Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathew Sturtevant

Hi Mathew, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Mathew spent twenty years as a photographer in Austin, Texas shooting editorial/entertainment/travel pieces for magazines such as Men’s Journal and The New York Times. The exclamation mark on his photo career was the publication of a coffee table book”The Sound of Austin” which contained portraits of 100 musicians such as Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Gary Clark Jr, and many others. At the Texas Book Festival, Mathew gave a lecture that led to him teaching studio photography in the Journalism Dept. of the University of Texas. At one of his book signings, a book publisher asked, ‘What’s next?’ Mathew said he wanted to do a motorcycle adventure travel book about traveling across America on dirt roads. So he did the adventure and ended up moving to Oregon because he fell in love with the landscapes there on his trip.
The book did not go as planned because Mathew had crippling anxiety that caused him to miss out on sections of the trail, but eventually, after doing cognitive behavioral therapy, getting a divorce, and finding new love, he went back and finished what he started. He now had a story to tell and published his second book; The Topography of Fear, which tells how he learned to make peace with fear and finally have the life he wanted. He lectures regularly and also works as a counselor for people with mental health issues and addiction.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

The road has been bumpy, sandy, rocky, and sweaty. I traversed forests, deserts, mountains, plains, and an ocean of sagebrush. The road was literally dirt across our entire continent, but figuratively it was uncomfortable, scary, and ultimately transformative. I overcame a 20-year battle with alcohol then once sober I faced the demons of anxiety and agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a fear of being trapped in a panic that you cannot escape. This makes you feel like you’re about to die. I had tried 4 therapists and medications but nothing seemed to work. Then by chance, I met someone with my exact symptoms who had actually recovered! I was on her therapist’s couch within a week. I had to do some super scary therapy but I was determined to do it because I now believed that maybe, just maybe it would work. And it did!
After not flying for ten years, the whole world is open to me now. For my honeymoon with my second wife, we flew to Budapest and then rented motorcycles and zoomed around Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. Living in Central Oregon, adventure is 5 minutes from my driveway and we spend all of our free time exploring in nature.
For my current work, I help people face their demons and strive for a better life hoping that I can inspire them the way one person had inspired me to change my life. All that is needed is the ability to ask for help and be honest with yourself.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

My work never fits neatly into boxes, but technically I am an author/content creator as well as a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. I am known mostly for my photography but I am mostly proud of my work helping people who struggle with mental health issues and addiction. What sets me apart is I am not afraid at all of revealing my fears to people and many find this refreshing, relatable, and inspiring.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?

What matters most to me is probably nature. It is where I recharge. I live on a cliff above the Deschutes River(see my photos) and will always be interested in preserving and defending it. After that, I am most grateful for my many authentic friendships. I am blessed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thetopographyoffear.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathewsturtevant/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathew.sturtevant/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKXaoopTaSAdLzlukA4ehbw