Did you know that having passion is crucial? Not only does it help you live a purposeful life, but it also drives you to create things effectively, uniquely, and innovatively. Moreover, it can lead to careers and income in the future. This is similar to the 10 leading creators in Thailand who have dedicated nearly their entire lives to nurturing their passions alongside creative thinking and design, resulting in businesses that bring joy, stable income, and contribute positively to society while driving the country's economy intelligently.

“Anything that comes from passion or personal preference will lead to a career and good income in the future.”

Mr. Prapakart Angsusing, designer and owner of the HOOK'S brand, who designed the national costume for Miss Universe Thailand for the 2017 Miss Universe pageant, shared that his journey into the design industry began during university when he wanted to avoid burdening his family financially and desired to earn his own income. Coincidentally, he had a background in art appreciation instilled by his family and had the opportunity to work with Ms. Jeab-Pijitra Boonratpan, a leading fashion icon in Thailand, where he learned various clothing design techniques. This experience made him realize that "art" is the foundation of everything, leading him to establish the HOOK'S brand. Additionally, when he had the chance to work with ELLE Fashion Week on several events, he infused his personal preferences into his designs, such as incorporating art, which can be seen in every collection through the use of color, thematic divisions, and makeup that reflect the path of Dharma or even the concept of judging people based on appearances, aiming to communicate clearly with the audience.

However, the most life-changing moment was designing the fashion show at ELLE Fashion Week 2017 under the theme "Araya in 9" to pay tribute to His Majesty King Rama IX. This show was the pinnacle of his career and extremely challenging because it had to be flawless. Although many tried to dissuade him, he believed that everything stemmed from the best intentions. After the show, his life changed dramatically as he received numerous job offers and financial rewards, teaching him that creating something that resonates with people and combining art with their needs can truly enhance a career. Nevertheless, after that event, he intended not to work in that capacity again due to a lack of inspiration. His peers in the industry disagreed and encouraged him to continue, leading him to recall a quote from King Rama IX: "Don't remember who I am; just remember what I can do." Since then, this philosophy has guided his work, emphasizing that "whatever you do, it must inspire the audience."

“I believe that in Thailand, we can drive forward through design and make a living from this profession because good design with great details tends to be expensive.”

Mr. Supharat Chinathavorn, director of party/space/design, a design studio making waves in the Thai design industry and winner of the Oscar for restaurant design on the global stage, shared that he has two main goals in life: "money and time." He began looking for a career that could balance both while exploring his skills in graphic design, interior design, and advertising. With his family running a seafood restaurant, he came up with the idea of merging design with food by starting a design and branding company, which is primarily driven by people. Thus, he invested in designing the company to function as both a café and a hidden bar, as well as a fine dining restaurant. This process took time and careful decoration until he achieved the desired format, resulting in employees feeling they no longer needed to escape to work at other cafés or Starbucks.

“Designing a café or restaurant was not easy four to five years ago because this profession did not exist. When someone wanted to open a restaurant, they would typically ask for a logo designer or an architect, but no one sought out a designer. I fought back by leveraging my skills in architecture, design, and advertising to create my first restaurant called Wine Republic. From there, I continued to develop concepts like Too Fast Too Sleep, which allowed me to see the bigger picture and adapt my work style continuously.”

Throughout my career, I have worked with clients across various industries, including restaurants, coffee shops, and supermarkets, totaling over 30 brands. This experience has provided me with insights into sustaining a business in this industry, such as using new materials to create exceptional experiences. Customers often lack knowledge about design, so designers must study and explore customer preferences while translating them into new, charming materials that strike a balance between customer and designer tastes. For instance, NANA Coffee Roasters, which is passionate about coffee bags, inspired the design of their storefront to resemble a coffee bag pouring coffee beans in a brick-like fashion. Additionally, "estimating costs before starting work" is essential for designers, as agreeing on a budget before actual design work helps designers assess the design project and allows clients to estimate how much they need to budget for coffee prices per cup. “Build a brand from what represents you, something competitors can never replicate,” exemplified by Too Fast Too Sleep, a 24-hour coffee shop located near educational institutions, which inspired the idea of decorating the shop with books and art/design materials as props, creating an atmosphere where customers feel like they can relax among books and work until dawn.

The CEA Forum 2019 emphasized that CEA, as a government agency, has a primary mission to promote creativity among Thai people, aiming to cultivate a new generation of creators and entrepreneurs with a design thinking process that recognizes that everything around us can be built upon, as long as we do not cling to the confines of familiarity. At the same time, it seeks to clarify the various career paths and business opportunities available that can generate income in the future, simply by combining creativity with action. If one is unsure where to start, it can be as simple as exploring one’s passion, as passion is a crucial factor that stimulates creativity. When you engage in what you love, creativity flourishes, resulting in valuable work that benefits not only oneself but also the country through the circulation of investment funds.