A Silent Story - a heartfelt & art-filled graphic novel by Katie m. Berggren

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope


EU & UK: order your copy through my Etsy shop

Books are Shipping Daily! 
Claim YOUR autographed copy while they last!

Newest Silent Story Updates happen in my private Facebook group

 

graphic art novel, book without words, story without words, art story, book of art without words, silent story, emotional art book, loss, heartache, artwork for loss, grief art, art therapy, friendship loss, friendship death, ghosted by best friend, dumped by friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, mother hunger, feeling alone, sadness, heartache, broken heart artwork

 

 Explore more about A Silent Story on the dedicated website, www.SilentStoryBook.com!

 

♥♥♥

 

The idea for A Silent Story stemmed from the writing and art therapy that I poured myself into after a friendship loss. A heartbreak. A deafening silence between two souls. A ghosting.

A Silent Story is a wordless journey of heartbreak & hope. From joy through pain, and back to joy again. Here is an example of the transformation this book provides for the character, The Seeker. From heartbreak to hope.

 

loss, heartache, artwork for loss, grief art, art therapy, friendship loss, friendship death, ghosted by best friend, dumped by friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, mother hunger, feeling alone, sadness, heartache, broken heart artwork

 

 

The Silent Story project is ALWAYS on my mind, I see my Seeker everywhere and in everyone. She is the core heart and spirit of us, the emotional and vulnerable being that is not hidden by our hairstyles, body flub, clothing choices, make-up and accessories. 

  

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

silent story, ghosted by a friend, friend breakup break-up, loss of friend, dumped by a friend, friendship loss, broken friendship, empathy and compassion for a friend, heart art, art therapy, healing art, art for grief after breakup, bad friend, fair weather friend, katie m. berggren silent story, kmbsilentstory

 

♥♥♥

 

Enraptured by this project for almost 3 years, I certainly felt Resistance try to kick my butt many times. The emotions have run the spectrum. Imposter Syndrome has been at-the-ready. The fear that I will fail, the fear that this will all succeed... equally terrifying.

 

But we succeeded. And I say WE because 100s of people have stepped up in a variety of ways: 

Friends whose kindness turned my chin up at the beginning. 

Loved ones who listened and shared and made my story feel worthy. 

Collectors who shared their excitement over this idea, shared their stories and their heartache. 

Buyers who ordered the book, prints, pins and original artwork (email me for this). 

Backers who generously supported the Kickstarter.

Bidders who bid on and won the Silent Story art dolls created by Dana of The Midnight Orange. 

Dana, herself, my best friend and mastermind partner who has been a champion, a light, a beautiful sounding board.

 

The Silent Story book encapsulates the people who have been here for this. The Silent Story book is a sandbox for your heart to witness relatable feelings. A place for you to empathize and feel seen. A safe journey through art, to validate YOUR real life journey.

 

 

art kickstarter, kick starter for art, silent story book, emotional art, graphic novel without words, emotion graphic novel, art book, kmberggren silent story, a silent book, wordless art book, wordless book

 

 Explore more about A Silent Story on the dedicated website, www.SilentStoryBook.com!

 

I'm over here wallowing in gratitude. All of this has been next-level and proves to me that we should keep moving forward. We can make at least a little progress every day on our projects, no matter how scary they seem. If the goal lives gently inside you, how can it be bad?

 

♥♥♥

 

ghosted by a friend, sadness after breakup art therapy paintings

  

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

Over the last almost 3 years of work, I have been nervous, scared and (shortly) overcome with Resistance. Early on, I put the project aside for SIX MONTHS because I had many other projects.

Looking back, I COULD have squeezed in time to work on Silent Story, but Resistance is good at using what is already inside us ("I have so much on my plate!!") as a tool to stop us from doing what we are meant to do. And it succeeded... for a little while.

 

But this project NEVER left me. I saw my Seeker everyday on my walls and in my heart. I FEEL like her, and I hear others feeling like her. 

 

Two women, both of them grandmother-age, told me in the span of a week how The Seeker has touched them and one said "The Seeker IS ME!"

 

At the same time, teenage girls that I love were misty-eyed when I shared the early mock-up with them. This process has been crazy and frustrating and has made me bubble over with glee, anxiety, awe and inspiration ♥

 

♥ I'm infinitely grateful for the opportunity to have had my heart broken ~ otherwise Silent Story... Would. Not. Exist ♥

 

♥♥♥

 

 

ghosted by a friend, sadness after breakup art therapy paintings

 

In May of 2021, I had an epiphany spurred by a visualization:

After my Silent Story had been on the warming burner for a few months, as I worked on other projects and generally let Resistance* keep me from the project, I was lying in bed on a Saturday morning, and I had a self-perpetuated vision:

Me, 65ish years old, sitting in the living room on the floor with my 10-year-old granddaughter. I have something to show her and I pull out a large envelope. I unwrap it and pull out my Silent Story paintings. Unfinished.

She looks through them, “these are neat!!”

“I made these for a book idea I had over 20 years ago”, I say, “but I never finished the project. That’s one of my big regrets, I guess…”

She says “You STILL CAN make the book!”

I respond with: “Now the feelings are too far in the past, not fresh enough. It wouldn’t make sense because my passion behind the project is gone.”

 

Lost potential. Lost connection.

  

What a shame it would be to have this whole thing die in an envelope under a table. After that visualization, I switched to a new one, a future moment created intentionally in my mind:
 

… being 45 years old and holding my book – and smiling. Thinking about how the process went and how proud I was of myself for moving forward even when I felt like there was NO WAY I could pull this off. Trusting the process, trusting that this book was meant to be a part of the world, and thankful for the learning and growth that came with the ideas/sketching/planning/painting/sharing/preparing...

 Me, feeling so GRATEFUL for the people who nudged me along and believed in me. THANK YOU!!

 

After that second vision it was so clear to me – I simply asked: what do I need to do to move forward? I wrote down the answer and I’m doing it.

 

(for you the answers will be different, but my answers were along the lines of: finish the storyboard while making sure the happy-sad-hopeful ratio was correct, sketch out the main pieces, gather the paper for each painting, start putting together samples to share with publishers, create samples to share with my people, itemize and register paintings for copyright, make a list of publishers, go to the bookstore for research, and paint, paint, paint...)

 

ghosted by a friend, sadness after breakup art therapy paintings

 

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 


"I am so drawn towards The Seeker. I feel her emotions so deeply, she is very real and very honest - in her true feelings and vulnerability. Sometimes it's difficult to describe what pain really feels like - the mental type, especially for those of us who feel it very deeply. When I look at her, I know that I am not alone, I know that there are other people that feel life, love, pain and happiness as deeply as I do." ~ M.O.
 

 

“This is a beautiful gift you have created for women, that subtle nod/appreciation of the journey we go on... It is an empathetic, compassionate, creative all-knowing interpretation of motherhood. My interpretation of what you were conveying might not be 100% accurate. But it caused me to literally ball my eyes out crying at work, because it touched my heart and gave me goosebumps.” ~ A.O.

  

“I experienced a whole wide range of emotions looking at each of them and being reminded how many similar experiences we all share throughout life, where the details may differ, but the bigger picture is so similar for so many of us. And it helps to not feel so alone.” ~ M.P.

  

“When I look at these, I feel like I’m not alone in the way that I sometimes feel…” ~ From the husband of a collector, visiting the studio

 

 

ghosted by a friend, sadness after breakup art therapy paintings

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

The Seeker is angular, but also soft. With long arms that will wrap around you if you need them, but will also wrap around herself when she’s feeling vulnerable. She has long legs to stand tall, but also to fold in on themselves. She has a long body that can arch in triumph, stretch with joy, or double-over from grief. 

 

I think many of us, deep down, can relate to this true being. You can reserve your copy of the finished book.

 

♥♥♥

 

The Kickstarter Campaign funded in February 2022, and extra funds received went toward printing the book in a larger size. Still the perfect size to hold against the heart, but large enough to gain full experience of the artwork. 

 

 

emotional art book, silent story, katie berggren, a silent book, book without words, picture book, art picture book, art photo book, paintings of emotions, ghosted by a friend, friendship breakup

 

 

♥♥♥

 

Some Original Paintings from A Silent Story of Heartbreak & Hope (book 1) are still available. Here is an image of the available pieces at one point, let me know if you are interested in seeing the currently available originals.

 

emotional art book, silent story, katie berggren, a silent book, book without words, picture book, art picture book, art photo book, paintings of emotions, ghosted by a friend, friendship breakup

 

message me to see them larger or if there is a piece not shown
here that you would like to own

 

►All original painting purchases include the full 2-book-page spread of original artwork (the 2 pages of art that you can see at one time when looking through the book). Some spreads are made from (2) 12x18 inch original paintings on paper. Some are made from (1) 12x18 inch original painting on paper. Some spreads are made from (1) 15x11 inch original painting on paper.

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

♥♥♥

 

 In February 2022, to raise money for the printing of A Silent Story, my dear friend Dana of The Midnight Orange created these precious Seeker Art Dolls for auction:

 

 art doll sculpture, the midnight orange, clay emotion sculptures, emotional art sculpture, silent story art, art book without words, silent story kmbergren,

 

 

♥♥♥

 

►EU & UK buyers: order your copy of Silent Story through my Etsy shop.

 

kickstarter emotional art book, silent story, katie berggren, a silent book, book without words, picture book, art picture book, art photo book, paintings of emotions, ghosted by a friend, friendship breakup

 

Thank you for helping make this passion project a reality. My goal is for you to see yourself in these pages, in The Seeker’s journey. May you use this book to validate your own worthy story. 

 

loss of a friend, breakup with girl friend, girlfriend break up, best friend breakup, ghosted by best friend, bestie ghost, bestie breakup, relationship loss, love after loss, new friend after being dumped, dumped by a friend, emotional art, art for therapy, healing art, the seeker, silent story by katie m. berggren, art without words, book without words, silent book, story book without words

A Silent Story is a wordless journey of loss and hope, in an art-filled, high-quality book...with over 90 full-color heartfelt pages. 

 

Silent Story is a zoomed-back view of how the unexpected ending of a friendship can cause confusion, shame and hurt. Through vulnerable and relatable character artwork, Silent Story takes its character from a state of joy, through loss and pain resulting from a break-up.

This book is a hold-able journey through loneliness and confusion, heartbreak and silence... ending with renewed hope, happiness, companionship and contentment. You are not alone.

 

 

content reading, finding hope and healing after being dumped, friendship loss, broken friendship, ghosted by a girlfriend, love and hope after friend loss, losing a partner, dumped by a partner, broken relationship, art therapy, healing with art, emotional art book by Katie m. Berggren

 

The Seeker started appearing in my artwork in October of 2006 (see more below) and I was blown-away by the number of women who felt her, saw her and wrote to tell me about how she made them feel when I shared her journey into being.

 

I wonder if she looks oddly familiar because (I think) the shape of you and I beneath our hair and bodies, clothes and extra chub, and all that we put on and say and pretend… is a strong and real spirit, earnest, authentic, a bit awkward, and open-eyed.

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

♥♥♥

 

But WHERE Did The Seeker Come From?

As one alarmed viewer noted in the VERY EARLY stages: “IT looks like IT is from outer space!!!!”. (hard eye roll, that felt rude)

No, not outer space, she comes from WITHIN. When I was first thinking about turning my pain into purpose, I saw a painting on my wall that I’ve kept in sight for 10 years. She was created in April 2007 and her name is SEEKING. I knew when glancing at her that she was my character for this project. She would help me tell my story.

 

silent story, ghosted by a friend, friend breakup break-up, loss of friend, dumped by a friend, friendship loss, broken friendship, empathy and compassion for a friend, heart art, art therapy, healing art, art for grief after breakup, bad friend, fair weather friend, katie m. berggren silent story, kmbsilentstory

 

I realized after creating her in paint multiple times for this project, that she has been with me since the beginning...

With the surprise and JOY of discovering a hidden treasure again and again, I went back through my painting inventory to discover that my SEEKER has been a common thread through my work. She came from necessity 14 years ago, and has been waiting for me to need her again.

It seems she first appeared as the painting DESPAIR, in October of 2006. DESPAIR was me finally processing the loss of my father, in a visual way, 8 years after losing him.

In the painting DOWN, created in November 2006, my girl represented ME – and the incredible distress I was feeling while raising a baby with colic and GERD and his need to cry so, so, painfully much.

 

silent story, ghosted by a friend, friend breakup break-up, loss of friend, dumped by a friend, friendship loss, broken friendship, empathy and compassion for a friend, heart art, art therapy, healing art, art for grief after breakup, bad friend, fair weather friend, katie m. berggren silent story, kmbsilentstory

 

She was hinted at in CHOOSE YOUR PATH in January 2007. We have the task of choosing how we respond to the people and situations around us… my baby was doing MUCH better by then (and TODAY he turns 14!!).

She appeared as BEAUTY WITHIN in April 2007

She was just a child in DETACHED, created January 2007. Someday I’ll tell you the story behind this piece – or you can ask me.

She was again the form for a painting titled HEAVY HEART, in January of 2007. No longer a child, but a young woman­­ experiencing the loss of her grandfather.

 

emotional book, art book graphic novel about friendship, wordless art book, silent story kmberggren, katie m. berggren

 

She was the form of my pain in EMPTY – a piece created in May of 2007. She first found her motherly tendencies in June of the same year, with ROOTS & WINGS.

She represented both happy and sad in July 2007 with SPRINKLING SUNSHINE and BLUE IN THE SHADOWS. And continued to pursue motherhood in LADY MADONNA, at that same time.

 

emotional book, art book graphic novel about friendship, wordless art book, silent story kmberggren, katie m. berggren

She lent her form to BLURRING THE LINES in July 2007, and this is the only original painting of my 1360 paintings created so far, that has been LOST. She’s out there somewhere.

In September of 2007 my girl character began to truly embrace motherhood with KISS and ROCKING PAIR.

emotional book, art book graphic novel about friendship, wordless art book, silent story kmberggren, katie m. berggren

 

In the final quarter of 2007, she made her transition into her next form, the rounder and softer motherly form that has slowly become the women I paint today. 
FOCUS seems like a pivotal piece.The point is, she has been there. She was one of my first loves when I started painting people at my kitchen table and soon had two babies at my feet. 
I feel like she was my beginning, she was my SEEKER – and she has hung by me all these years and has now come back.
It’s like she has been waiting for me – she has always been the visual form of my pain body, and now when I need her to help me pull this message together, lo and behold, she’s here for me.
And if you are still reading, then I consider YOU as here for me, too. Thank you, and I am here for you.

 

 

silent story, ghosted by a friend, friend breakup break-up, loss of friend, dumped by a friend, friendship loss, broken friendship, empathy and compassion for a friend, heart art, art therapy, healing art, art for grief after breakup, bad friend, fair weather friend, katie m. berggren silent story, kmbsilentstory, artist at work, emotional artwork

 

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

♥♥♥

 

 

As far back as I can remember, I found myself saying to people, “I speak in pictures”... and I’ve known since I was young that I can see things in my mind but have trouble putting them into words. So I drew. And I’ve always drawn, and this all makes sense to me now.

 

So, it’s no surprise to me that I am creating Silent Story books that share a journey of emotions through IMAGES versus words. The thought of creating these books with full text kinda freaks me out.



A Silent Story feels like such a gift to me... a gift for my soul, and I came to realize while creating that it is a gift for you, too. With all my heart I create this book for us all.

 

graphic novel, art book, book of art, artist book, painting book, emotional artwork book, emotion art therapy, emotions in art, sad art, grief art, hopeful art, warm art, ghosted by a friend, sadness after breakup art therapy paintings

 

♥♥♥

 

 

Order your copy of A Silent Story 
of Heartbreak & Hope

 

Stay-tuned to this page for more information on this project.

Join me in my private FB group to follow along
more closely with the Seeker and Silent Story.  

 

I've written many blog posts about my Silent Story:

See the 1st Silent Story post
See the 2nd Silent Story post
See the 3rd Silent Story post
See the 4th Silent Story post
See the 5th Silent Story post
See the 6th Silent Story post
See the 7th Silent Story post
See the 8th Silent Story post
See the 9th Silent Story post

 

 

 

 

 

mother and child paintings

Unlock Free Screen Art + Stay Connected

Intrigued... But Not Yet Ready to Choose Art for Your Home?

Choosing artwork can be a journey. Grab some free KmBerggren art at the button above, I'll stay in touch and be here when you're ready ♥️ the next piece I release may be the PERFECT painting or print for you!

More to Discover

1 4
View all