About Katia Wish:
Katia Wish is an illustrator, author, educator, and creativity coach. She teaches Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, creates semi-autobiographical comics, writes and illustrates children’s books, and develops and teaches a variety of workshops.
Katia is the winner of the 2011 Tomie DePaola Award from SCBWI. Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout New England.
Creating comics is a relatively new direction in Katia’s work. She has over a decade of work experience in children’s books and teaching Illustration at the college level. To see her children’s book and teaching portfolio, please visit www.katiawish.com
January 2022 - started to create comics as a personal project
June 2022 - published in the Boston Globe Ideas section
October 2022 - exhibited at MICE (The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo)
October - November 2022 - 6th Biennial Juried Alumni Exhibition: (RE)CONNECT, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
January - February 2023 - published in Literary Mama magazine
February 2023 - published in Cup of Jo
March 2023 - published in Mutha Magazine
March - April 2023 - published in Literary Mama magazine
May 2023 - exhibited at LadiesCon
May - June 2023 - published in Literary Mama magazine
May 2023 - published in Cup of Jo
June 2023 - editorial illustration published in the Boston Globe
July 2023 - interviewed for Mothers Who Make
July 2023 - taught workshop: Drawing Comics for Everyday Life, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
August 2023 - published in Mutha Magazine
September 2023 - published in Cup of Jo
November 2023 - exhibited at Boston Art Book Fair
February 2024 - published The Belladonna Comedy · Medium
March 2024 - taught workshop: Drawing Comics for Everyday Life, Concord Center for the Visual Arts
July 2024 - taught workshop: Drawing Comics for Everyday Life, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Bio. Longer version:
My name is Katia Wish. I am an illustrator, author and educator. I have over a decade of writing/illustrating children’s books and teaching Illustration at a college level.
After my marriage abruptly ended in 2020 when my sons were 5 years and 5 months respectively, it was my creativity, and specifically the solace I found in creating comics about my daily life as a single/co-parenting mom that helped me to move forward.
I hadn’t anticipated being a divorced mother. Nobody does. My then husband and I had been together for 20 years, 15 of them married. And though from the very beginning, we shared custody of our kids, I still felt overwhelming loss, loneliness and confusion. I had defined myself as a wife and a mother. To say that I went through profound and prolonged grief would be an understatement.
However, with the help of many amazing family members, friends, a life coach, colleagues, my sons’ school communities, neighbors and lots of lots and lots of motivational, self-improvement books and podcasts, my vision on my life started to shift.
I recorded little moments with my kids - hilarious, heartwarming, challenging and sweet. That led to a whole new direction in my work - comics about single/co-parenting and overcoming divorce.
This new body of work has gained momentum quickly. So far I have been published in The Boston Globe, Cup of Jo, The Belladonna Comedy/Medium, Mutha Magazine and Literary Mama.
I have emerged not only with a newfound sense of creative purpose, but I have also become a better teacher. Today, I not only teach various art techniques and concepts, but I go much deeper. I encourage my students to overcome fear, to challenge assumptions, and get their work to a whole new artistic and emotional level.
Besides teaching at Massachusetts College of Art, I have begun to develop new workshops. My first workshop in 2021, Urban Sketchbook, generated amazing interest and responses.
Since then, I have developed and taught the following workshops: Urban Sketchbook, Character Design for Children’s Books, Drawing Comics About Everyday Life and Making Creativity a Habit.
After my divorce experience, I have more empathy and understanding. I appreciate the little moments and kindness in my life. I have become an undeniable, relentless and fearless optimist. Something I had strived for all my life but had never achieved.
New habits now motivate and inspire me: meditation, exercise, gratitude, being accountable to a life coach, connecting with people around me in meaningful ways and the most important one - letting myself dream!
If you have an illustration project, book, teaching/speaking opportunity or any other creative project that deals with parenting, creativity, overcoming divorce, grief or being mentally strong, please reach out. I love taking on new challenges and figuring out how to reach people in the most emotional and compassionate way. Let’s work together!
Have a beautiful day!