Katie Kopcha Claywell ’14 M.A.A.T is an author, illustrator, and art therapist. She received her Master of Arts in Art Therapy from Albertus in 2014. She benefited from the small class sizes, making close connections with her professors and taking on internship opportunities that Albertus offered.
Hear from Katie on her passion for the creative arts and what lead her to publishing her first book.
***
I have been interested in art all my life. During my years growing up, I found that drawing, illustrating, using primarily watercolors, gave me an avenue to express myself. I find it relaxing, calming, and also as a means to process my thoughts and then to express my thoughts and my feelings. It is this practice that art therapy is based on, and it is the reason I find myself working as an art therapist. I love creating, and I love helping others find happiness in their lives. I find great fulfillment in being able to be a facilitator in this process with my clients. For example, I may offer watercolor paints, clay or other drawing tools to create an art piece to represent a struggle they may be going through. This often helps them see their personal challenge in a new visual light that we continue to work on together.
As I grew up, I developed my illustrations of the whimsical animals that have become so dear to me, and have also become my signature. Over the years I created many stories using my animal drawings. Recently, I began putting my thoughts and drawings into a book that became “The Birdy Got My Chips”. Many of the silly poems in the book are true stories inspired by my 3 year old daughter, Juliana, and our wire haired dachshund, Dyson. The title itself was inspired by a time a seagull took our bag of chips at the beach! Another illustration was inspired by cooking meatloaf with my daughter. I like to make my books relatable to families to continuously enjoy again and again. This has been especially important to me, to bring smiles to others, while we are all spending so much time together in quarantine! I am currently working on a new book which I hope to publish by Spring 2021.
‘The Birdy got my Chips” is currently available in paperback on Amazon.com. It is available in hardcover at BarnesandNoble.com and other online platforms. I will continue to write and illustrate books to encourage smiles and laughter. In addition, I plan to write books for children targeting grief, anxiety, depression, and stress which also includes coping strategies. Children can find support and can build skills by relating to animal characters who overcome their struggles. When I am not writing and illustrating books, or working in my practice, I have been enjoying being a mommy to my two daughters, spending time with my husband, and experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes that we enjoy together.