Manny Méndez was released from prison in 2000 after serving 11 and a half years. He had been drug-free for a while, but when he was released, he relapsed into addiction. The next 12 years were tough. “I know what it’s like to live on the streets with nowhere to sleep,” says Méndez. “The hardest thing was changing my mindset and getting discipline. My grandfather was in prison; my father was in prison.” While serving his sentence, a pastor from The Lord’s Place organization provided him with art supplies, and he began a transformation. When he stood in front of an audience of 400 people and talked about a painting, he decided it would be his life’s purpose. “I didn’t paint to make money, but because it healed me and gave me a connection to God,” says Méndez. “When I give a talk, I say that it is not an easy process. Nothing good comes easily.” Born in Havana, Cuba, in 1972, Méndez has lived in the United States since 1980. He now pursues an artistic career focused on rehabilitating people with addictions, wrote the book “From Revolution to Revelations,” has directed six documentaries about addiction and since 2014 has organized The Art of Recovery Film Festival in Lake Worth, Florida.
