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
November 2024 - co-presented with Jannie Ho: Empowering ESL Learners through Comics and Visual Storytelling, NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)
December 2024 - exhibited at MICE (The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo)
February - April 2025 - comics are part of the exhibit Art For the People – The Illustration Exhibition at Menino Arts Center, Hyde Park, MA
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. The events in my life led me to become a comics artist as well.
After my marriage abruptly ended in 2020, during the pandemic, when my sons were 5 years and 5 months respectively, it was my creativity that helped me to move forward.
Since the divorce, I created comics about my life as a single/co-parenting mom, developed/taught new workshops, and re-established my Urban Sketchbook practice.
The divorce experience was extremely hard and the grief was profound and prolonged.
At the same time, the divorce made me re-examine my life from all different angles and gave me a chance to build a new, more fulfilling future. With the help of many amazing family members, friends, a life coach, colleagues, my sons’ school communities, neighbors 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, Mutha Magazine, Belladonna Comedy and Literary Mama. I have exhibited at MICE, Boston Art Book Fair and LadiesCon.
I have emerged not only with a newfound sense of creative purpose, but I have also become a better teacher. 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 2022, Urban Sketchbook, generated amazing interest and responses. Since then, I have developed and taught the following workshops: Making Creativity a Habit, Urban Sketchbook, Character Design for Children’s Books, Drawing Comics About Everyday Life and Draw Me a Story.
After my divorce experience, I have more empathy and understanding. I appreciate little moments and kindness in my life. I have become an undeniable, relentless, and fearless optimist.
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!
After several years of being single, I met my current partner. His kindness, humor, and emotional availability feel just right. My kids, my partner and I have a lot of adventures and experiences together.
If you have an illustration project, teaching/speaking opportunity or any other project that deals with art, creativity, parenting, overcoming divorce, grief or being mentally strong, please reach out. I love taking on new challenges and figuring out how to engage people in the most emotional and compassionate way. Let’s work together!
Have a beautiful day!