Books made me who I am today. I learned to read pretty early and basically wrapped myself in every book I could find.
I was an only child until I was 13. There was nothing much for me to do so I spent a lot of time reading until I became this dark, negative child who preferred objects to people and had difficulty socializing.
I started having doubts about my existence around the age of eight. Books taught me to question the reasons behind everything. I would also think a lot about death because I discovered that everyone dies in the end.
The negatives of the past help me grow. I hit my lowest point while I was in New York. I went through hell, from being in a bad relationship to being so poor that I couldn’t buy food to eat. It helped me learn about myself in every way. I no longer had to prove my existence.
Giving up isn’t always a bad thing. It’s good for your stupid ego. I was a bright student who was always successful while I was in Thailand. I was accepted into Pratt Institute’s history of art program. But in the end, it was too hard for me. My ego was crushed to pieces.
Be part of the solution, not the problem. I was lucky to get another scholarship to study Nonprofit Art and Culture Management at Pratt. This class helped me meet friends who worked at non-profit organizations and I found them so inspirational.
Many of my friends have troubles in life as they are LGBT but they have learned to harness their power for good causes. They taught me it’s possible for small people to do big things that help others.
Running an organization is like growing a tree. I started the Reading Room as a small, quiet space for people to sit and read books about art. After five years, it has taken on a life of its own. It’s more than just a library. It supports dialogue, freedom of expression and helps open people’s minds.
The best thing about the Reading Room is the sense of community. I was this non-living thing for so long who hated to be in crowds. But here, I love being around these passionate and enthusiastic people who strive for what they believe in.
Thailand lacks a diversity of libraries. We have many, but they’re a hodgepodge of everything. They’re also scarily quiet and too formal. A good library should be a sanctuary where you can interact with knowledge. It should have a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We particularly need more libraries for niche interests.
Building a cultural center is harder than building a mall. With malls you just need all the right brand names and food, but how about a cultural center? Those who have the money aren’t willing to invest in something not for profit, and those who are, don’t have the money.
I love reading comments on Pantip.com It helps me see how our middle-class is groomed to be ignorant about the society we live in. I blame the education system, stale social values and mass media.
Our education system doesn’t teach us to use logic and ask questions. People blindly accept the rules, don’t care about their rights and are easily swayed by the media. The result is a public who fails to realize just what a weapon their brains can be.
Art is a channel through which to express support and opposition towards society’s values. It’s not just aesthetics. It’s an artist’s duty to be empowering and provocative.
Thailand’s contemporary arts scene is going nowhere. Once you’re in university, it’s too late to encourage people to understand contemporary art, which is born from clashes of thought over hundreds of years.
It’s good to see that our political conflicts have encouraged new artists to think differently in recent years. People are slowly learning to question things.
Open conversations should happen more in this country. Everyone should be free to talk about what they are interested in. Talking can only help us make the most of everyone’s skills in order to help others.
I hope to gather as much literature about contemporary art as I can. It’s hard to find out about contemporary art here. I want to reach more people.
