My father was my ultimate idol. He was a teacher and his hobby was drawing film billboards that were hung in front of theaters. I liked watching him paint the boards and dreamed of being like him someday, not knowing that being a billboard painter isn’t a very high profile profession.

The “gift” is a characteristic that an artist possesses, like the love to paint, read, write or sing. Those who don’t have it just don’t care about these things at all.

Learning and studying helps, but in the end not every art student becomes an artist: Only the gifted ones.

Practice is also important. The skill of someone who paints 30 pictures a month is distinguishable from someone who paints one picture.

Diligence is the key to success, but wit and talent come into play, as well.

Teachers’ ethical codes stress that they should be serious and dedicated to imparting knowledge to every student equally. But art is not like that.

Art cannot be taught. What teachers can do is to encourage and suggest—the rest the students have to think and do for themselves. That’s art.

From my 30 years of teaching, I’ve realized that I shouldn’t try to make every single student good. Students will learn and adjust to their group or class.

I began writing as an art critic for Siam Rath newspaper—as I see it, it was the first art criticism column in Thailand. After five or six years I got bored with it because it earned me a new enemy every day.

Thai people don’t like criticism, but they like gossiping. I lost lots of friends. Respected artists and art teachers didn’t mind my critiques—but their students and admirers did.

Once you exhibit a picture or publish a book, the work is not yours anymore: It’s public property. People can criticize your work in every way. If you can’t accept this, you should keep your work at home.

My first book was 20th Century Nirvana, written around the time of October 14. Today when I read it I get a headache and constipation.

I decided to change to something light, easy and accessible like novels. And the result has been too good to be true. The books sell really well.

I began my art in the same way as my writing—seriously with unbendable determination. In my time, abstract art was the trend and those who did realistic works were called old-fashioned.

Abstract art encourages thinking because people don’t get it at once—or at all.

Even though I’ve received many awards from my abstract art, as I’ve grown older I’ve thought more about how to make people understand my work. So I incorporated subjects and stories into my art—and it has proved easier and more fun.

Doing realistic art reminds me of my school years. I’ve found that it’s more pleasurable than using only my imagination.

I feel like I have begun living another life by returning to my roots. I don’t need concepts and emotions anymore; I just paint what I feel like. I don’t disturb anyone’s thinking. They just see the pictures, like or don’t like them and that’s it. I want art to be like this.