Coming of Age in the Shadow of Vietnam: A Hidden History Finally Told
Art Heals All Wounds
06/11/26
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What was it like to grow up American in 1968 Bangkok, living in the shadow of the Vietnam War? In this episode, I sit down with author Daria Sommers to discuss her debut historical fiction novel, Sawadika American Girl — a coming-of-age story set against one of history's most turbulent eras. Daria shares the little known story of the vast American community in Thailand during the Vietnam War, the experience of being a "third culture kid," and how storytelling and art can heal even the deepest historical wounds. A must-listen for fans of historical fiction, Vietnam War history, and the power of narrative to reclaim hidden stories.
- [3:44] Introduction to Sawadika American Girl — historical fiction set in 1968 Bangkok
- [4:36] The American expat community in Thailand during the Vietnam War
- [5:48] Piper's backstory — loss, family tension, and dislocation
- [8:59] The role of friendship and freedom in a coming-of-age story
- [14:56] Music, healing, and the Thai prince who anchored it all
- [17:45] First love during wartime — Jack's story and what they were up against
- [21:34] Daria's own background as a third culture kid in Bangkok
- [23:02] The burden of a childhood you couldn't talk about
- [32:16] Returning home — finding your people after a third culture childhood
- [39:06] From documentary filmmaker to veteran’s advocate — the making of Lioness
- [44:36] Speaking at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial — when hidden stories finally matter
- [50:17] Where to find Sawadika American Girl and follow Daria's work
Previous Episode
What if you could paint your deepest emotions — without anyone judging whether the painting is beautiful, and without needing to analyze what it means? In this episode, I talk with Bahar Amanzadeh, an intuitive painting guide whose trauma-informed workshops create a safe, somatic space for emotional healing through art.
Bahar explains how intuitive painting differs from art therapy, why healing happens in the body before it happens in the mind, and how community and creativity can help us find rootedness even in the most turbulent times. As a member of the Iranian diaspora, she also shares how this practice helps her and her community process grief, displacement, and the ongoing trauma of war.
Whether you're an artist or have never picked up a paintbrush, I think this episode will change the way you think about creativity, emotional expression, and healing.
In this episode:
- What an intuitive painting guide does — and how it differs from art therapy
- How somatic, body-based art practices support trauma healing
- Why the inner critic shows up in creative work — and how to work with it
- The role of community in emotional healing
- How Persian poetry, music, and culture help Bahar stay rooted during crisis
- Finding belonging and identity as part of the Iranian diaspora
Timestamped Highlights
- 0:12 — I introduce the show and share a personal story about anger, shame, and the need for nonjudgmental emotional expression
- 2:21 — Bahar's background: from dentist to intuitive painting guide, and her training with Kris Sydell
- 3:55 — What is an intuitive painting guide? Bahar explains the role and the process
- 5:28 — How intuitive painting differs from art therapy
- 8:32 — How Bahar found her way to intuitive painting as a single mom, immigrant, and sensitive soul
- 13:05 — The inner critic: why it always shows up and how facilitators help participants work with it
- 16:22 — A recent workshop in the Oakland Hills redwoods: painting, poetry, movement, and the theme of rootedness
- 21:30 — The elephant in the room: being part of the Iranian diaspora during a time of war and violence
- 24:12 — Finding rootedness through Persian and Sufi poetry, music, and ancestry
- 28:52 — How transformation happens incrementally — and why healing is never all or nothing
- 33:38 — Why Bahar named her practice "Painting the River" — and what that metaphor means for healing
- 38:43 — How to find Bahar: paintingtheriver.com and Instagram @artforhealing7
Resources & Links
- Bahar Amanzadeh's website: paintingtheriver.com
- Instagram: @artforhealing7
- Learn more about the show: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com
- Follow me on Substack for updates
Music by Ketsa, Lobo Loco, and Barbara Higbie.
Next Episode
Holly Ringland on Overcoming Creative Fear and Finding Joy as a Writer
In this episode, I sit down with Holly Ringland — bestselling author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding — to talk about her first work of nonfiction, The House That Joy Built. If you've ever struggled with creative block, self-doubt, or the fear that you're just not good enough to create, this conversation is for you.
Holly spent 20 years disconnected from her writing — not because the desire wasn't there, but because fear silenced her. In The House That Joy Built, she shares her deeply personal toolkit for overcoming the inner critic, reconnecting with your creative self, and finding joy in the creative process — even when life has been hard.
We talk about how grief and rage can become unexpected catalysts for creativity, why joy isn't the opposite of pain but can live alongside it, and how returning to your imagination is like coming home to yourself after a long journey.
Whether you're a writer, an artist, or anyone who has ever felt cut off from a creative outlet you once loved, Holly's story and insights will resonate deeply.
Timestamped Highlights
[00:47] — What if you could write about difficult, challenging emotions while still embracing joy? I introduce Holly and the big question at the heart of her work.
[02:35] — Holly shares the origin story of The House That Joy Built — how her publisher Catherine Milne sparked the idea over champagne by the sea, and how Holly said yes to writing it in just three months.
[09:21] — I tell Holly that The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart has the best opening hook I've ever read — and she shares the remarkable story of how that first line came to her in a moment of grief and rage.
[19:25] — Holly talks about what it means to become disconnected from your creativity, and why severing yourself from the thing you love most can be a form of self-protection — and self-harm at the same time.
[23:07] — Why The House That Joy Built isn't just for writers — it's for anyone who has ever loved a creative outlet and lost touch with it, and what it means to find your way back.
[26:46] — Holly shares a Richard Rohr quote that stopped me in my tracks: "Pain that is not transformed is transmitted" — and what that means for how we handle our own struggles creatively.
[29:54] — Holly tells the hilarious and deeply moving She-Ra story — and what a six-year-old girl with a plastic sword and a face mask taught her about facing fear and vulnerability as a creative person.
[37:17] — The difference between outer landscape and inner landscape, and why the places we love hold our memories and emotions in ways that mirror our own inner world.
[44:21] — The desert oak seed pod: Holly explains why this extraordinary tree — which needs fire to crack open its seeds before they can grow — is one of her most powerful metaphors for the creative journey.
[50:45] — What is the house that joy builds? Holly explains the beautiful metaphor at the heart of the book — and why coming home to your creativity is like finding the porch light left on for you by a former version of yourself.
[01:01:07] — Where to find Holly online, including her Substack newsletter, and how she invites readers to send her their questions about creativity and vulnerability.
Links & Resources
- The House That Joy Built by Holly Ringland
- The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, The World Beneath Her Feet by Holly Ringland
- Holly Ringland on Substack: The Joy Rise
- Holly Ringland on Instagram: @hollygoeslightly
- Art Heals All Wounds Podcast: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com
- Art Heals All Wounds on Substack
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