Autumn's "Web": An Exploration of Mindfulness with Katy Oberle Creative

Tabi (they/them)
Oct 16
8 min read

October 2025 - Organization Pending Newsroom - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Organization Pending is a home organizing company offering in-person and virtual services from Upper Arlington, Ohio. Welcome to the Newsroom, offering decluttering and organizing tips and discussions, interviews with Community Recommendations, Columbus recycling and donation news and resources, and more.

Two rocks with spider webs between them, and the webs create holes.

Don't miss this month's discussion with Katy Oberle about the intersection between music and mindfulness, her services through Katy Oberle Creative and The Be Sanctuary, and her upcoming EP, Web!

And we're getting ready for Halloween and the autumn season with a pumpkin recycling reminder and two Belmont Sessions podcast appearances, talking about business, books, movies, and music - "mixing eerie storytelling with candid discussion", [...] "exploring what lurks in the shadows during the spookiest time of the year."

Mindfulness, Music, and More: Get to Know Katy Oberle Creative

Tabi Berkey, Owner/Operator Organization Pending, with Katy Oberle, MS, IMFT

"Music and mindfulness meet in the art of deep listening. Both invite us to be fully present - in sound, in silence, in the body, and in emotion. Both music and mindfulness open space for presence, healing, and authentic connection." - Katy Oberle, MS, IMFT

Katy Oberle sitting on a rock in nature, wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and jeans.

Born and raised in Upper Arlington, Katy Oberle might be a familiar face to many of you - the Upper Arlington High School's tennis courts are named after Oberle's father, who was a teacher and tennis coach at the school, and her father and mother both graduated from UAHS. Or perhaps you know her work as a Mindfulness Speaker, Facilitator, and Coach, or maybe you know her as a Singer and Songwriter. As a fan of her 2020 album, Shine, and 2022 EP Driftwood, I was grateful Katy found time to update me on her upcoming EP, Web, and to tell me more about her service offerings through Katy Oberle Creative and The Be Sanctuary - and the story behind her journey.

"I've always been interested in and involved in music - I took voice and guitar lessons, was in school choir and musicals, and also appeared in community theater productions throughout my childhood and teen years."

After high school, Oberle decided to major in Psychology at Miami University, where she met her husband, Ed, furthering her education with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northern Illinois University. "I knew I wasn't a 'Broadway-level' performer, and I wasn't interested in teaching music. So I decided to lean into my other passion: helping people. [...] I worked as a therapist for many years before ultimately stepping away from clinical practice as a therapist and into my mindfulness business, Katy Oberle Creative."

"Mindfulness, at its core, is simply paying attention to the present moment with kindness. It's not about stopping your thoughts or necessarily sitting still for long periods of time - it's about learning to meet life with more awareness and less reactivity."

Through one-on-one and group offerings, Oberle shares "practical tools to slow down, listen inward, and build resilience," [...] "whether it's 1:1 mindfulness coaching, creative practices like SoulCollage®, or group experiences like sound baths." You'll find Oberle offering workshops and experiences around the community year-round, and at "the Upper Arlington wellbeing and healing arts collective" she co-founded, The Be Sanctuary - "It's a space that invites people to step out of their busy lives and into an environment that supports being, becoming, and belonging."

And if Oberle has free time? "[My family] has two Siamese kitties, I LOVE animals, and I enjoy being in nature, so you can often find me out for a bike ride or walk, or visiting the zoo. My whole family enjoys attending musicals and live music concerts, and I also love spending time with friends, going on dates with my husband, and traveling. It goes without saying that I also love spending time with my daughters." (Take a listen to "Audrey" and "Vera" on Shine!)

Katy Oberle's Top Three Tips to Incorporate Daily Mindfulness Practices

Don't overthink it. Mindfulness simply means paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and kindness. Anytime you can do that, even for a moment, you're practicing mindfulness.
Try mindful eating. Pay full attention to the taste, texture, and smell of your food. Notice each bite without distractions like your phone or TV. Even eating 1-2 bites like this is a good practice.
Spend some mindful time in nature. Take a short walk outside and choose one natural element - a leaf, a cloud, a bird's song - and really focus on it. Notice its colors, shapes, textures, and sounds, as if encountering it for the first time.

Singer/Songwriter Katy Oberle sits in a field with her guitar. She's wearing a colorful long skirt and black tanktop.

"Music and mindfulness meet in the art of deep listening. Both invite us to be fully present - in sound, in silence, in the body, and in emotion. Both music and mindfulness open space for presence, healing, and authentic connection. I like this quote by Richard Wolf: 'Music and mindfulness are both transcendent experiences that can lift the practitioner from the narrow constraints of identity. You can lose yourself in music just as you can let go of yourself in meditation.'"

If you haven't lost yourself in Oberle's album Shine, or her EP, Driftwood, you might discover, as I did, that Oberle's lyrics and musicality will cause a pause as you journey with her. "Shine focuses on themes of resilience, community, and love, offering light through life's darker seasons. [...] Driftwood drifts into more shadowy waters, exploring surrender, mental health struggles, and impermanence. [...] I refer to Driftwood as my 'dark night of the soul' EP. [...] My forthcoming EP Web is an intimate collection of songs honoring themes of lovingkindness and the interconnected web of life." Web releases on all streaming platforms November 7th, and join Oberle on November 8th at 7pm for the release concert, "Honoring the Web: Songs of Interconnection" at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus.

Explore Katy Oberle Creative's Services:

✨1:1 Mindfulness Coaching: Personalized support to help you bring mindfulness into your daily life. Together we’ll explore practical and creative tools for resilience, self-awareness, and emotional well-being so you can ride the waves of life with skillfulness and self-compassion.

✨Mindfulness Keynotes: Inspiring, relatable talks that bring mindfulness into the workplace. I share tools for focus, resilience, and emotional well-being so employees feel supported and better equipped to handle challenges with clarity.

✨Mindfulness Workshops: Interactive, hands-on experiences that help groups de-stress, recharge, and connect. Offerings include SoulCollage®, mindful vision boarding, gratitude art journaling, and other creative practices that spark insight and build resilience.

Katy Oberle sits on the bank of a river, playing singing bowls for a sound bath.

✨Sound Baths: Immersive sound experiences with singing bowls, chimes, and other instruments that invite deep rest. The vibrations support relaxation, reduce stress, and gently bring you into the present moment.

✨Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku): Guided mindful time in nature that awakens your senses and nurtures a reciprocal connection with the natural world. This evidence-based practice benefits your well-being in many ways.

✨Handmade Songs: A one-of-a-kind musical gift created just for you or a loved one. Share your story, and I’ll write and record a personalized song that captures its heart—something meaningful to celebrate, honor, or remember.

✨Performer for Hire: Live music (vocals, acoustic guitar) to bring beauty and presence to your event. Whether it’s a wedding ceremony, memorial, retreat, yoga class, or other gathering, I provide heartfelt performances that set the right tone and create memorable moments.

✨Original Music: My music weaves together heartfelt lyrics and soothing melodies to create songs that invite listeners inward. Rooted in mindfulness and emotional truth, my “mindful folk-pop” music explores the beauty and complexity of being human. My songs are available whenever you stream your music.

The cover of Katy Oberle's EP, Web. A black and white photo of her in a field with her guitar, looking away from the camera. It looks like she's looking at "Web" written in the upper left corner.

Upcoming Events

November 7th: Web EP available on streaming platforms.

November 8th, 1-3pm: "The Art of Grateful Living" free community workshop at the Tremont Branch of Upper Arlington Public Library. Register here.

November 8th, 7pm: "Honoring the Web: Songs of Interconnection" EP Release Concert at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus.

November 11th, 7pm: "Social Justice Sound Bath" at The Be Sanctuary. This donation-based event blends the relaxation of a traditional sound bath with themes of social justice, aiming to provide a space for community connection around social issues. The first 30 minutes will be devoted to learning about a non-profit organization (for this session, crisohio.org), and holding space for conversation around related issues of social justice. Following will be a 30-minute sound bath featuring crystal singing bowls. Register here.

Find Katy Oberle:

Website: katyoberlecreative.com Linktree: linktr.ee/katyoberle

Contact: online form Email: katy@katyoberlecreative.com

Instagram: katyoberle Facebook: katyoberlecreative

LinkedIn: Katy Oberle, MS YouTube: @katyoberle9274

Katy Oberle Creative honors and celebrates people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. Everyone is welcome here to explore mindfulness, creativity, and personal growth in a safe, supportive, and affirming environment.

Deep Dive Into Katy Oberle's Web

Katy Oberle

The songs on Web are intended to nourish the soul and motivate the spirit, exploring the themes of mindfulness, interconnectedness, lovingkindness, and social justice.

I was inspired by the dharma (the Buddha’s teachings, specifically the Noble Eightfold Path), especially for the song “May You Be”, which is a musical metta (lovingkindness) meditation.

The inspiration behind the song “Nest” was my practice of forest bathing (mindful time in nature—no actual bathing required!), and I snuck in a line about bluebirds, because they’re my favorite bird (so much so that my one-and-only tattoo is on my shoulder is of a bluebird), and it makes my day when I see them visit my backyard bird feeder.

The song “Alive” is all about noticing—through the practice of mindful attention—all the wonders of life, especially the everyday things we tend not to appreciate when we’re too busy or distracted.

“Web” is a reflection on the fact that we are part of an interdependent, interconnected web of life, and that all beings in this web—human and non-human alike—deserve our kindness and compassion. I felt called to write this song after watching the news coverage of the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville; this is what I’m referring to in the second verse when I sing, “when I saw that flag with the red and the black, and the torches they held in their hands, I knew I was safe in the skin I was in, while others had targets on backs”.

The final song on the EP, “Everything”, came through me in a writing session during a creativity retreat I participated in just a few months ago. I was feeling despondent about the state of our world—everything from assault on the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ population, of women, and of immigrants, to the gut-wrenching reality of Palestinian children’s lives (and deaths) in Gaza. I make a plea in the song: “Please can we start over in a place of love”, and I sing that “it’s not that hard if we try to put love above… everything.” Simple sentiments—some might even say trite or naïve, but I really do believe that love is the only way through and out of all of the suffering. I hope this song, and the whole EP, inspires listeners to remember their humanity and the humanity of others—even those with whom they disagree—, and to show up each day with kindness and compassion towards all beings, including themselves.

November 7th: Web EP releases on all streaming platforms.

November 8th, 7pm: "Honoring the Web: Songs of Interconnection" EP Release Concert at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus.

Belmont Sessions Podcast Appearances: Company News

Screenshot of Mike Stake sitting at a table with a microphone in front of him, and hand to beard, looking off camera, wearing glasses, a baseball cap, headphones and goggles with a fence in the background. Belmont Sessions Tabi Business Owner of Organization Pending is written on the screen, and a picture of home organizer Tabi is in a red circle in the the corner. They are dressed like Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Tabi made their first podcast appearance in September, on Mike Stake's new Belmont Sessions podcast, available on YouTube™. Get a peek behind-the-scenes of Organization Pending and the future of the Belmont Sessions, and hear our thoughts on digital versus physical collections, music, movies, books, and more, in Belmont Sessions Ep. 1 - Tabi from Organization Pending (Premiere Interview).

If this season is your favorite too, take a look at Belmont Sessions Ep. 2 - Tabi + Haunted Halloween Talk, "mixing eerie storytelling with candid discussion", [...] "exploring what lurks in the shadows during the spookiest time of the year."

Pumpkin Recycling: Upper Arlington Updates

A large red garbage bin that has been repurposed for pumpkin recycling in Upper Arlington.

Pumpkin recycling will be available at Fancyburg Park, 3375 Kioka Avenue in Upper Arlington, from November 1st through December 8th. Please use the marked bins in the center of the parking lot - the green compost bins are for table scraps only.

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