Artist · Storyteller · Gatherer
I capture the essence of people, places and the things that matter most. Through drawing, living fully, and bringing people together — I am here to help you sparkle.
Marlies Kruger
Artist · Storyteller · Gatherer
I capture the essence of people, places and the things that matter most. Through drawing, living fully, and bringing people together — I am here to help you sparkle.
I used to play small. Not anymore.
For most of my life I convinced myself that the big things — a real career, success, being seen — weren’t for me.
At 50, something shifted.
I am Marlies Kruger. Artist, visual storyteller, Italy lover, cabin builder, gatherer of women. I am a multipotentialite — someone whose gifts don’t fit in one box — and I have stopped trying to force them to.
Everything I do comes back to one thing: capturing the essence. Of a person. A place. A moment. A feeling that is hard to put into words but impossible to ignore once you see it drawn.
My drawings have taken me from the bags of the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam to the boardrooms of HEMA. My drawings have moved CEOs and museum visitors stop in their tracks.
And I am just getting started.
Core values: independence · simplicity · authenticity · quality · compassion · creativity
Capturing the essence
Create • Live • Gather
Create
I make drawings that make people feel seen
Whether it is an unique gift for someone you love, a commission for your business, or a piece that captures the soul of your brand — every drawing starts with listening. I observe, I feel, and then I draw what words cannot quite say.
I work with people and businesses who believe that a truly personal gift is the most powerful thing you can give.
I made an exclusive product line for the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. I have created bespoke gifts for the board of HEMA. And I have had the pleasure of helping many private individuals find a unique gift.
This is for you if: You want a gift that is genuinely one of a kind. You want your brand to be represented with beauty and soul. You want to give someone the feeling of being truly, deeply seen.
Trusted by:
Trusted by:
Live
Italy, the cabin, the simple life
I believe that how you live is part of who you are.
I’m Dutch with an Italian heart. Thirty years ago I lived in Italy for a couple of years and the love for the country has never left me. I speak the language, still go there yearly, and understand the ‘Dolce vita’.
I’m letting you ‘taste’ some Italy.
In the meantime, I built my own piece of Italy in the Netherlands. A cabin in the woods in Diepenheim — ourcabin.nl — where simplicity is a philosophy, not just an aesthetic.
I write about all of this on my Substack: Capturing the Essence. The drawings. The food. The small things that make a life feel full.
Come with me.
Live
Italy, the cabin, the simple life
I believe that how you live is part of who you are.
I’m Dutch with an Italian heart. Thirty years ago I lived in Italy for a couple of years and the love for the country has never left me. I speak the language, still go there yearly, and understand the ‘Dolce vita’.
I’m letting you ‘taste’ some Italy.
In the meantime, I built my own piece of Italy in the Netherlands. A cabin in the woods in Diepenheim — ourcabin.nl — where simplicity is a philosophy, not just an aesthetic.
I write about all of this on my Substack: Capturing the Essence. The drawings. The food. The small things that make a life feel full.
Come with me.
Gather
Holding space for women who are ready
This is the part I am growing into — and the part that feels most alive.
I have spent years learning how to hold space. For myself, for my children, for the women in my life who needed a table to sit at and someone who would really listen. Through my mentorship with Lael Stone — Australia’s leading voice on conscious parenting and compassionate living — I found the language for what I have always known.
Now I want to create that for others.
The Lael Stone Amsterdam Event — 13 September 2026
Lael Stone is coming to Amsterdam. For the first time.
If Brené Brown opened the world’s eyes to vulnerability, Lael Stone is doing the same for compassion. She is Australia’s leading voice on connection, emotional awareness and the courage it takes to truly know yourself — and she is about to become just as essential.
Lael Stone is an educator, TEDx speaker, podcast host, author and parenting counsellor who has worked with families for over 22 years. But her work goes far beyond parenting. Everything she does is rooted in one fundamental principle: connection and compassion — helping all humans understand themselves better and live the life they truly desire.
Her first book Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children debuted on multiple bestseller lists, and her second book Own Your Story, released in 2025, focuses on healing our past so we can thrive in the future. It is a guide for anyone ready to break free from limiting beliefs, heal old wounds and step into a life of authenticity and fulfilment.
She is not yet known in the Netherlands. And I am bringing her here.
I had the privilege of being mentored by Lael this past year. She changed the way I see myself, my story, and what is possible. I want that for you too.
If you want to be in the room — get on the list.
Women around the table
In the future — in Italy, in Amsterdam, wherever there is a good table and honest light — I want to gather women who are ready to stop staying small. To eat well, speak freely, and remember who they are. More on this soon.
Looking for a professional Event Producer?
Through Convinta I organise events for businesses and organisations who want their gatherings to have real impact — not just a programme, but a feeling.
Do what your heart tells you to do
Dad
Contact
Marlies Meijerink-Kruger
+31 (0)6 480 678 22
marlies@tosparkle.com
Create
To Sparkle
www.tosparkle.com
marlies@tosparkle.com
Live
Capturing the essence
Substack
Our cabin in the woods
Gather
Marlies Kruger
www.marlieskruger.com
event@tosparkle.com