Our Story
LifeStory Arts started through friendship. Tim and I met while attending graduate school in counseling at Alaska Pacific University (top right photo). We quickly became friends and in the second year of the program, decided to combine our passion for people (and listening to their stories) with our interest and experience in the visual arts (videography, photography, graphics). We launched LifeStory Arts shortly after we graduated.
We have since added my twin sister, Karen (that's us at the top left) as a lifestory artist/video biographer. With a background in nursing, she also brings a caring and compassionate interview style that matches our own.
– Kris Kemerling
Our Philosophy and Approach
We believe that everyone's story (including yours) is important and deserves to be heard. We understand that an environment where you or a loved one can freely tell your story without fear of judgement or rebuttal is extremely important. Our goal is to help make your LifeStory Arts video biography one of the most positive and worthwhile experiences you've ever had.
The LifeStory Artists
Tim Robinson
Hello. I was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and grew up in Dillingham, Alaska and Anchorage. I graduated from Steller High School and attended St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. After some traveling, soul-searching, and a couple years working as a clerk for a Superior Court Judge, I listened to my heart and decided to pursue a career in counseling. I received my Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University.
I have always been a listener. I find tremendous meaning in truly listening to someone tell their story. Whether they’re identifying a goal, trying to verbalize their experiences and emotions, or simply sharing some of their memories, I believe everyone deserves to be heard. My personal philosophy is that without sharing our human experiences with others—our friends, our families, and our loved ones—we deny ourselves the truths that can be learned from them. My experience has been that real learning takes place when we share our stories with those we care about. When we share our life’s stories, we not only give ourselves the chance to remember the things we’ve done and what makes us unique, but we also give these memories and their lessons to those we care about. I can think of no greater gift. I am honored and excited to listen to other people’s stories and to play a role in documenting them for years to come.
Karen Schremp-Schinker
Greetings. I began my life story in Michigan, but spent the majority of my “growing up” years in a small Wisconsin town. It was there that I met and eventually married my high school sweetheart, Jim. My college path took me to a larger and more diverse Wisconsin city, Madison, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Catastrophic case management and legal nurse consulting have also entwined my career path. As a nurse, “preventative medicine” was my field of choice, but critical care became my calling. Oh, the stories! When faced with ailing health or miraculous recovery or death, most people talk. Dramatic life events. Milestones. Cornerstones. Subtleties. My gift was to listen, placing value, not judgement.
As we live, we learn our life stories are filled with the expected and the unexpected. The births of two sons (Eric 1990 and Alex 1993) and Jim dying in 2000 of a rare form of cancer were the extremes. The encompassing moments of all that time are distinct and clear, yet blurred. I wrap my arms around the truth that in this strongly physical world, the soul, the spirit and the stories go on…………..
Fast forward to 2003. I was a single parent, raising two wonderful and energetic boys, with no intention of dating, much less marrying. Until Steve. A friendship, a love, a story…created with multiple words, complex pages, simple chapters….bound together. An unknown beginning. (Not completely true. I have known him since third grade and attended junior high and high school with him.) Immediate laughter and attraction of our spirits led to a pledge of unconditional love (marriage) in 2004. An unbelievable story if I must say so myself. Stay tuned. My life story continues…………..I look forward to helping convey, preserve and continue yours.
Kris Kemerling
Hi there! I grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Alaska in 1993. As a child I developed a strong interest in photography that has continued to this day. My degrees include a B.S. in business, an M.S. in management, and a more recent M.S. in counseling psychology. For over ten years I've had a marketing and photo/video/graphics business. In my free time I enjoy traveling, visiting with friends, distance running, reading, and playing the viola.
I am definitely a people person, and I've always been fascinated by people and their stories–all kinds of folks–well-known or complete strangers, and all kinds of stories–funny, sad, or touching. In fact, I interviewed my first subject over thirty-five years ago in the lunchroom of my elementary school. She was a girl whose family was of a religion uncommon in my midwestern town. I remember listening intently and being intrigued by this young girl's story that was so different from my own. Ever since, I've held a true appreciation for the lives and tales of others.
For me, LifeStory Arts blends my passion for the visual arts with a sincere love and respect for people and their unique stories. Listening to LifeStory Arts clients and helping them preserve their memories truly makes my heart sing!
LifeStory Arts started through friendship. Tim and I met while attending graduate school in counseling at Alaska Pacific University (top right photo). We quickly became friends and in the second year of the program, decided to combine our passion for people (and listening to their stories) with our interest and experience in the visual arts (videography, photography, graphics). We launched LifeStory Arts shortly after we graduated.
We have since added my twin sister, Karen (that's us at the top left) as a lifestory artist/video biographer. With a background in nursing, she also brings a caring and compassionate interview style that matches our own.
– Kris Kemerling
Our Philosophy and Approach
We believe that everyone's story (including yours) is important and deserves to be heard. We understand that an environment where you or a loved one can freely tell your story without fear of judgement or rebuttal is extremely important. Our goal is to help make your LifeStory Arts video biography one of the most positive and worthwhile experiences you've ever had.
The LifeStory Artists
Tim Robinson
Hello. I was born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and grew up in Dillingham, Alaska and Anchorage. I graduated from Steller High School and attended St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. After some traveling, soul-searching, and a couple years working as a clerk for a Superior Court Judge, I listened to my heart and decided to pursue a career in counseling. I received my Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University.
I have always been a listener. I find tremendous meaning in truly listening to someone tell their story. Whether they’re identifying a goal, trying to verbalize their experiences and emotions, or simply sharing some of their memories, I believe everyone deserves to be heard. My personal philosophy is that without sharing our human experiences with others—our friends, our families, and our loved ones—we deny ourselves the truths that can be learned from them. My experience has been that real learning takes place when we share our stories with those we care about. When we share our life’s stories, we not only give ourselves the chance to remember the things we’ve done and what makes us unique, but we also give these memories and their lessons to those we care about. I can think of no greater gift. I am honored and excited to listen to other people’s stories and to play a role in documenting them for years to come.
Karen Schremp-Schinker
Greetings. I began my life story in Michigan, but spent the majority of my “growing up” years in a small Wisconsin town. It was there that I met and eventually married my high school sweetheart, Jim. My college path took me to a larger and more diverse Wisconsin city, Madison, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Catastrophic case management and legal nurse consulting have also entwined my career path. As a nurse, “preventative medicine” was my field of choice, but critical care became my calling. Oh, the stories! When faced with ailing health or miraculous recovery or death, most people talk. Dramatic life events. Milestones. Cornerstones. Subtleties. My gift was to listen, placing value, not judgement.
As we live, we learn our life stories are filled with the expected and the unexpected. The births of two sons (Eric 1990 and Alex 1993) and Jim dying in 2000 of a rare form of cancer were the extremes. The encompassing moments of all that time are distinct and clear, yet blurred. I wrap my arms around the truth that in this strongly physical world, the soul, the spirit and the stories go on…………..
Fast forward to 2003. I was a single parent, raising two wonderful and energetic boys, with no intention of dating, much less marrying. Until Steve. A friendship, a love, a story…created with multiple words, complex pages, simple chapters….bound together. An unknown beginning. (Not completely true. I have known him since third grade and attended junior high and high school with him.) Immediate laughter and attraction of our spirits led to a pledge of unconditional love (marriage) in 2004. An unbelievable story if I must say so myself. Stay tuned. My life story continues…………..I look forward to helping convey, preserve and continue yours.
Kris Kemerling
Hi there! I grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Alaska in 1993. As a child I developed a strong interest in photography that has continued to this day. My degrees include a B.S. in business, an M.S. in management, and a more recent M.S. in counseling psychology. For over ten years I've had a marketing and photo/video/graphics business. In my free time I enjoy traveling, visiting with friends, distance running, reading, and playing the viola.
I am definitely a people person, and I've always been fascinated by people and their stories–all kinds of folks–well-known or complete strangers, and all kinds of stories–funny, sad, or touching. In fact, I interviewed my first subject over thirty-five years ago in the lunchroom of my elementary school. She was a girl whose family was of a religion uncommon in my midwestern town. I remember listening intently and being intrigued by this young girl's story that was so different from my own. Ever since, I've held a true appreciation for the lives and tales of others.
For me, LifeStory Arts blends my passion for the visual arts with a sincere love and respect for people and their unique stories. Listening to LifeStory Arts clients and helping them preserve their memories truly makes my heart sing!
