We’re excited to kick off a new series of interviews with our Art Star of the Month program, honoring exceptional talent across various creative fields.

Through this initiative, we aim to spotlight artists who are making an impact, offering them a global platform to share their work and connect with a community of creators. The Art Star of the Month program is designed to recognize the incredible diversity and innovation in the arts, providing a space for growth, recognition, and meaningful connections.

Our second Art Star of the Month is Mandi (Mahnissa Maneerut), who is a talented writer, artist, and Shadow Coach who uses art to heal and grow. In this interview, she talks about how her struggles with mental health, identity, and relationships have shaped her creative journey. Mandi shares how different art forms—collage, acrylic painting, and writing—help her express emotions and make sense of life’s ups and downs. She opens up about her deep connection to Vincent van Gogh, whose work and words inspire her to create from a place of love and truth. Mandi also reflects on her exhibition Turn Your Scars into Stars, exploring the idea that pain can lead to growth and beauty. Her story tells us that art isn’t just about creating something beautiful—it’s about finding strength and healing through self-expression.

I’m Mahnissa Maneerut, also called “Mandi,” a multi-talented writer, artist, and Shadow Coach. My battles with mental health, cultural identity, and interpersonal relationships have influenced my artistic path, which has been one of metamorphosis, recovery, and self-discovery. I started out as a writer and took home two national fiction awards in 2012 using the pen name Queen B. My book Depression Diary (It’s Not as Sad as You Think), which was published in 2017, marked a sea change in Thai discourse about mental health. It was the first Thai nonfiction book to tackle sadness with humor and honesty and placed 14th at the 2024 Asian Book Exhibition.

I moved from writing to using collage, acrylic painting, and manga to communicate stories visually. My poem Paintiful, which I included in the 2023 edition of Turn Your Scars into Stars, expressed my conviction that beauty may arise from suffering, a notion that was greatly impacted by my inspiration, Vincent van Gogh. My creative mindset is guided by his statement, “What is done in love is done well.” My method of reassembling jumbled feelings, particularly following personal losses, was collage. While acrylic painting allowed me to freely express my feelings, cutting, shredding, and reassembling paper paralleled my emotional healing. My art is a conversation between order and disorder, control and surrender.

Beyond art, as a Shadow Coach, I transform suffering into empowerment by assisting people in discovering their hidden identities. I find inspiration in the resilient and self-truthful figures of Van Gogh, whom I consider a spiritual father, and Lilith, whom I honor as my spiritual mother. I was honored with Thailand’s national award in 2024 for my work advocating for mental health. In the future, I hope to establish a sanctuary where individuals may find themselves, heal, and be creative while removing themselves from the chaos of the outside world. I am fundamentally a storyteller, whether I use paint, paper, or words. My path is about discovering beauty in brokenness, accepting imperfection, and striking a balance between light and shade. My art is my truth, and I want to encourage others to accept theirs by sharing it.

1. Mandi, your work spans such a wide range of mediums. How do you decide which medium—whether collage, acrylic painting, or writing—best captures the emotion or story you want to tell?

Every story, every emotion, has its own voice, its own rhythm. I don’t choose the medium—it chooses me. Some emotions demand structure, while others need to be set free. When my emotions feel fragmented, when I’m trying to make sense of loss or transition, I turn to collage. The act of cutting, tearing, and assembling mirrors the way I piece myself back together. Every torn edge, every layered fragment, is a conversation between destruction and renewal, reflecting the healing process itself. Acrylic painting, on the other hand, is where I surrender. It’s raw, fluid, unfiltered.

When emotions overwhelm me, when I need release rather than control, I let the brush lead. The movement of color across the canvas speaks when words fail. The brushstrokes—sometimes bold, sometimes delicate—capture the turbulence of my inner world in a way that collage cannot. Writing, though, is my first language. It is where everything begins. When I need clarity, when I need to sit with my thoughts and untangle them, I write. Words allow me to shape the intangible, to give voice to the emotions I haven’t yet found a way to express visually. So, I listen. I let the story and the feeling tell me what it needs. Some emotions need to be dissected, others need to flow, and some simply need to be spoken. My art is a dialogue with myself, a dance between control and surrender, tearing and mending, silence and sound.

” Art is not just what I do—it is who I am. Like Vincent, I will keep creating, loving, and searching for the beauty in the chaos because that is where the magic lives.

Mandi

2.  In your collage work, the act of cutting and tearing paper is deeply symbolic. Can you share more about how this process mirrors your emotional healing and personal transformation?

Collage is more than an artistic process for me—it’s a sacred ritual, a mirror to my inner world. Cutting and tearing paper is both destruction and creation, loss and rebirth. Each piece I tear feels like shedding an old layer of myself—letting go of a memory, a wound, a past version of who I was. When words fail and emotions overwhelm me, I turn to college. The act of tearing is raw and visceral, echoing life’s breaking points—lost relationships, unraveled stability, and moments of chaos. But in gathering those fragments and rearranging them, I reclaim my story. What was shattered becomes something new, something whole. Cutting represents deliberate choices—defining boundaries and carving space for what matters.

Tearing is wild, reflecting uncontrollable emotions—grief, anger, pain. Yet, the collage’s beauty lies in its alchemy. Nothing is truly lost. Every torn piece finds its place, reminding me that healing isn’t about returning to the past but building something new from its remnants. Collage is my way of making sense of chaos and finding order in disorder. It’s a dialogue between control and surrender, holding on and letting go. Each piece I create maps my journey, a testament to resilience. It shows that even in destruction, there’s potential for creation; even in loss, there’s renewal. Collage is more than art—it’s my healing, rebellion, and hope. It’s the language I use when words aren’t enough, a way to rebuild and transform. Through it, I’ve learned that we’re not defined by what breaks us but by how we choose to rebuild.

3.  How has your connection to Vincent van Gogh influenced your approach to art and your creative philosophy?  

Vincent van Gogh is more than an artist I admire—he is my north star, my eternal muse, and the heartbeat that pulses through every piece I create. He is not just a historical figure to me; he is a spiritual father, a kindred soul whose voice resonates in my darkest hours and my most luminous moments of inspiration. His essence is etched into the fabric of my art—not merely in the texture of my brushstrokes or the raw emotion that bleeds onto the canvas, but in how I live and breathe art as a necessity, a lifeline, a way of being alive. Vincent taught me that art is not about perfection—it is about *feeling*. His unflinching courage to paint with his entire being and lay bare his suffering, love, and longing in every stroke gave me permission to do the same.

He showed me that beauty is not confined to the finished piece but lives in the act of creation itself—the struggle, the obsession, the audacity to expose one’s inner world to the light. His life was a testament to the idea that art is not a choice but a calling, a compulsion to translate the ineffable into something tangible. His words, “What is done in love is well done,” are etched into my soul, a mantra that silences my fears and fuels my courage. Like Vincent, I create not because I want to but because I must. Art is my language, my way of making sense of the chaos—pain, longing, and love. It is how I give form to emotions too vast for words, how I leave fragments of my soul behind for others to find. But above all, Vincent taught me that love is the beating heart of all true art. Not just love for beauty, but love for life in all its messy, imperfect glory—for the shadows as much as the light. He painted sunflowers not merely as flowers but as radiant symbols of devotion, resilience, and hope. And in my own work—whether through writing, collage, or painting—I strive to do the same: to create from a place of love, to honor the struggle, and to find meaning in every color, every cut, every brushstroke. To me, Vincent is not a tragic figure. He is a beacon of brilliance, a testament to the transformative power of art.

He is proof that even in suffering, there is light. Even in loneliness, there is a connection. Even in despair, there is beauty. His spirit walks with me, a silent companion urging me forward, and through my art, I speak back to him. I carry his legacy not as a burden but as a torch, illuminating the path for others who feel the same relentless pull to create. So here is my creative philosophy, born from Vincent’s legacy and forged in my own journey: “Follow your passion; it will never betray you. To love is to surrender, and to create is to survive.” Art is not just what I do—it is who I am. Like Vincent, I will keep creating, loving, and searching for the beauty in the chaos because that is where the magic lives.

4.  Your exhibition “Turn Your Scars into Stars” was a powerful exploration of pain and healing. What inspired you to combine these themes, and how did the exhibition shape your creative journey?

“Turn Your Scars into Stars” emerged from a deeply personal truth—a belief that pain, met with courage, can transform into something luminous. This exhibition wasn’t just about art and honoring scars as symbols of resilience, growth, and beauty. Inspired by my own scars—both visible and hidden—it became a space to confront pain, not to erase it, but to transform it. My poem Paintiful captured this philosophy: pain and beauty are intertwined, and creativity can turn suffering into something extraordinary. Vincent van Gogh’s spirit guided me, reminding me that profound art often springs from deep wounds. Healing, I learned, isn’t about erasing the past but redefining it.

Each piece in the exhibition reflected a dialogue between destruction and creation. Sharing this work showed me art’s power to turn individual pain into collective healing. Strangers shared their stories, and I realized my art was a bridge, connecting and holding space for others. “Turn Your Scars into Stars” was a metamorphosis. It reaffirmed my purpose, reminding me that every hurt holds potential for beauty. It was a declaration: we are not defined by our pain but by what we create from it. And I chose to create. This show celebrated resilience, a testament to the human spirit’s ability to rise and shine.

It reminded me that scars are not just wounds but stories, lessons, and stars that light the way. Through this exhibition, I learned that art isn’t just a reflection of life; it’s a way to reclaim it, turning darkness into light. “Turn Your Scars into Stars” was my love letter to the world—a declaration that even in brokenness, we are whole. And that, perhaps, is the most beautiful truth of all.

My art is a dialogue with myself, a dance between control and surrender, tearing and mending, silence and sound.

Mandi

5.  Acrylics have allowed you to express more fluid and raw emotions. How has working with this medium changed the way you approach emotional expression in your art?

Acrylic painting has transformed how I express emotions, offering a raw, liberating outlet. Unlike collage’s precision or writing’s structure, acrylics let me surrender completely—releasing control and embracing the flow of creation. The way paint glides, blends, and resists containment is freeing, teaching me to trust the process and let go of perfection. With acrylics, my emotions pour directly onto the canvas, unfiltered. Each brushstroke carries an energy—a feeling that defies words but resonates deeply. I don’t have to articulate pain, longing, or joy; I simply feel, and the paint translates those emotions into something tangible. The fluidity of acrylics mirrors the volatility of emotions.

Colors may flow effortlessly or resist, dry too quickly, or clash unexpectedly. Yet, even in frustration, there’s meaning. Acrylics have taught me to surrender to emotion’s complexities, letting them reveal themselves on their own terms. It’s a dance between intention and spontaneity, control and release. This medium has deepened my connection to movement. While my collages are methodical, my acrylic paintings are visceral—my hands moving freely, my body fully engaged. Each gesture, whether sweeping or sharp, reflects my emotional state. I don’t overthink; I feel. The canvas becomes an extension of myself, a space where emotions can breathe.

Most importantly, acrylics have become a tool for healing. With each layer, I watch emotions transform—chaos softens into something gentle, something whole. It’s a reminder that emotions, like art, are never static. They shift, evolve, and surprise. In that process, I find catharsis, turning pain into beauty and vulnerability into strength. Acrylics have changed me. They’ve taught me to trust myself, embrace emotional outpouring, and find freedom in creation. It’s not about capturing an image—it’s about capturing a feeling. And in that space, I discover art and a deeper understanding of myself. Acrylics are my language of liberation, a way to speak without words, heal without explanation, and create without limits. I find the freedom to be fully, unapologetically alive in their fluidity.

6.  Congratulations on being featured as Art Star by The Arts to Hearts Project! How do you think opportunities like this help elevate your career and open new doors for your creative journey?  

Thank you! Being named an *Art Star* by *The Arts to Hearts Project* is not just an honor—it’s a profound milestone that reverberates far beyond the surface. This recognition is a testament to the countless hours, the sleepless nights, and the relentless passion that has fueled my artistic journey. It’s a validation of the vulnerability, resilience, and courage it takes to pour your soul into your work, not knowing if it will ever be seen, let alone celebrated. This feature is more than a moment in the spotlight; it’s a gateway.

It opens doors to new possibilities—connecting me with a global community of creatives, amplifying my voice to reach audiences I might never have touched, and creating opportunities for collaboration, growth, and innovation. In an industry where visibility is often the bridge between obscurity and impact, being part of ‘The Arts to Hearts Project’ is a powerful step toward building that bridge. It’s a chance to share my story, art, and vision with the world in a way that feels both expansive and deeply personal. But perhaps even more importantly, this recognition is an internal revolution. As artists, we often wrestle with doubt, questioning whether our work matters or if it will ever resonate beyond the confines of our studios.

This moment is a resounding affirmation that it does. It’s a reminder that my voice—raw, imperfect, and deeply human—has the power to touch hearts, spark conversations, and create ripples of healing and transformation in ways I may never fully comprehend. This honor is not just a celebration of where I’ve been but a catalyst for where I’m going. It ignites a fire within me to dream bigger, to dig deeper, and to create with even more fearlessness and intention. It’s a call to continue exploring the uncharted territories of my craft, to tell the stories that ache to be told, and to trust in the magic of art as a force for connection, change, and hope. To The Arts to Hearts Project, to my fellow artists, and to everyone who has supported me along the way: thank you. This is not just a moment—it’s a movement. And I am ready to embrace it with everything I have.

Mandi turns life’s challenges into meaningful expressions of resilience and hope through her writing, collage, and acrylic painting. Her creative journey teaches us that healing comes not from erasing pain but from reshaping it into something beautiful. As Mandi continues to inspire others with her art and her story, she reminds us that true strength lies in accepting both the light and the shadows of life. To learn more about Mandi, click the following links to visit her profile.

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