Meet Suree Sompamitwong

We were lucky to catch up with Suree Sompamitwong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Suree, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I discovered my purpose after embarking on a healing journey following a bipolar diagnosis in the summer of 2017. I suffered a mental health crisis while living and working at a fashion company in Los Angeles. During this difficult time, I spent a week in a mental institution until my mother flew out to bring me back home to Minnesota, so I could be close to family and focus on my mental health. That was when I was diagnosed with bipolar 1.

This experience led me to find art as a vital tool in my healing journey. Painting, sculpting, dancing, and writing became my sanctuary, allowing me to channel my pain, trauma, chaos, and anger into a safe space. Art provided an outlet for the intense bipolar energy that needed to be expressed.

Since then, I have deeply explored ways to manage my symptoms while living with bipolar disorder, experiencing extreme highs and lows. Through it all, I learned to regulate my emotions to continue living a fulfilling life. I refused to feel like a victim or let my mental illness restrict me. Instead, it became my fuel and ignited a passion to help others who also struggle with mental health issues.

In 2020, I founded Creative Healing Space, a non-profit dedicated to promoting healing through various creative modalities. This journey has been incredibly enriching, transforming my focus from personal ambition to a larger mission. My new dream is to help people use art to cope with their mental health challenges.

Who knew that my rock bottom in 2017 would lead to a new journey that I couldn’t have imagined?

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I strive to balance my role as a social entrepreneur, dedicating significant time and energy to leading my non-profit, Creative Healing Space. While I also launched a clothing line called Art Invasionz two years ago, which features raw art with powerful messages, my current focus is on growing and managing my non-profit. I recently won a fellowship that provides stipends, allowing me to dedicate myself fully to this mission. My goal is to devote 100% of my effort to Creative Healing Space so that within the next year, I can transition from my daytime job to becoming a full-time director of the non-profit. At that point, I plan to reinvest my energy into Art Invasionz.

I know I can do it all, but I don’t want to. My primary commitment is to Creative Healing Space, and I want to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. Additionally, I remain passionate about my artistry, whether through sculpting, painting, or writing. I never want to lose that creative side of myself, no matter how busy life becomes.

Currently, my priority is Creative Healing Space, followed by my artistic pursuits. I’m working on a new life-sized sculpture, the third in a series honoring Mother Nature and symbolizing womanhood. I’m also developing a new dance performance with my partner, which is particularly exciting as it marks our first collaborative creation. This project has deep personal meaning, and I’m thrilled to share this creative journey with someone I care deeply about.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities that have propelled me forward are relentless optimism, a growth mindset, and adaptability.

Relentless Optimism: I do what I do, even when others can’t see my vision, because I have a deep belief that I’m meant to bring it to life. Whether it’s my clothing line, my non-profit/business ideas, or my dance inspiration, I feel a strong conviction to execute my ideas and turn them into reality.

Growth Mindset: Many people struggle to start because they focus on their weaknesses or wait for the perfect timing. I approach it differently—I do the best I can with what I know now, and when I know better, I do better. I understand that skills can be developed and honed over time. I leverage my weaknesses by partnering with others who have complementary strengths. I believe our mindset shapes our reality, so I have a positive framework for the tasks I need to do. I bring the energy and the passion to my tasks. I don’t complain about all the work I must do, instead, I get excited because I believe in my vision and trust the process. I have a mantra that I live by “Day by day, I get better in every way,” which assures me that I will always learn and grow because I choose to.

Adaptability: Although I can be stubborn, I am quick to let go of things that are not helpful or effective. I adapt to better approaches as soon as I discover them, allowing me to shift and evolve with changing circumstances. I’m not rigid in my methods, which enables me to navigate whatever comes my way. When I hear of a new idea that I believe will work, I run with it. I don’t sit around and let my anxiety convince me to avoid discomfort. Instead I embrace it, because I know that with challenges, comes opportunity for innovation and growth.

For those starting their journey, here are some ways to develop these impactful qualities:

Seek Mentorship and Learning: Surround yourself with people who are more experienced and successful than you. Listen to their advice and wisdom. I constantly listen to podcasts, and watch Youtube videos of entrepreneurs and artists I admire. Learning from the best allows you to understand their mistakes and apply those lessons to your own journey.

Balance Grace and Accountability: It’s crucial to give yourself grace when you make mistakes, but also hold yourself accountable. This balance helps you learn from your errors and move forward. Understand that growth is a continuous process, and every mistake is an opportunity to improve.

Embrace Change: Be open to changing your approach when necessary. Adaptability is key to navigating challenges and seizing opportunities. Stay flexible and willing to adjust your methods as you learn and grow.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I believe it’s important to have strong self-awareness. By betting on our strengths while also working to improve our weaknesses, we can achieve greater balance and efficiency. For example, I used to struggle with organization, but I learned to improve by researching tips on structuring and strategically planning my day. Similarly, just because I get easily distracted doesn’t mean I can’t change. I use tools like to-do lists and keep my phone out of reach to help me stay focused. It’s like a muscle, I may not be passionate about working out on my biceps, but I will continue to work out because I want to have stronger upper body strength. Just because we might not be naturally good at something, doesn’t mean it has to be that way forever. We can decide to commit to improving day by day. It’s about about consistency and not giving up.

Being aware of your weaknesses allows you to develop strategies to address them. However, for areas that are beyond your control or expertise, it’s wise to delegate. For instance, I’m not skilled in accounting, so I hired an accountant to manage the finances for my non-profit. I’m also only moderately skilled at graphic design, so I have interns help with social media graphics. This delegation saves me time and allows me to focus on tasks where I excel, such as grant writing, brainstorming ideas, planning events, and developing programs.

By recognizing and addressing both strengths and weaknesses, we can maximize our productivity and effectiveness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.creativehealingspace.org
• Instagram: creativehealingspacemn
• Facebook: Creative Healing Sace
• Soundcloud: p
• Other: https://www.sincerelysuree.com

Image Credits

Photos by Virgil Cerda