Kara M. Mitchell grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, where everyone knew everyone else, all rooting for the same team, and everything was a little faded and rusty. Making people laugh is her favorite thing, so playful colors, the nuances of neighbors, and a good joke influence her most when telling stories. Kara loves playing with different color palettes and materials, while her creative voice remains the same, rooted in humor and heart. Her stories and illustrations lean classic, simple, and a little…quirky. Kara primarily uses traditional mixed media, with a bit of digital editing at the end. Her first picture book, Catching Kindness, which she both wrote and illustrated, was published through Magination Press (APA) in October of 2025.
When not illustrating, Kara is a landscape designer, a church choir singer, and a member of the Cherokee Nation. She’s the mom of two young men and the wife to a slightly older one.
