We recently connected with Cat Min and have shared our conversation below.

Cat, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you’ve thought about whether to sign with an agent or manager?

After completing the Illustration & Visual Storytelling summer residency at the School of Visual Arts in 2016, I did my best to be active on Instagram, posting doodles and illustration work almost everyday. I also joined SCBWI and participated in a few illustration competitions. After participating in one of the competitions, I got an email from a literary agent asking me for any manuscripts I may be working on. At the time, I was working on the manuscript for SHY WILLOW (my debut picture book published in 2021), which was closer to the type of stories I wanted to write and illustrate. And for some odd reason, I also had a “safe” manuscript with a more generic story that I felt was what most people would like in a picture book. I overthought too much and decided to send him the safe manuscript, and obviously, it didn’t work out. I knew I needed a literary agent, so I looked and looked, searching instagram, twitter, agent websites. I landed on my current agent’s website and twitter page, and felt that the type of books she wanted to represent were close to the type of books I wanted to make. I sent her my query letter and manuscript for SHY WILLOW, and she got back to me soon after. We talked over the phone and soon after that, I signed with her. She was the only agent I submitted my work to. I think I was very lucky, but I also think that my research helped. The biggest lesson I learned from this whole experience was: write and illustrate stories that YOU care about and you will eventually and naturally find the right people who will help you bring those stories to life.

Cat, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I knew deep down for the longest time that I wanted to pursue a life in narrative art, whether that’s through picture books, painting, film, animation, graphic novels, etc. I was born in Seoul, South Korea under Korean parents, then moved to Hong Kong when I was just 2 months old. I grew up in Hong Kong in the 90’s, and one of my fondest childhood memories is making homemade comic books with my best friend. We would fold and cut printer paper and staple them down the side, then draw everything with a pencil. At that age, we didn’t have any thoughts about future jobs. All we knew was that we loved drawing and making stories.

At 14 years old, I moved to the US. My mom signed me up for after school art classes since she knew I liked to draw. I took these art classes at an art studio called Thea Art run by Seokhee Jung, a well-known Korean visual artist. On the first day of class, I remember I had to draw a straight line over and over again, vertically, horizontally, then diagonally. This would be where I would learn how to draw from the beginning. When I look back at it now, I realize that it was a significant time for me as an artist.

I went on to study film and animation at NYU Tisch and worked as a motion graphics designer at an ad agency in New York. Then life happened (marriage, surgery to remove tumor, etc) and I moved countries and jobs for a couple of years. When I returned to the US in 2015, I felt like I was starting from scratch. And this was when I decided to actively pursue my love for narrative drawing/visual storytelling and never looked back since.

I am now a mom to twin boys and they continue to inspire me and motivate me to be a better person and artist.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

When I first began my picture book journey, I never really thought about getting messages from readers, but when I do, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. Every message from a reader feels so personal and close, and reading their unique experiences and thoughts of my book is very heartwarming. Somehow I have connected with a complete stranger through a picture book that I wrote and illustrated, and when you think about it, it’s really a miracle.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I don’t know if I should call it a goal or a mission, but whenever I get a chance, I tell my friends and family to draw. Everyone is born an artist, and I feel that people who think they are not one is missing a huge part of themselves. Whatever I do or say, I want it to inspire people to draw, write, create, make art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catherinemin.com
• Instagram: @thecatpark