Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matt Haffner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Matt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I grew up with creatives in my family. My grandfather was a master engraver. I had an uncle that was a photographer. Another uncle was a jeweler / metalsmith and musician. My dad, who was really influential to me, was always making things, taking on new projects, and sketching ideas. It wasn’t really a family of artists but creativity was always around me.
I was fortunate that when I did choose to pursue a path in the arts it was supported. I think that support partially came from being a terrible high school student who barely graduated. Once I decided to go to college there was a feeling of relief from my family.
After fumbling around in college from architecture, to literature, to nearly dropping out, I took a photography course that fortunately had no prerequisites, and I immediately found something I was good at and celebrated for. This was in the Art Department and all of the other mediums were a little familiar to me. The art department was like an island of misfit toys and I fit in perfectly.
Matt, 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?
I knew early on I wanted to be immersed in the arts. I really enjoyed going to museums from a young age, being surrounded by other artists, musicians, and other creatives. I had gotten into some exhibitions and won some awards while I was still in my first or second year of school. After that I really threw myself into making art, primarily photography, and entering shows. I also started staging my own solo shows. Sometimes these were at humble venues like churches, or lobbies of arts centers, even an office building retail mall. But I got some write ups in local papers and sold some work.
These things, combined with supportive faculty got me thinking about grad school, which for me was a big commitment to being a full time artist. I didn’t go to be able to teach, I was there exclusively to become the best artist I could be. This path led me from the Rust Belt of Ohio to Philadelphia which felt like a vibrant arts filled city where you could do anything.
Philly had a lot of street art and I was really into that stuff and started making my own street art. It’s a large part of what I did in grad school. I was in a Photo program, but was not into the faculty that were leading it, so I took most of my classes in sculpture and painting where people were doing a lot of weird stuff that was outside the bounds of what I knew of as traditional art. Those peers and faculty forever changed me and how I view and make work.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think those who are compelled to create will do so regardless of hurdles. I don’t know many artists who are lazy about their practice. Most, regardless of their career, their position in the arts, the successes the’ve had, still hustle to make the work they want to make. There are always stumbling blocks or things that get in the way, but for me creative problem solving is just a huge part of who I am.
It took me a long time to come to terms with what a creative practice means to me, but having been an artist for thirty plus years has taught me that all aspects of my life are interwoven into that practice. The painter Gerhard Richter has a book called “The Daily Practice of Painting” and in it he discusses how, staring out the window, going to the grocery store, seeing a movie with friends, vacationing at the beach are all connected to who you are as an artist and influences how you see the world and also how you make the work you make.
A life in the arts is something I love and I’m deeply connected to. It’s woven into every aspect of my life,
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Getting all of the voices out of your head is probably the hardest thing. Letting yourself do the work you want for you and you alone takes some time.
I have definitely made work with other’s views in the back of my mind. I have been subject to opinions and trends and felt undercut by bad reviews. But, learning that making art, for me, has to be a really selfish endeavor has helped a lot. My work has gotten stronger, I’ve developed a better appreciation for the things I do, and I’ve learned that no artist can help what comes out of them. You just have to embrace it and love it for what it is.
I have been lucky to have some champions of my work and I’ve had a good career in the arts. Perseverance and tenacity go a long way for artists. You just have to never stop. It’s not about being dedicated to hard work. For me thats exhausting. I just enjoy the process of discovery and innovation enough that I keep wanting to make art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.matthaffner.com
- Instagram: @matt_haffner_studio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006089507901
Image Credits
All images courtesy of the artist and WhiteSpace Gallery