what’s blocking your clarity?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by
Clarity by Katie m. Berggren

Open Loops ~ a concept I was recently introduced to. Open Loops refers to tasks that are left undone, things that are not where they belong, unfinished... These clog us mentally, and distract us from true clarity and success and forward motion. (I've got some of these, and I plan to take action TODAY) What about you? Do you have baby books that need updating ~ that letter to grandma that you've been meaning to write? Is there a project you started that is still sitting out on the dining room table (I had some half sewn pillows out awhile back)? Is there something you promised to do for someone that you haven't yet done? It's time to tackle these, one by one. Some of them will only take a moment when we take that moment to tackle them! Decide if each Open Loop is truly worth doing (for me, the pillows weren't, so I put everything away) ~ and if so DO them! If not, put the supplies away and let it go from your mind! What if we stopped talking, planning, deciding, writing about or facebooking about the thing we need to get done. What if we took that time and just got it done? What Open Loops are blocking your clarity, and what is YOUR next step? Also: when you get those tasks, large and small, DONE ~ how will you feel? :) Great, I bet! :) Have a great day, Love & Sincerely, Katie www.kmberggren.com www.facebook.com/kmberggrenfanpage Join me for the Virtual Art Opening on Thursday May 31 from 10-11am PST! Go here so you'll get ...

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Endless ~ a new commissioned painting

Posted on May 13, 2012 by
Endless ~ Sketch by Katie m. Berggren

I'm honored to share with you a brand new commissioned Mother's Day Gift! Endless ~ created in April 2012 Endless ~ Sketch by Katie m. Berggren   Endless ~ painting progress by Katie m. Berggren Endless ~ painting progress by Katie m. Berggren Endless ~ painting by Katie m. Berggren Thank you to Dewane, it was a pleasure working with you! I hope this gift, when given, shared the love, adoration and appreciation you have for your wife, a devoted mother who loves her children endlessly. Love & Sincerely, Katie www.kmberggren.com

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Good Kid – Bad Kid

Posted on May 12, 2012 by
Sacred Space by Katie m. Berggren

“mama loves you baby, so much ~ you’re gonna have the sweetest dreams….” I’m not the mom who tells my children they are “good boys”. And I’ve never told my children they are “bad”. Just like there is no black paint in my studio, the word "bad" just doesn't come up when I'm talking to my boys about their actions. I tell them they are sweet and I thank them for their kind behavior, a lot. I appreciate the dickens out of them, and I tell them quietly how important they are to me. I also let them reap their own consequences, positive or negative. At the end of every night, I lay with my sons and sing them a song. A song I made up. I usually sing lyrics that I made up when my first son was a brand new baby ~ to the tune of Brahms Lullaby. But we get creative and add our own lyrics to the tune of any ol’ song. The song above is sung to the tune of an old cotton-picking folk song that my son learned at school :) My point is… the last thing my boys hear before they drift off to sleep is their mama (or daddy) telling them through song that they are loved and special. To them it is a song, a groovy tune that helps them relax, but I feel like I’m subliminally injecting them with good vibes and respect. A way to share thoughts on their value, without outwardly telling them they are “good boys”.     What ...

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Capturing Your Story

Posted on May 9, 2012 by
Love What You Do by Katie m. Berggren

What is your biggest problem with capturing your story of how you adore your child? It’s not always easy to get a note written in their baby book ~ we don’t always have our camera handy ~ we don’t always have the time to get the photo album updated, do we? So much so much so much!! We know in our hearts that we need to relish this time, as we know that childhood is one of the most important times we can NEVER GET BACK! And we know that we need to capture it however we can ~ because even a little is better than none. How are you creating not only a legacy and a story for your child to look back on and cherish, but an effort or display of how you celebrate them TODAY, right NOW? Dawn's kind words: "I have so much more I want to say to you to express my appreciation of your art, your gift of capturing moments of motherhood, your way of expressing into the written word exactly how a mother feels in the moment, and for how you share these joyful and heartfelt experiences with me and others..." Come on over to the Facebook Page and let us know your way of capturing your heart's emotions! I'd love to connect with you there. Love & Sincerely, Katie www.kmberggren.com

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Judging the Mama

Posted on May 5, 2012 by
Drape by Katie m. Berggren

When my second baby was born, he was blessed with colic, and baby GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) ~ basically, acid reflux. So, when his three crying months of colic were over, he went right onto GERD for 3 more months. It seems for the first 6 months of his life, he mostly cried. But I know that’s not true. He just cried a lot and it was terribly sad. One day, my friend and I decided we needed to get our little boys out of the house. She was a single mother of three little boys, her youngest being the same age as my baby, her middle being the same age as my little boy (2 years old) and her oldest being about 6 years old. We met at a park to play and then walked with our five little boys over to a pizza place. I had my baby in a snugli, he was tucked close against me as he squirmed and cried, arching his back after nursing to stifle the pain in his little throat. It was so sad and I did what I could: I held him and whispered and cooed and sang and rocked and swayed and bounced and rubbed his little bald head. We walked, probably, a mile with our 5 little boys. We were hot and tired and hungry by the time we reached the pizza place. We went through the salad bar: two mamas balancing 5 plates and wearing our littlest ones, whilst holding the hands of our 2 year olds. Making ...

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Gifts and Things For Mom – Nurture Memories and Nurture Mom’s Heart with Intimate Paintings

Posted on May 2, 2012 by
A Moment in Time by Katie m. Berggren ~ archival prints in three sizes, starting at $19

unique gifts to celebrate the intimacy between mom and her new (or growin'-like-crazy) baby! It is a nice feeling to have a meaningful gift all ready for Mother's Day. Could you capture a special moment for mom through an archival frameable print or a ready-to-hang original painting? A Moment in Time by Katie m. Berggren ~ archival prints in three sizes, starting at $19 Well, my purpose is to paint and capture the special moment between mother and child ~ and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have my paintings and prints touch and affect the lives of SO many mothers, women, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. Here are some thoughts from my mama-buyers: "Once again, your work has touched my life of motherhood. All of my pieces give me something to awe at in the daily life of little fingers and busy requests around here. It's such a contribution to my each and every day--makes me thrilled to be given the gift of motherhood. (: Thanks, Katie!" Close Knit glass art magnet by Katie m. Berggren ~ just $5!  "Absolutely Beautiful!! The Buttons and the Card are Amazing!! The card Resembles My Daughter and grandchildren!! Wonderful Artist!! Thank you soooo much!! Oh, And, Shipped Super Fast, too!! :)" "I love this picture. I chose it because it reminded me of my own boys." "Many thanks for this WONDERFUL order! Perfect timing for a good friend of my Daughters who just had her third beautiful Baby, and another good friend is due any minute...perfect gifts for Mamas! Babies, Babies everwhere in our ...

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Paintings As Epiphanies on Canvas

Posted on April 21, 2012 by
Taking Time To See by Katie m. Berggren

I know that if I do not somehow remind myself of epiphanies that I have had, I have a tendency to slip. To be honest, my paintings are frequently how I record my epiphanies. Moments that teach me something, remind me of something, or force me to stop and get into the moment deserve to be recorded. If I don’t capture these in paint, I forget. Then I backslide and find myself searching for something I have already previously found: the joy in the moment. I urge you to record your epiphanies, too, in whatever form suits you best. They will be a most wonderful reminder and gift for you down the road. They will be a wonderful way to help wipe away the fog that so frequently forms when we get busy and forget to stop. These words above, sprung forward after reading an email from Dawn, a loyal and valued collector. Her email was a gift to me – because it urged me to write these words down for myself. I haven’t always realized that creating a painting was a way for me to make positive steps forward, so I thank Dawn, who through her kind words below, helped me to make sense of why I do what I do. Dawn’s Lovely Words: “Your gentle reminder to see has me realizing that there is a path that can cut through darkness. I just have to stop in the moment and look at my daughter, look at her face, look in her eyes. Is she happy? I see JOY, ...

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Relish Moments Soon To Pass & Capture them Intimately with Style

Posted on April 18, 2012 by
The Very Breath by Katie m. Berggren

Protecting Mother & Child & the sweet moments between them The Very Breath by Katie m. Berggren It seems like only last month when I created for myself a glass art pendant of The Very Breath. The story behind this piece is so powerful to me, as the day was so memorable, that I knew this was the perfect piece to set around my throat. I am not a 'posessions' person, but I truly adore this little token, and I find myself stroking it throughout the day. I actually created this piece for myself over a year ago. Read the story behind The Very Breath. This is the reason I created the glass art pendants, after having just archival prints for so long. I wanted something I could share that you would cherish ~ a moment you could hang against your skin and feel all day long. Especially if you are not with your babies all day long.   Katie wearing Deep As A River, glass art pendant Deep As A River (right) is another of my favorites, and here is the pendant (being worn by yours truly). Each glass art pendant comes with a copper brown memory wire necklace with a threaded clasp for the safety of your pendant. Here are a couple more art pendants, but there are many more in the Online Studio Shop!     I hope you will choose to capture a moment for your mother or yourself for Mother's Day ~ I, myself, gave a pendant of The Very Breath to my mom last Mother's Day ~ in honor of when I was a young girl ...

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Free Cards Friday, Inspiration and Grace for Making Change from Don Miguel Ruiz

Posted on April 13, 2012 by
Down by Katie m. Berggren

~ Inspiration and Grace from Don Miguel Ruiz ~ “I have fallen many times, but I stood up and kept going. And I fell again, and I kept going. I didn’t feel sorry for myself. There was no way that I would feel sorry for myself. I said ‘if I fall, I am strong enough, I am intelligent enough, I can do it!’ I stood up and kept going. I fell and I kept going and going, and each time it became easier and easier. Yet, in the beginning, it was so hard, so difficult. So, if you fall, do not judge. Do you give your judge the satisfaction of turning you into a victim… if you break and agreement, begin again tomorrow, and again the next day. It will be difficult at first, but each day will become easier and easier, until someday you discover that you are ruling your life with these Four Agreements.” ~ words by Don Miguel Ruiz Down came about after a particulary difficult evening with my baby. My GERD & colic baby whose behavior physically sent me to the floor (just like this). He is now 6, and an incredibly sparkly, engaging boy whom I love with every stitch of my soul. Love & Sincerely ~ Katie Hey Mamas! Can you think of a time you have FALLEN, and have gotten back up again? How can you inspire us with your words? Let us know in the comment box below. It’s Free Cards Friday! Add your comment to THIS blog post throughout the weekend and be in ...

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unique gifts for mother’s day ~ bless mom with a memory from the past ~ plan ahead!

Posted on April 11, 2012 by
Linger by Katie m. Berggren

bring back moments with baby ~ ease longing for moments gone by with treasured imagery It is a nice feeling to have a meaningful gift all ready for Mother's Day. Could you capture a special moment for mom through an archival frameable print or a ready-to-hang original painting? Well, my purpose is to paint and capture the special moment between mother and child ~ and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have my paintings and prints touch and affect the lives of SO many mothers, women, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and daughters. Here are some thoughts from my mama-buyers: "Once again, your work has touched my life of motherhood. All of my pieces give me something to awe at in the daily life of little fingers and busy requests around here. It's such a contribution to my each and every day--makes me thrilled to be given the gift of motherhood. (: Thanks, Katie!" Mama longs for cuddly moments ~ capture them with style, color & emotion Drape glass art magnet by Katie m. Berggren "Absolutely Beautiful!! The Buttons and the Card are Amazing!! The card Resembles My Daughter and grandchildren!! Wonderful Artist!! Thank you soooo much!! Oh, And, Shipped Super Fast, too!! :)" "I love this picture. I chose it because it reminded me of my own boys." Glass Art Pendants and Charms by Katie m. Berggren ~ starting at just $15! "Many thanks for this WONDERFUL order! Perfect timing for a good friend of my Daughters who just had her third beautiful Baby, and another good friend is due any minute...perfect gifts for ...

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Staying True To My Purpose, Seeking ~ my soul on canvas

Posted on April 9, 2012 by
Seeking by Katie m. Berggren

Years and years ago ~ when I began painting motherhood, I realized what it was I wanted to do. I wanted to share emotion, I wanted to share my heart ~ I had a strong urge to capture what was real, what was REAL! Writings and art that skim the surface DO NOT interest me. I am interested in the heartfelt, the emotion and the scrapings of the soul. I am interested in digging deep. I desire to CAPTURE the elements and the raw. If you've talked with me in person, you'll notice I speak with my hands. And while describing my art and my reason for creating - my reason for painting mothers and children and the deep emotion and energy that flows between - you've noticed how my hands fist at my chest and reach to show the pull and the force that comes from the heart, over the throat in upward motion, and explodes from within. It is hard to describe. But my hands try, when my words fail.     Seeking was an early piece for me, very early, as I was discovering how I could let my emotion out with paint, onto board. Seeking was created, recognized and appreciated, then tucked away. A few years later, I removed her, and put her on the wall in my studio. She truly is a masterpiece in my mind, because she is a reminder for me, daily, that I DO NOT want to paint the frilly surface happiness. I do want to paint happiness, but my urge is to grab what ...

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A Mother Feeling the Loss of her Child ~ Earth Mama | Step by Step Painting Process

Posted on April 7, 2012 by
Mother & Child Painting Process of Earth Mama

I am honored to feature the process of Earth Mama today ~ please see below for Earth Mama's full story, as well as a link to purchase archival prints of her in the Online Studio Shop!     Earth Mama's Story: She had come to me before. This was, in truth, her fourth appearance in 3 years ~ though she’s changed a bit over the years ~ her hair has gained more flair and detail, her body more style. Each time as she emerged onto a canvas, I was tricked into believeing that she needed a distracted child against her. In the most recent composition, the indifference of their painted relationship, once again, required the child’s removal.  In the previous three paintings, the child was removed twice and stayed in the third ~ the distraction stayed as well in this third painting and though I knew from the beginning that that painting was meant to be special, in the end I had trouble connecting with it ~ I had failed to understand the message. To be honest, this painting awaits its finally-decided fate of repainting. One painting proved successful as a lone woman and has gone off to live with a family. One hides unfinished in my closet.  But the woman always starts out the same: she’s confident and eyeing me, testing me. This new solo woman has enticed me to continue working on her, though I love so much about her, deep down I wondered at the very beginning if she too would end up in the closet.  I enjoyed the process ...

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Free Cards Friday, Healthy Skin for Busy Mothers: Dry Brushing with Zen Zen Plenty

Posted on April 6, 2012 by
Dry Brushing Brushes, photo by Kerri Altom

I am honored to share with you an article by my very own KLiK sister, Kerri of Zen Zen Plenty. As a generous holiday gift, Kerri provided me with some handmade bath salts and a lovely natural bristle brush. Here is Kerri's post on Dry Brushing to maintain Healthy Skin ~ stay healthy Mama! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dry Brushing Brushes, photo by Kerri AltomWe’re trying to have better habits in the new year. That usually means restrictions or feeling daunted in the face of our big goals.  For me, it can feel discouraging.  It’s just a few days into the new year, and I already need a little indulgence.  Here’s one of my favorites, and instead of undermining my wellness goals, this indulgence serves them. Dry skin brushing is often praised as a magic detoxing cure-all.  It’s not.  The gentle, circular scrubbing of a dry, natural bristle brush head to toe, including face and neck, won’t make me look 10 pounds thinner or 10 years younger.  But, it doesn’t have to be a miracle to be valuable. Dry brushing definitely helps to exfoliate top layers of dry, dull skin.  And, it does seem to help the body’s skin and lymphatic system, two parts of the body always working hard to rid the body of toxins.  But best of all, it is a nurturing ritual that offers a few quiet moments of self-care.  Bottom line, dry brushing is pleasant and basically free.  It’s great for women and men.  I know when I do it regularly my skin looks better and I feel healthier. Here’s ...

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Painting Inspiration | Painting Is Queen ~ who is your queen?

Posted on April 4, 2012 by
Painting Is Queen, the writing is on the wall ~ Katie m. Berggren

  In my studio, especially when I'm alone, painting reigns supreme. “WHY did you WRITE on our WALL?!!” my little ones asked incredulously “And in PERMANENT marker!!” “Because”, I say, “I sometimes find myself floating, wasting time and forgetting where my energy should be dedicated. So my note reminds me. I got the urge to write it, so I wrote it.” Hey Mamas ~ What do you float away from, though you know it deserves more time & dedication? Maybe you were wondering what the writing was, on the wall next to my painting in the below video... now you know :) Have a great day, friends! Love & Sincerely ~ Katie

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the Saving Motherhood Collector’s Circle ~ bless and be blessed ~ Space is Limited ~ Join before April 5!

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

I want to involve you in something, I want to invite you, mamas. I keep feeling like my purpose is peeking at me through the trees ~ and it has something to do with two words that I have rotating in my head: Saving Motherhood. I'm being so very honest here, and so unpracticed and unedited...  spontaneous works best for me, though. The Saving Motherhood Collector’s Circle ~ to pull toward me those mamas who want to share (and want art that means something!) and want to create a little mini community. My mind has been so fertile these last few weeks that it seems there is a true redwood growing from it. My brain is a pail that is literally overflowing... I have trouble getting it all down. This means something big is about to happen ~ supposed to happen... and I want to involve you.   The Saving Motherhood Collector's Circle ~ registration opens NOW! and closes April 5. I'm going to limit the membership so I can be sure to give everyone the special attention and goodies they deserve. Click below to GET THE GOODS! ♥ (this is a $228-$551 value)   Could this exclusive gathering of mamas help in some way to Save Motherhood? Here is a rundown of the details ~ please let me know if you have any questions!   Saving Motherhood Collector’s Circle 12 week opportunity ~ April 6 through June 30 ~ (you do not have to be present to participate, go on vacation ~ your packages and emails will wait for you!)   Here are the ...

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