Think Like a Mustache: How Illustrator Tanakan Bangnoi Finds Joy in the Ordinary
The journey of Thai illustrator Tanakan Bangnoi is a testament to the fact that creative careers are rarely smooth sailing—but resilience and a positive mindset can turn even the toughest breaks around.
It’s easy to wonder how many people have the talent to be successful artists yet never take the leap, held back by a lack of confidence. How many spend their lives scribbling in notebooks, doodling through meetings, dreaming up vivid worlds, yet convince themselves their work isn’t “good enough” for the public eye?
Tanakan Bangnoi’s story shows what happens when someone breaks through that confidence barrier.
Known professionally as Think Like a Mustache, Tanakan is celebrated for his distinct style—turning mundane everyday moments into satirical, whimsical fantasies. Yet his creative path began in the grip of severe self-doubt.
“I had no confidence in my drawings, and I never dared to show them to anyone,” he recalls. Though raised in a creative family—both his grandfather and father were skilled artists—and discovering his passion for illustration through English vocabulary books as a teen, he was this close to letting his insecurity derail his dreams.
The Courage to Share
In university, Tanakan hit a creative crossroads. A Facebook page became his safe space to experiment: there, he shared illustrations of ordinary Thai life, infused with humor and sharp satire, ready to find an audience.
The response was so encouraging that Tanakan made a permanent, public commitment: he had Think Like a Mustache tattooed on his arm, a permanent reminder of creative bravery. “Sometimes, it’s not a lack of skill that holds you back,” he says. “It’s yourself.”
By 2019, his career was gaining steam. Weekly illustrations posted in Facebook art groups caught the eye of major Thai music labels, leading to commissions for lyric videos and collaborations with renowned singers. His selection as one of 200 illustrators for the 2020 Thailand Illustration Fair solidified his rising status.
But then disaster struck—twice. First, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out countless projects across the industry. Then, hackers took down his Facebook page, erasing years of hard-won audience. “I felt like I lost everything I’d built,” he says. “People who once followed my work just vanished.”
For over a month, depression consumed him. Tanakan faced a choice: quit, or start over. “But my love for drawing and the amazing people around me pulled me through,” he remembers. “I decided to reset, launching a new page and posting my work regularly on Instagram.”
That dark period taught him that perfectionism is often the biggest barrier to progress. “Nothing in life is ever truly perfect,” he says. “The most important thing is just to be yourself.”
Influences & Inspiration
Today, Tanakan lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, where he creates illustrations that celebrate the beauty of the ordinary. “I believe there’s always something fun, a little silly, hidden in day-to-day life,” he explains. “The world feels harder to live in these days, and people—myself included—stress too much about the future. But we don’t have to. Life is full of small jokes, mixed with a dash of fantasy.”
“My stories touch on real problems and situations, but I keep the tone light,” he adds. “I don’t want people to feel anxious when looking at my work. In Thailand, weird things happen all the time—so strange that people just laugh them off. Thai people have a knack for taking things lightly, which keeps life from feeling overwhelming.”
Tanakan is also known for his “treasure hunt” technique. Like a filmmaker hiding Easter eggs, he scatters small, playful details throughout his art—a trick inspired by his love of movies and games. “Nothing makes me happier than when people point out those little details and say, ‘Oh, I saw that!’” he grins.
His creative influences are diverse: H.R. Giger’s biomechanical designs, and the golden age of practical effects—Star Wars, Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings—taught him that attention to detail builds unforgettable worlds. “That era, people cared deeply about every little thing—concept art, set design, costumes. It was all so full of charm,” he says.
After a long, winding road, Tanakan has hard-won advice for any artist facing setbacks. “If you truly love what you do, you’ll always make time for it—no excuses,” he says. “Even if only one or two people connect with your work on any given day, that’s enough to make the day worth it.”
