Meet Shuchita Mishra | Assistant Professor in Illustration and Sequential Art, Kennesaw State University and Founder of Shuchi’s Comic and Basic Animation Workshops

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shuchita Mishra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shuchita, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I moved to San Francisco in 2016 and attended California College of the Arts for my MFA in Comics. During that time, I juggled with four different jobs, working for other companies as a teaching assistant for everything ranging from making scientific toys out of recyclable materials to assisting other art teachers in schools across the bay area and Oakland.

It was during one such stint, as I was cleaning a classroom that a teacher asked me about my background. As I told her about pursuing a degree in comics and showed her my portfolio on instagram, she suggested I propose an aftercare school program around comics to her school. And that is where the idea of starting my own business stemmed from. I worked in my college library a few days later and drafted my first business proposal on teaching comic lessons in the bay area.

My thought, as I drafted the first proposal was: that if no one else was going to provide a job to a student pursuing comics in comics then I would. As luck and a lot of hard work would have it, now after three years, I do exactly that.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My art stems out of love, nature and a passion for lines. I think what sets me apart is the journey. I’m sure like every artist my process of practicing my passion is what makes it unique. Growing up in India, I never had the chance to pursue a degree in Art. I would always draw but it was almost like my dirty secret. I had to close my doors, keep it in hiding from my parents, friends, relatives as it was considered a waste of time. (Oh boy! Look how far that got me looking back today!) So I kept it hidden.
Like most Indians, I became an Engineer, electronic and communication at that and then went on to pursue a Masters in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing. All throughout my degree that madness for lines never died. I was a great circuit solver (the love of lines) and then great at Marketing (love for color theory and the psychology behind it!) but Art…Art chased me.
My degrees got overlooked as I moved to Germany for my first marriage. It was a hard time as I struggled to find a job. The only jobs I got was teaching English as a foreign language to German firms. It is during that time that I found my second love after Art: Teaching. As my marriage crumbled due to a gaping hole in interests, I found my solace in Art. In 2016, after having worked as a Language trainer for over three years and building a big portfolio of artwork in my downtime, I applied to California College of the Arts, taking a chance in Comics.
There was something about visual storytelling that meshed with my delving into poetry, writing and constant drawing. And soon after I got a call from Matt Silady about being accepted in to what had just been a dream and aspiration of going to college for the Arts.
It wasn’t easy moving to the United States. I had a rocky second marriage but it afforded my education even if it came at the cost of being diagnosed with depression at the end of it. My mentors kept me afloat. I found a way to navigate through my depression by drowning myself in to creating my first graphic memoir, which discloses my struggle in relationships and reveals my artist journey while constantly adapting to foreign cultures. Marrying my two passions: Art and Teaching has given me an outlet to channel my creativity and grow as an artist. I draw slowly as I work through my emotions of how long this journey has been.
If there has been one lesson that I have learnt, it is to be happy and in love with what you do, the rest of will follow BUT you must find a way to do it everyday. I started doing 100-day challenges twice a year, which meant producing 200 pieces of artwork in a year. Working on my art everyday for two hundred days in a year has gotten me not just visibility and respect in the art world but it has also given me a way to illustrate to my students that it is possible. It is is possible to be a practicing professional artist, if you just keep at it without any excuses, and nurture your own passion.
My brand story is to chase that dream even if: for right now no one but you believe in it. And work hard around it. There is no substitute for hard work no matter how talented you are.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting Atlanta (Julie and Alina) this is for you: 1. Breakfast on my balcony
2. A Hike in the Chattahoochee National Forest
3. Lunch at the Marietta Square followed by a drink at Two Birds
4. A Walk through Cabbage Town and Coffee at 97 Estoria
5. Followed by Dinner in the East Atlanta Village and Dancing at The Basement

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Matt Silady, Chair of the Comics Program, at California College of the Arts, is one of my first mentors. His undying love for comic is quite infectious. From day one of arriving at CCA, he instilled this deep love in all of us (students pursuing the comic degree) and potential of Comics. As I struggled in my personal life, he supported my journey as an artist and believed in me. Thanks to him, I had opportunities of several fellowships during my time at CCA and then the Writer’s Residency, where I finally had a chance to launch my professional career as an artist.

During the Writer’s/ Comic Artist Residency at the Writer’s House in Pittsburgh, I was mentored by Maggie Messitt, the author of the book: Rainy Season: Three Lives in the New South Africa and an educator at Penn State University. Maggie mentored my professional undertakings during the residency. Under her mentorship, I worked on my first graphic memoir, I left my heart in Stuttgart, got to work at the Carnegie Museum of Art, get published in the New Yorker and work with a Cam Todd from Report for America as I managed by business remotely. Maggie not only gave me a place to sleep and work, she gave me the confidence that I lacked as an immigrant: she has become my first family in the United States. As I finished my residency last year, she guided me on how to start my career as an assistant professor by helping me create curriculum, assignments for students and plan my next move to Georgia. So a big shoutout and hug to her. I don’t think I’ll be able to repay any of her kindness but as she has told me: I can carry it forward!

Website: www.shuchitamishra.com

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