Today we’d like to introduce you to Suree Sompamitwong.
Hi Suree, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started my journey with my own healing. After working in fashion in Los Angeles, I experienced a psychosis that completely changed the direction of my life. Soon after, I was diagnosed with bipolar 1. It was devastating. I had worked so hard to build my fashion career, it was a dream of mine since I was in 4th grade. And suddenly, everything felt like it was falling apart.
I moved back home to Minnesota to be closer to my family and focus on my mental health. But I was in denial and spiraled into a deep depression. I was grieving the loss of my dream job in California and trying to reconcile with the fact that I was now living with a mental illness. For months, I binged ate and felt stuck on the couch. I was so disconnected from the fire and creativity that once drove me.
Eventually, I made a decision that changed everything: I enrolled in a local community college. That’s where I met someone who truly shifted the course of my life, Leah Gossom. She encouraged me, believed in me, and supported my creative healing journey.
During college, I started making a lot of artwork. I had so many ideas inside me that needed to come out, whether it was building a life-size sculpture or creating twenty masks. Looking back now, I realize that my body was trying to process the trauma I had gone through. I didn’t yet have the words for my pain, so it came out through art.
After a year and a half of creating non-stop, I had a realization:
If art is this healing for me, I know it will be healing for my community too.
That’s when the idea for Creative Healing Space was born, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting community, creativity, and healing through the arts. What started as my personal healing journey has now become a space where others can feel seen, supported, and empowered through creative expression.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
What has been smooth in this journey is that I have been blessed with amazing support. For example, Leah, the art instructor who changed my life, is now my co-president at Creative Healing Space. She has stood beside me through every chapter and every event. Over nearly six years of community work, we have produced hundreds of free creative workshops and partnered with mental health counselors, social workers, artists, and musicians to bring healing and connection to our community. I feel incredibly fortunate to have aligned partners who believe in our mission, as well as a dedicated board who helps carry this vision forward.
On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges has been learning how to sustain our work financially. For many years, I believed that community members should not have to face financial barriers to healing. Because of that, we offered all our programs and events at no cost, and we were fortunate to receive grants that allowed us to do so.
However, now that we have a physical location, there is a much greater financial responsibility to uphold. Rent and overhead costs are real, and grants are becoming more competitive with budget cuts across the country. We can’t rely solely on grant funding anymore. Transitioning to charging for some workshops and services has been difficult because our community has grown used to everything being free. This is a learning season for us, finding the balance between accessibility and sustainability so we can continue to show up long-term.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Creative Healing Space, our work is rooted in the belief that art can heal, empower, and bring people together. We are a community-based arts organization that provides creative outlets for mental health support, emotional expression, and meaningful connection.
We specialize in offering inclusive and accessible programs such as art workshops, open mic nights, storytelling circles, art therapy sessions, youth fashion design, music jams, and community arts events. Our goal is to give people a safe space to show up as they are, explore their creativity, and feel seen and valued.
I am incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made over the past six years, especially in a rural community where mental health resources and creative opportunities can be limited. We have hosted hundreds of free programs and collaborated with local mental health counselors, social workers, artists, and musicians to support individuals on their healing journeys.
What sets Creative Healing Space apart is that we lead with heart and lived experience. This isn’t just a nonprofit, it’s a movement built from real stories of resilience, including my own. We don’t treat art as a hobby or luxury. We treat it as a lifeline.
We welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities, creating a space where they can connect through shared vulnerability and creativity. And in a world that can feel isolating, we are committed to showing people that they are not alone, their voice, story, and creativity matter.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about Worthington is our diversity. We are the third most diverse city in Minnesota, right behind the Twin Cities. For a rural town, that’s incredibly special. Because of JBS, one of the largest pork-producing plants in the world, families from all over the globe have made Worthington their home. At one point, even my mom worked at JBS about 15 years ago.
Our community is rich with different cultures, languages, and stories. There is so much talent here, so many narratives of sacrifice, resilience, and hope. People came here to build a better future for their families, and I think that deserves to be acknowledged and uplifted. I also love the variety of international restaurants and the beautiful lake where people can gather, bike, run, or simply enjoy the view.
What I like least is that there aren’t many places for young people to go, especially spaces where they feel safe, supported, and encouraged to express themselves. That’s exactly why Creative Healing Space was born. We wanted to create a hub for youth and community members to explore their creativity, find belonging, and have a positive outlet. We believe that when people, especially young people, have a place to be themselves, they can grow into their fullest potential. Even as a kid, I always felt a pull to explore beyond Worthington. That’s why I left for California, not only to chase my dream of working in fashion, but also to experience opportunities and discover parts of myself that I didn’t think I could find here back then. I needed to spread my wings, see the world, and learn who I was outside of the small town I grew up in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creativehealingspace.org
- Instagram: creativehealingspacemn
- Facebook: Creative Healing Space
