Today we’d like to introduce you to Manni Mora.
Hi Manni, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Mexican American, queer multimedia artist, producer, and curator of exhibitions, and hopefully soon to be a published author. Creativity runs in my family. My father loved creating random sculptures and murals around the house. As an adult, I now realize that art was his form of escape. He has lived a very hard life and as an adult I understand him more than ever. I guess you can say the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree because I can relate to that form of escapism. My sister enjoyed writing and drew all over her letters, and my brother is creative as well, he loves painting and drawing anime inspired subjects. That is his calling for sure. My mother, well, she makes incredible stick figures and I am very proud of her.
Over the years, I dabbled in drawing and writing short stories. However, I didn’t begin painting until my early twenties. I learn by observing objects or images, or even just by visualizing an idea, and then attempting to recreate it. For the most part, I’ve been a self-taught artist. It wasn’t until my late thirties that I took a few art classes to enhance my skills.
Today, I’ve fully embraced my creativity. I work with various mediums and styles, from sculpture to painting. I’m the producer and creator of my own immersive art exhibitions, Journal into the Mind: The Starseed Experience. I’ve also helped produce multiple music and art events, including collaborations with Pietschouse and other creative peers. Through these projects, I’ve learned how to build sets, curate exhibitions, and manage a wide range of performances. I also enjoy participating at art markets and art exhibitions because my extroverted side really loves connecting with people face to face.
Currently, I’m working on my first book, inspired by a character I created and have been painting throughout the years, their name is Starseed. At this point, I guess you could say what I do is no longer just a hobby. It has become my life’s work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I began my art career in 2019 after going through an identity crisis. I went through quite a few life changes that were not easy on me. I realized that art was a healthy way to deal with my emotions. It wasn’t a self destructive outlet. As I started to find my groove the pandemic hit in 2020. I am what you consider an extroverted person, and being stuck inside seriously messed with my head. I was already trying to work on healing before that. Seeing so much death and losing people I cared about to Covid really put things into perspective and made me reflect even more.
I realized that my alcohol abuse was my way to numb up years of trauma. During that time, I made the decision to try to be sober, I probably drank maybe like 3 times that year. Because of this I was forced to face life with a clear mind and fully take in the gravity of the situation we were all living through. Creating art became my lifeline, a way to hold on to my sanity. It saved me.
Since I was no longer spending money on going out and traveling, I redirected that energy into making art and donating all the proceeds to various charities. Money wasn’t my motivation since for the first time I felt I was in a good place financially. My first choice was usually the Central Texas Food Bank. I remember watching the news and seeing an aerial shot of endless lines of cars waiting for food. It truly broke my heart because I knew what going hungry felt like. I started creating piece after piece. That year, I sold quite a few, and each sale felt incredibly rewarding because the piece was going to a good home and I was helping the community.
My story was featured in Almost Real Things Magazine, and shortly after that, I became busier than ever. Attending countless markets, art meetups, and exhibitions. I had zero personal time and began neglecting people I deeply cared about, including a partner I had at the time. I felt that if I slowed down or took a break, all the doors opening for me would close. I was trying my hardest to succeed as an artist so I could quit my day job. By day, I was an office employee; by night, I was a creative madman that ran on 3 hours of sleep.
As the years went by, my long term relationship ended. My ambition was how I thrived but it was also the downfall to many areas in my life. It wasn’t until 2024 that I took my first real hiatus from anything related to art. It was a real difficult period for me. I had so much time on my hands that I had to rewire my brain to be okay with not having anything to do at all. I spent much of that time trying to find myself and reconnect with the people I had neglected over the years. It was truly a break I needed. I was running on fumes.
Now, in 2025, I’m slowly stepping back into the art world, but this time with a new mindset. I’ve learned the importance of balance: between art, personal life, and overall, wellbeing. I forgor I was not a machine, I was merely a human. I’ve learned to say no without guilt and to prioritize what truly matters. Because of this slow down, I have been able to really give more attention to the pieces I am working on and reconnect with so many people I love.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I’m known for is diving into all kinds of artistic styles, like surrealism, abstract, landscapes, pop art, figurative work, erotic queer art, and more. I’ve been able to channel my emotions through all of these genres, which has allowed me to connect with a wide range of people who see something of themselves in my work. I love challenging myself to try it all. I feel it makes me a better artist and I get to learn more as I go.
For example, if one day I want to challenge the Mexican machismo culture, I might paint a famous ranchero war hero wearing lipstick and tell the taboo story of his secret gay love affair. If I’m feeling serene, I might paint a dreamy landscape, somewhere I wish I could escape to with the people I love.
What sets me apart, I think, is that I jump into all aspects of the creative process, whether it’s making art or producing events. I constantly seek to learn and challenge myself, and when I create spaces, I make sure they uplift others. In a world so often ruled by competition, I choose collaboration. I believe in elevating my peers, because there’s room for us all. Gatekeeping is pretty tacky.
What I am most proud of is that I feel I’ve genuinely lived by that philosophy
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
By reaching out to me, I love collaborating with other creative people. It feeds my soul, and I truly believe there’s so much we can learn from one another.
You can support me by sharing my art, giving one of my pieces a home, or attending one of the events I help produce.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Beautifully_Chaotic_Art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifully_chaotic_art/
