Hello community. After my first post I was advised to make a post just introducing myself. I guess I should have done that first - there is so much to learn about how Steem works so please forgive me.
I grew up in a rural area of South Thailand in the province of Trang. To my horror when I was young my mom informed me that I should become a hair dresser (nothing against hair dressers), and find a husband as soon as possible. I didnt want that! I wanted to go to university and study art. I wanted to see the world! I wanted to be an artist! I didnt want to cut hair in the village and grow old here like my mom and her mom before her.
Drawing and sketching was my everything. It is my older brother that I must thank for where I am in life now - don't worry little sister he whispered, you will go to university and you will leave this village.
I graduated from one of Thailand's best universities with a degree in fine art. So what now? I soon realised that for every successful artist (meaning financially successful) there are 1000 artists that are simply never going to make any income from their art - that was me. So I sold real estate hahaha. Life is full of challenges right and we have to do the best we can with the tools at hand.
It was in the real estate industry that I realised there is a place for my passion of hand-sketching and art. I could be an architect or an interior designer! Back to university I went, this time graduating with a degree in interior architecture and design - finally I could put my art to work and thats what I did and still do.
I sketch homes, rooms, furniture, interior spaces, gardens and salas, kitchens and bedrooms - sketching and drawing before working them up on autocad or archicad allows me to show my client the real vision I have, and to add my personal style. I have a small design studio and my team and I create designs for mostly homes but sometimes commercial businesses too.
I try to work with locally sourced materials and engage with local communities as much as as I can. I encourage my clients to see that their homes should not only be a reflection of their personal style but should also embrace Thailand art and culture - particularly small scale industries (like the Pandan weavers of my first post). I have my own small-scale furniture workshop that specialises in building with reclaimed teak. We employ local carpenters and again try to source all our materials from local communities that are upgrading old homes or often temples - we purchase and take away their old wood and prepare it for furniture manufacture.
I hope this post offers all at hive a little insight about who I am. I would like to offer some encouragement to any of the younger readers, especially the girls - if you have a dream, exhaust all possible options before "giving up" on it. Don't settle for anything less than what you really want in life - I know that it's hard, and my words may seem easy because I already arrived to my goal of turning my art into a business.
Get our from your village or home town, do your best at school, aim for higher education or if not then turn your eyes to business and follow your passion without compromise, we girls need to work harder than boys often. Dont be afraid to speak up and be heard - put your ideas out there and stand firm on your beliefs (but be flexible too). Thank you readers, I am Pakamard Sudjit
