We recently connected with Matt O’Neill and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Absolutely, I’m happy as an artist/creative! It’s who I am in the core of every cell. As essential and involuntary as breathing. I can’t even fathom being any other way. It’s just how I’m wired. Of course, when I was a kid, people would tell me the cliches that I needed to get a “real job”, do something they deemed legitimate or sustainable, or to stop dreaming, but as I said, that’s like telling a fish to stop swimming. It’s basic survival. I tried working “regular jobs” when I was younger, just out on my own for the first time, and struggling, but staying true to myself and following my dreams was the only path to happiness and fulfillment. That was more important to me than anything else. I’ve been called a dreamer my entire life, and I’ve been fortunate and tenacious enough to build that into a career. Dreamers are the inventors, scientists, artists, and creators of all of humanity’s greatest achievements. Embrace and encourage the dreamers in your life to keep dreaming bigger every day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

There’s a lot to that question. I’m a very private person. To keep it simple, I’m doing what I’ve always wanted. I started as a theatre actor, which led me to film and television, where I began learning every aspect of the business. I just fell in love with everything: acting, writing, directing, and producing. I just adore it. I’ve migrated to producing naturally. I’m a critical thinker and have a knack for understanding the big picture, contracts, financing, how to build things, and making it all work together. The collaboration, camaraderie, and puzzle building are what I love most. It’s also what I love about cooking. Taking all of these amazing individual components and ingredients, combining them in just the right way to create something cohesive and even more beautiful. That’s what it’s all about!

What sets me apart, or what I bring to the table, is the ability to see the grand picture, the path to get there, and staying focused only on what’s best for the whole. All while staying even-keeled, calm, and above all, kind. Kindness is everything. Also being a good listener, knowing what I don’t know, being able to admit that, asking questions, and trusting the people who are better and smarter than me at what they do. Real teamwork.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m a people pleaser. Always have been. It is something that I constantly have to work on. I take on way too much and give too much of myself away to the point of utter depletion. I’ve had to unlearn some of that behavior and learn that it’s okay to put my own well-being first when necessary, it’s okay to say no sometimes, and to trust my instincts the first time. Though I still fight myself with this, and it’s counterintuitive to my nature, I’ve learned that in order to be at my very best for others, I must take the utmost care of myself first. Proper nutrition, fitness, and rest are vital for physical and mental health. Learning and consistently practicing TM (Transcendental Meditation) has been a true lifesaver, literally.

Always put on your own oxygen mask first.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We live in such a capitalist, monetarily driven society, especially in the U.S., and I get it, it’s what keeps the machine moving. We need to remember that artists and creatives are the beating heart, the pulse of society. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a lot and see how other cultures, and even governments, embrace and support the arts. I do wish, and have hope that we will have that in the U.S. someday. We artists see and feel the world through a unique lens. As I mentioned earlier, some of the greatest achievements, inventions, and innovations in history have come from the minds of artists and creatives. I’d love to see a society that incubates that type of thinking and provides tangible support to creative minds to thrive. A creative must put every ounce of themselves into their work. Being able to do so while not living in a constant state of panic or basic survival mode would allow for even more innovation for all of society. This is something every human being needs to thrive.

This topic always reminds me of a quote from Stella Adler, “Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.”

It’s been proven time and time again that the arts improve science and math scores and lead to greater rates of overall success across the board. A thriving creative ecosystem is a thriving society. For society to thrive as a whole, the soul of society must be cared for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ironharppictures.com
• Instagram: @mattoneill_official
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattoneillactor?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-o-neill-68a4a19/
• Twitter: @Matt_ONeill