traveler. writer. artist. always curious.

Katherine Conaway is a freelance writer, artist, and consultant. She’s been a digital nomad since June 2014, working remotely while traveling full-time. She has visited more than 55 countries so far, across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Katherine is currently a postgraduate student, studying for the Erasmus Mundus International Master in Children's Literature, Media & Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE). The 24-month programme features semesters at different partner universities in the CLMCE Consortium, starting with the Fall 2025 semester at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and Spring 2026 at Aarhus University in Denmark.

I am passionate about art, culture, and education.

Clients have included Guardian Revival (mental health non-profit), Raw Materials (design agency), Bluffworks (men’s travel clothing), Public Persona (branding + design studio), Lauren Hom (letterer + illustrator), The New York Times, Under Armour, AERIN Lauder, and more. Before working in the creative industry, Katherine was a teacher at American schools in Casablanca, Morocco, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

Katherine is the author of An Alphabet of Fun Facts and coauthor of The Digital Nomad Survival Guide (on Amazon Kindle and in print). She has written & been interviewed about her travels, remote work, and digital nomad programs like Remote Year.

Journal

Starting Grad School in Scotland

I arrived a week ago to Glasgow, Scotland, to start my master’s degree (!!), so I wanted to share about it & answer some of the top questions about the program I’m doing — an Erasmus Mundus International Master’s of Children’s Literature, Media, and Cultural Entrepreneurship (CLMCE), getting started at the University of Glasgow, our CLMCE Orientation information, and getting settled in Glasgow.

Reflecting on My First Semester at ESMA Art School in France

A recap of my first semester at ESMA Lyon, where I embraced the challenges of art school, life in France, and a structured daily routine after 10 years of remote work and travel. My classes included Volume Atelier (physical maquettes), Photography, Image Analysis (film composition), Anatomy (drawing), Technical Drawing (perspective), Visual Arts (art history), Color (acrylic painting), and French Language, plus a “van life” transversal week and some stop motion experiments.

Grad School App Submitted!

I just applied to my dream program: the Erasmus Mundus Master in Children’s Literature, Media & Cultural Entrepreneurship. So I thought I’d share a bit about my journey, this unique interdisciplinary program across Europe, and my application.

I Just Started a Year of Art School in France!

I'm taking a one year "Entertainment Preparatory Class" at ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) in Lyon, France. Here's info about the program, how & why I chose it, and my artistic journey from self-taught to art school (including my recent Kickstarter campaign for my Alphabet book and taking my Creative Sabbatical Summer Break).

My Guide to ChatGPT & How It Works

I was initially resistant to using ChatGPT / any AI, but I've started really appreciating it working as a personal research & copywriting assistant. I co-created this guide with Chat GPT to summarize the functionalities and real-world applications of conversational AI.

New: A Travel Alphabet Book

My newest project, A Travel Alphabet book, is now available as a digital download! Created in just 12 hours during my course at The Glasgow School of Art, this book is packed with travel tips and vibrant blue ink illustrations, collaged on pink sugar paper.

Creative Sabbatical Summer Break

I am taking 6 weeks of art classes at 3 schools! I love learning and making art, and I’ve wanted to take a break and do more structured studio classes for a while. So I decided to give myself the gift of a creative sabbatical… like a DIY adult summer camp!

Japanese Calligraphy VAWAA in Kyoto

My final project for my Graphic Memoir course at the Center for Cartoon Studies was a 6 page comic about my 4-day Japanese calligraphy VAWAA last spring in Kyoto with Chikako.

Daily Diary Comics (CCS Graphic Memoir)

During our weeklong Graphic Memoir class at the Center for Cartoon Studies with Mel Gillman, we were assigned daily diary comics to draw — a short, simple autobio comic strip based on a prompt.

Graphic Memoir @ The Center for Cartoon Studies

I declared this summer to be my “art class summer” (or something, there’s not a real title for it… yet?), and my first class was a week-long Graphic Memoir course at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.

Announcing: An Alphabet of Fun Facts

In 2021, I decided I wanted to learn / practice how to illustrate on my iPad. So I launched a Kickstarter for An Alphabet of Fun Facts for my birthday that year. Now, it’s available for sale!