We were lucky to catch up with Matthew King recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

Love, creativity, and pragmatism. Given that there are 8.1 billion people on the planet, I have no illusions regarding my legacy and no desire to focus on building one. Creating a legacy is like constructing an ego castle on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean amid a hurricane of rampant climate change. A castle might last, but not long in the grand scheme. It will be washed away into an ocean of change like everything before us.

Legacies must be lived; they are rarely remembered. I accept that I will be forgotten like the majority. Name the ten most famous people who died in 2022. My point exactly! People do not remember people they do not know personally. The people who do know us personally only have a subjective and approximate view of who we are anyway. And, to top it off, most of us do not even know ourselves or how others perceive us – legacy schmegacy!

I accept the temporal nature of life, but that is hard for most to do. Given that, if I were remembered for something, even for a short period, it would be that I lived fully, honestly, wholeheartedly, creatively, and presently with love front and center in my life. But who is going to remember that in 100 years? Exactly, no one – it’s not cool or sexy.

Matthew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My life is a creative act. I’ve always focused my energy on creative pursuits in diverse ways – from serving the COMMON Foundation philanthropically to acting on stage to producing art to writing fiction and non-fiction while investing time and energy into personal growth and self-reflection to benefit people, the planet, and peace.

What is the COMMON Foundation?

I created the COMMON Foundation in 2007. It combines the power of an incubator with philanthropy and social entrepreneurship to support, promote, and develop non-profit ideas and organizations in the US and abroad for the benefit of people, the planet, and peace. Over the years, we’ve launched over three dozen non-profit ideas in the US, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My core mission has been the same for over three decades – to increase humanity’s awareness of our unique place in the cosmos and make clear our connection to all life on Earth, our dependence on nature, and the need to protect it for its own sake and future generations.

My goals are anchored in that mission. Creativity has always been the driving force. My entire personal and professional life has been an act of creativity, a non-linear trajectory from the environmental justice nightmare, working-class violence, and drug-addled poverty of West Tulsa, Oklahoma, and to the hallowed halls of Cambridge University, where I completed my Ph.D.

Along the way, creativity has been a means to explore facets of myself. It has also been my savior, allowing me to adapt and pivot in a range of challenging circumstances, including a near-death experience after I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer (stage IVb) in 2012 and given less than a 15 percent chance of survival.

My life’s journey has included experimenting with writing, acting, painting, drawing, photographing, and developing creative strategies for a wide range of clients in various industries, teaching in diverse academic settings, and leading and advising social entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and conservationists who dare to make a positive social and environmental impact – especially in my role as the CEO of the COMMON Foundation. I love mentoring and providing creative advice to others.

What sets you apart from others?

Like most creatives, I fly solo. You’ll rarely find me in groups or at events. I prefer to be alone and focus on acts of creation or engage other creatives individually. I’m not sure that sets me apart, but the influence of my older disabled brother, Lance, definitely does.

Lance is my hero and my source of inspiration. He has Spinocerebellar Ataxia – an inherited neurodegenerative disease that affects his cerebellum. He’s reliant on a wheelchair and requires consistent care, which my parents have done for the entirety of his life and for which I am eternally grateful.

I have immense gratitude for my mental, physical, and emotional capacities and never take them for granted. My brother reminds me to attempt anything I can imagine and to create a life worth living. If I can try 1/5th as much as he does to do basic things in life, there’s no limit to what I can achieve. I think that sets me apart from most.

What are you most proud of, and what do you want people to know about you and your work?

I think pride is dangerous. I’m continuously humbled by life. My source of satisfaction is never derived from what I have achieved but from how I’ve learned to love, be, and let go while embracing the creative process.

In terms of what I want people to know about me and my work, it’s all about process over outcome. I think any act of creation is connected to the truth that resides within the process of creation itself – the proverbial flow.

We are creations, creators, and inherently creative. Our culture’s focus on metrics and outcomes is an obstacle to discovering the truth that lives within the creative process. Everyone is creative. Everyone possesses the capacity to imagine, play, and innovate. I believe the need for instant gratification prevents many people from doing the long, hard work of embracing the creative process over the outcome. Too many people are focused on wealth or fame and forget to stay connected to their internal truth to guide them. I’m not worried about the results of what I’m doing so much as how I show up when doing it.

I confront this challenge as I write a novel series for the first time. I am now close to the end of the first book of three and preparing it for submission to literary agents. What’s most important to me is the act of creating it. If it’s never published, I’ll remain equally happy because it has always been about the process of creation. However, if any reputable literary agents are reading this – reach out – I think you’ll like it.

What is the series about, in which genre are you writing, and do you have a working title?

The novel is contemporary dystopian fiction, and the working title is Vanished: The Unseen Ones. It is a mesmerizing tale of survival and a captivating philosophical exploration that challenges our perceptions. It delves into the essence of nature and the human spirit, taking readers on an unforgettable journey that will leave them questioning the boundaries of reality and the power of human will.

What is the premise of the story?

Oh, I love this question. I will keep it short.

In the heart of the Peruvian rainforest lies an enigmatic tribe, the Maachi, who have never contacted the outside world. Within their secluded realm, they witness inexplicable anomalies: mysterious animals that have never been seen in the Amazon randomly appear and disappear as their myths come to life unexpectedly, leaving them bewildered and alarmed. Unable to explain these phenomena, the Maachi Shaman extends an extraordinary invitation to a diverse expedition team, including spiritual leaders, scientists, and social scientists from across the globe, embarking on a quest for answers to the unknown and the unseen.

Hermes, the protagonist, receives a desperate call from his wife, compelling him to return to England as their daughter faces a life-threatening illness. As he stands on the bank of the Manu River, preparing for his journey, the world before him undergoes an astonishing transformation: his possessions and the fabric of human-made reality vanish into thin air. Panic ensues within the camp, and Hermes grapples with a haunting question: Has everything vanished everywhere, or is it confined to the rainforest? Distraught and fearing he may never return home, Hermes begins a life-altering odyssey that requires him to use his investigative instincts to unravel the mystery and find a way home.

Along the journey, the expedition team encounters powerful forces that challenge their perceptions of nature and reality. A god, long thought to be a mere myth, entrusts Hermes with a mission to restore the world. It demands a profound shift in human consciousness and a staggering sacrifice to save Amelia, Hermes’ only daughter. Reggie, a theoretical physicist and former US Navy Seal, and Katsumi, a former Japanese Ambassador, protect Hermes on his quest.

Their epic journey tests their understanding of nature, science, and myth. Profound questions surface: Given a chance to begin anew, what choices will humanity make and why? Can our connection to nature be restored, and is it compatible with modern society? Will they succeed in restoring the world, and at what cost? Will Hermes give up what he holds dear to save the world and mend a fractured reality? Or will he ultimately give up his daughter and their old world for one unimaginable possibility?

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In America, we live in a culture that repeatedly tells us that we have to follow a specific path to be “successful” – get a job, work hard, go to school, get a degree, find a partner, buy a house, have kids, retire, travel, and die. It’s very linear and formulaic. It’s powerful due to conformity bias that leads people to follow the crowd vs. going their way. It leads people to believe that they have a narrow set of options on a linear path and that most ideas have already been discovered when, in fact, all imaginable possibilities remain, especially when the serendipitous and non-linear nature of existence is embraced. There’s a quote by Albert Einstein that I read regularly.

“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.”

How do you go about doing that?

First, I had to learn to be alone in silence. Know thyself is an age-old adage for a reason. Since my early twenties, I have routinely written a dream biography. I imagine I am 100 years old and looking back to my current age. I then write what happened along the way. I have no limits on what I can write or how much. I dream big and make up the life I want to live. I then start doing it, one step at a time.

When I was younger, I focused on what I would achieve, leading me to live in five countries, study in four, and travel to every continent except Antarctica. It also led me to incredible heights and depths, scuba diving in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and trekking the Rockies, Andes, Great Dividing Range, Cascades, and more.

Today, I am more interested in how I want to be in the world. I focus on my day-to-day experience and the people I’m experiencing it with, especially when it comes to my incredible wife, Lina. I believe she’s a covert angel here to guide me on my creative path – a top-secret mission she can’t let me in on. Waking up next to her is like winning the lottery – it’s fantastic!

And, now that I have an angel by my side, my dream is much simpler – to embrace the process of creation and spend quality time with friends and loved ones, engage in the arts and adventures in nature while connecting with my inner world as much as the natural, cherishing simplicity, creativity, and quiet fulfillment in all of my endeavors. If I’m doing that, I’m living my dream life.

If you had to sum up what you want more than anything right now, what is it?

I want to be good at writing fiction. With every stroke of the pen, I want to write captivating tales, creating novels that ignite the imagination, touch hearts, and provide a lens into the big questions that define who we are and why we are here. I want to break free from the academic training that led me to be a great non-fiction writer so that my creative spirit can run free with fiction. I want to experiment wildly, daring to step into uncharted territories of artistic expression I have yet to discover. Hobbies and activities will remain the fertile soil in which my creativity flourishes. Writing, painting, acting, or any endeavor that demands my unwavering focus will remain my sacred ritual to stay connected to truth, a gateway to the innumerable treasures that dwell within.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://matthewkingphd.com
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmatthewking
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewkingphd/
• Other: Subscribe to King’s Newsletter – http://eepurl.com/dBwMWP King’s Journalist Profile – Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/drmatthewking COMMON Foundation – https://OurCOMMONFoundation.org

Image Credits
Image 1: Headshot – Timothy D’Antonio Image 2: Painting – Matthew King – Sintra Soaring (Palácio Nacional de Sintra, Portugal) 2023, Acrylic on Canvas 3x4ft Image 3: Drawing – Matthew King – Nature Divided, Pencil on Paper, 1992 Image 4: On Set Filming – Morgan Heim – Turtle Island Restoration Network PSA (Ban Driftnets Campaign) Image 5: Book Talk – Dallas Thornton Image 6: Headshot – Image 7: Author in the Amazon Rainforest where his novel is set. Image 8. Author diving the Cayman Trench, Cayman Islands