessings and love he has brought me to carry me through the tough times as there were many struggles for me. I was in a place lost out in the wilderness...mentally and spiritually. But I know it was also a place of growth for me...a place of preparing for what was to come. And now here it is: my time to breakthrough and reach up as high as I possibly can! It is now my new beginning of time for a wonderful adventure.

I am here Lord...take me there!

Looking forward to a new year...a new canvas!

It has been quite a year and so I thought I'd end this blog year with a short reflection:

This year has definately been a year of growth and changes...it was my big 4-0 Birthday; I realized my full potential; and I have realized what I needed to do to make things better. I am still in progress of all the goals I laid before myself...too many to even mention. I have been stretched and pulled in so many ways with life's challenges and this has caused so many life changing dynamics for me. Most important thing I have learned is not to look back...I don't mean not to think of the fun and wonderful memories, but not to look back at the things that have hurt me. Life is to precious to waste time on those things...we must enjoy life fully in the now!

So now, I look forward to this new year of 2010 as though it were a brand new canvas! I can't wait to get out my paintbrushes and paint it all up!

Christmas is almost here!

Once again time has flown by in supersonic speed! These last few weeks I have been finding it hard to really get my artwork finished up. I have no idea why this has happened but I am really happy and not worrying about it. I have been creative in ways of ideas brewing in my mind, making decisions about some of these ideas, and allowing myself to just be quiet and take in what the Lord wants to speak to me about. It feels really good. There is just way too much in my mind as far as ideas go and sometimes I don't take the time to write them down or reflect on them because I get to caught up in trying to do them all! lol!

*** Some Surprising News! ***

Actually, I have one idea that I couldn't ignore...it involves both my paintings and designing again! Now this idea came to me as I'd paint my backgrounds for my paintings. After I'd finish up a background I'd think, you know, that would be a cool background for Digital Scrapbooking! Little by little I realized that I really liked that idea. It gives me the originality that I longed for and also fulfills my desire to design again. I really wasn't sure about designing again or how I wanted to do it. As I was trying to decide and praying about it, Royanna from Divine Digital happened to send me a friend request on my FB page...seriously! I decided to check out Divine Digital and liked what I seen. I went ahead and asked when they might be doing a Designer call and guess what...I'm now an Exclusive Designer for Divine Digitals! I'm soo excited and can't wait to put into motion all those ideas I've had brewing!

So this blog will still be for my artwork but I just wanted to share with you all that I will be reopening my designer blog for my design work and updates! *Updated 1/11/10: I am only using this blog! ;)
*******

*Back to my 'Artsy' stuff!*
I was hoping to finish some really cute Christmas Angels I drew by now but I will post those as soon as they are finished! The main projects I will be doing is some artwork for some of my nephews and nieces Christmas presents! They all know that this will be a 'handmade' Christmas from me and they all had quite excitedly put in their 'requests'! lol!

Oh yeah! I've also been getting all these story ideas again...which means I need to get a word program on this computer!! So I am planning on beginning some illustrations for them in January! See? Didn't I tell you there are way too many ideas in this brain of mine?

I hope to post at least some of the artwork for gifts and the Christmas Angel before Christmas but in the event I am not able to hop over here to do that I would like to say Merry Christmas! :)