BAGUIO CITY — Local artist, entrepreneur, and ultramarathoner Melan Ku Marquez launches her debut book and journal, Mindful Lines, Mindful Lives: Drawing Your Way Out of Stress, bridging art and mental health advocacy.
Set at Wright Park Hotel’s creative hub, Made Here, the book and her exhibition join the roster of artists and artisans featured in the space meant to champion locally made crafts and art in an intimate launch on February 7, 2026.
Marquez shares the use of creativity for emotional healing in the book-journal saying, “We are not powerless passengers in life, each of us carries the freedom of choice.”
This mantra pf of self-determination is at the heart of the book, balancing traditions with the courage to forge a personal path.
Marquez transforms readers to becoming spectators to the milestones, struggles, and triumphs of her life story. Set against the backdrop of Baguio City and Benguet, the narrative Melan shares is not what many might expect, she surprises us with a silent strength and a steady character molded throughout a youth lived under a tight discipline.
The book launch also features an exhibition showcasing nine works on canvas and print, highlighting Neurographics, transformative creative process designed to engage the subconscious mind, making neurographic art a tool to achieve mental clarity.
Marquez, founder of Art Heals Incorporated, an organization aiming to provide a supportive and creative environment for the public to explore and find their self-expression through arti mediums.
The book launch kickstarts a series of community activities anchored in the advocacy to balance mental well-being and art.