meet challenge admin - Kim Bergstrom

Kim Bergstrom

1. Your name, location
Hello! Having lived in Melbourne all my life I am what you would say 'Melbourne born and bred', and with all my family living here I cannot imagine living anywhere else!

2. Describe your family
Together with my husband we have two boys 10 and 8 years old and two excessively spoilt girls (dogs); Mabel and Pearl.

Week 25 2015: AFRICA by Kim Bergstrom

3. Describe your art work
My artwork is perhaps best described as experimental as I do not have a distinctive style and really enjoy trying different techniques, styles and mediums. Watercolour appears to be something that I lean towards and when in doubt, grey lead is my traditional favourite or my comfort zone.

4. What is your career goal?
At sixteen years of age I wanted to be a hairdresser or a teacher in an art room, hairdressing won and after twenty-one years in the profession and having attained many of my career goals in this field, inclusive of owning my own business and teaching apprentices, I wanted to challenge myself further. Whilst I was passionate about hairdressing, I really enjoyed the teaching aspect yet felt this was not the age group where my heart truly belonged.

When our first son commenced primary school I helped in the classroom with hearing the children read and this was the new direction I wanted to take. Last year I was overwhelmed and delighted to achieve a new career goal of graduating from university with a Bachelor of Education (Primary) and this year have delighted being a part of a classroom environment. I made the decision to not specialise in art as this is something I wanted to be able to bring into the everyday classroom.

Bonus Challenge: COCOON by Kim Bergstrom

5. What is my career goal? 
Well, it is as simple as it is complex in that my goal is to share my love of the arts (music and art) in an environment in which academia is viewed as more successful than creativity and the arts therefore through a holistic approach in celebrating and sharing both equally.

I believe that creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status. - Sir Ken Robinson

(Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity#t-178853)


6. Describe your art background
I have never thought to have an art background as such, it is just something that I have always loved and done. I am not sure what my parents saw however it must have been something because in my early teens they enrolled me in art classes and I undertook these for a couple of years. I have never seen myself as ever having stopped doing art, it has just taken different directions through many forms of creativity; calisthenics, hairdressing, sewing, crafts, scrapbooking, playing musical instruments.

Week 22 2015: CHILDHOOD by Kim Bergstrom

7. What do you love about the Challenge?
I adore how the challenge has brought my creativity back to my love of art with so many different techniques and styles that I have reveled in trying. The challenge has also provided a safe place in which I can 'loose' myself but then celebrate and share with like-minded people.

Week 5 2015: KITCHEN by Kim Bergstrom

8. Has there been a highlight for you since being a part of the challenge?
There has been a several highlights!! I joined the challenge during week two, last year and having my work 'liked' and commented on was quite overwhelming as I have never put my work 'out there', it is my hobby and many people did not even know I was arty. The first time Tania chose one of my illustrations for the weekly blog pics was an enormous highlight and is still a highlight when chosen!!

The most memorable highlight is the incredible honour of being chosen to represent Week 17: Horse at the exhibition in Perth earlier this year. One of my pieces chosen and hanging amongst so many professionals and talented artists was beyond my wildest dreams. Most recently was the wonderful highlight of being asked to join the admin team which now gives me a valid excuse for spending time on Facebook looking at all the beautiful artwork and seeing the growth and development of everyone.

These are only a few of the highlights however the ongoing highlight is the positive and encouraging environment in which Tania and Nicky have created and continue to grow and develop, a privilege to be a part of.

Week 17 2014: HORSE