Crafty Cutie

Ideas wait,

impatiently at the gate.

My heart speaks,

saying “release them at once!”

My narrow mind,

suddenly interrupts.

telling my heart,

“there are just too many of them.”

The path closes,

and the battle begins.

Ideas rage,

competing for freedom.

I am taunted,

they need to be released.

Mental  confines,

are not their destiny.

Decision time,

their fate is in my hands.

I’m listening,

as they plead their cases.

Each convincing,

in their own unique way.

How can I choose,

one and not the other?

They convince me,

to free them all at once.

I release them,

and they flea to my heart.

There they will live,

until my hands free them.

Freedom is close,

they are content for now.

-Tatiana

Life is a journey. It is a long and sometimes difficult process, where we change and develop according to personal desires and goals.

These strong feelings of wanting give us drive, which in turn set us in motion. If we allow ourselves to be moved forward without a goal in mind, we risk getting stuck in a metaphorical round a-bout or traveling aimlessly. Desires, much like the wind can be changeable and unrestrained causing us to move in unpredictable directions.

So, instead of allowing our desires to direct us, we must establish destinations for our journey. Once we figure out where we want to go, then we can adjust our goals, like the sails of a ship, in the direction we wish to reach. Reaching each specific destination gives our journey purpose and a sense of accomplishment. Without these two we would never be ambitious enough to discover new territories.

Only you can decide where, if anywhere, you want to go and when to embark on your journey. Then when you’re ready, you must start where you’re at.

Instructions:

1. Lay down a white doily onto a craft sheet.

2. Paint doily with watered down green paint.

3. Highlight raised areas by gently brushing them with light green.

4. Set doily aside and allow paint to dry.

5. Trace around a bowl onto cardboard and cut out the circle.

6. Cover the cardboard circle with dark green paint.

7. Paint a sky background onto a canvas.

8. Glue the circle, doily and a belt to your painted canvas.

Hope this inspires you to create your own masterpiece!

Wishing you smiles and sunshine,

Tatiana

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Spring has arrived and as I watch plant life become revived all around me, I feel the same transformation occurring within me.

After a fairly dormant winter, the time has come for growth and personal renewal. I am ready to be restored to a better state of being and have decided which areas of my life to develop, so I may flourish in the seasons ahead.

I think as a whole we are creative beings inspired by nature and the world around us. During the winter season we tend to become isolated which keeps us from experiencing inspiration in its fullness. Our creative light becomes dim or burns out and we are unable to nurture ideas.

So now that winter is officially over, it is time for you and I to embrace a season of abundance. Consider your life as a garden and decide what areas you want to see growth in. Then plant those seeds and cultivate them.

Wishing you smiles and sunshine,

Tatiana

As I welcome in the new month I am compelled to reflect on this past month’s theme of thanksgiving.  While I should have focused on being grateful during a month dedicated to thankfulness, instead I allowed myself to be consumed by the whirlwind of life.

So, tonight I would like to open my heart and recognize my blessings and express my appreciation to those I hold dear.

I am a simple girl, what you see is what you get, and quite simply I am grateful to just be me.  No matter what I am going through or what stage of life I am in, I don’t have to pretend to be someone or something I’m not.

My friends, family and God love me no matter what…and that is my greatest blessing. That love which is indescribable, incomprehensible and indestructible is what I am most thankful for.

Thank you mom, dad, sissy, Josh, Pam, Sam, and dear friends for your love which grants me the freedom to be myself and enjoy life no matter what the circumstances are.

In conclusion, I realize that rather than feeling obligated to be thankful during the month of November, I should incorporate gratitude into my daily life.

Here are some words of encouragement for you and I on how we can fill our hearts with gratitude on a daily basis.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
if you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times,
during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes,
they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things, but a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. So find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

To New Beginnings Part II

We had not really planned on moving right away. Our desire for the last couple of years had been for my husband to find more work in our beloved town of Chico, CA. That desire had remained unfulfilled and it became obvious that God had other plans for our family. The time had come to let go and move forward.

Ironically, God’s plans involved no planning on our part. Once my sister told us she and her husband wanted to rent our house we didn’t even think, we just reacted. We got in the car and took a day trip to look at houses in the surrounding Sacramento areas. The trip was fruitful and we found the perfect house to rent and began moving in after a couple of weeks.

Although it took quite a while to get fully settled, I am happy to say I finally feel at home. “Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest, Is surely home, and home sweet home. For there the heart can rest.”
~Henry Van Dyke

What I’ve learned from all this, is that when change presents itself we must not fear it. Instead, embrace it. The only way to move forward, is to actually move. I think everyone has a certain “destination” they feel called to reach. Unfortunately, many are waiting for the perfect time to start on their journey.

Human beings feel the need to plan everything out, in hopes that things will work out smoothly. The reality is there is no perfect time, and life doesn’t usually run smoothly no matter how well you’ve planned it out. When opportunities present themselves leading you towards your destination, follow them.

A journey suggests passage from one place to another. This most recent journey of mine began as a physical passage from one city to another and evolved into a move forward mentally and emotionally. What began as a change I did not want to accept, has changed me into an acceptable person to myself. I feel at peace.

My hope for anyone reading this, is that you too will let your heart set sail and move forward. Embrace the changes taking place in your life, for they are a part of the journey in reaching your destination. Sometimes your heart may lead you astray but you can always use your brain to course correct later.

To new beginnings.

The main reason I started a blog was to inspire others to be creative. I believe creativity has the same effect as Serotonin, contributing to feelings of well-being and hapiness. While making beautiful things brings joy to my own life, my main goal is to put a smile on the face of others.

Unfortunately, life and its many demands forced me to give up blogging and even creating art for a while. The good news is obligations have been taken care of and I was even able to face and overcome personal obstacles in the midst.

So, this first blog entry in quite some time is dedicated to celebrating the endings I once mourned, for they have brought life to new beginnings.

As some of you may know, my wonderful husband had been commuting  3-4 hours a day for the last year and a half. It was taking a toll on him and our family so we began to flirt with the idea of moving. With this idea planted, I began the painstaking process of going through our belongings.

This was an extremely difficult and emotional time for me since I have a tendency to want to hold onto everything. As a Mixed Media artist I envision objects being transformed into beautiful works of art. I look past the state of broken-ness to possibilities for restoration. I guess kind of in the same way God see’s you and I.

Unlike myself, God has all the time in the world to create beauty with the discarded and abandoned pieces He collects. Once I realized I did not have enough time for the projects I had once envisioned myself creating, I was able to let go. I found new homes for many of my things through having garage sales and donating to charity.

Soon after going through this process my sister received notice she had to move out of her place in a couple of months. I playfully suggested she rent our house and she surprisingly agreed. It was then our journey began.