Today we’d like to introduce you to Jum Jirapan.
Hi Jum, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I picked up art as a therapeutic tool in 2012. Divorced and heartbroken, I suffered a crisis of faith and identity. All of a sudden, nothing made sense. All the achievements in life: education, career, marriage, and material things, failed to give me the happiness that life and society promised. I felt so empty and worthless.
Art became my escape and meditative tool ever since. I painted my way out of misery–expressing myself in a way that words could not. It was the work from within, not without. Through art making, I am able to create a holding space for myself. It makes me feel wholesome, so at peace with myself without the need of certain someone or something. Art has the power to change one’s understanding of life. Letting go and gaining new perspectives become easy amid the flow of creativity. It moves me beyond the physical realm and opens me up to possibilities. Armed with art, I find the courage to live my life authentically.
Art gifted me this wisdom; thus, I hope to share this same precious gift with others.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Life is nothing but smooth. It is just so easy to get stuck. Complaining and blaming oneself or others for the misfortunes take us away from living authentically. My struggles have everything to do with my upbringing and naivety. Growing up in the north of Thailand in the early nineties, education for girls was deemed unimportant, plus everyone existed in the context of others. In Buddhism, the self is nonexistent, and desires are the source of suffering.
My love for learning was an ambition that was unholy and selfish. My value depended on how well I filled my role within the family and society. I was abused in many ways, working like a slave and owing my breath to my family.
Thanks to the naivety of my belief in karma, I wrote off the abuses as something I had done to others in my past life; thus, I must accept and forgive to cut the vicious cycle. I rode that misconception with pride and always took the high road. Unfortunately, this also meant not standing up for what was right for me. I turned myself inside out and tried to do everything right for others just to be loved.
After breaking away from my marriage and Thailand, I traveled and started to make art to find my truth. My past and my old way of thinking, of course, lingered. The battle within was such a struggle. I allowed myself to feel, not adhering to the motto of my birth country. Thailand is the land of smiles. We have smiles for every emotion. Dealing with anger has been the hardest. I occasionally find myself fuming when limitations are imposed on me. Thanks to art. I have a calming and safe space to process my emotions. It expands my capability to learn, accept what is, let go, see possibilities, and march on.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My art has always been personal and reflective–in response to the world around me. I explore the world, within and without, through various mediums. I paint, draw, and sculpt. To me, making art is like making a home–a temple in our souls. With my own experience of the healing power of art, I love sharing my art with others. My specialties are participatory art installations and therapeutic art classes. I want people to make or buy art and surround themselves with it. I believe art empowers our souls–lifting us to our highest potential. It has the power to unlock our minds and eyes to see possibilities beyond whatever barriers we have.
I aspire to become an art therapist and philanthropist. I have been accepted just recently to a graduate program in art therapy. My ultimate goal is to start a not-for-profit organization that provides therapeutic art programs to people around the globe, especially those under privilege. I would also like to use the participants’ artwork to raise money and fund their education–empowering them to pursue their happiness. Art and education have saved my life. I hope to utilize them to empower others to do the same.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the River Walk and the diversity in San Antonio. The walkable downtown, the architecture, and the Spanish-speaking populations remind me of what I like about Europe. Better yet, all these exist in America–the land of hope.
The city is the perfect representation of the aspirational foundation of the country that makes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness real for immigrants as it does for American-borns.
What I like the least about the city are the infrastructure and the quality of education. To me, there is no excuse for the most powerful country in the world and one of the richest to have poor roads and poor schools.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jumjirapan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jum.jirapan/
Image Credits
smART KIDs and Bridge PAI. IG: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/11757235/the-bridge-progressive-arts-initiative/
