Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matt Bauer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Matt, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I grew up playing piano, guitar, and painting / sculpting so I always hoped to have a connection to the arts in some way. After college I drove out to California with my best friend and drove up and down the coast camping until we found a place we liked. It ended up being near Leucadia beach near Oceanside, for around a year I surfed and worked as an art director / graphic designer for a real estate development company but found it pretty uninspiring. A life shift for my friend forced him to move out abruptly and I had no roommate for a few months prior to my lease ending. Luckily Ken Christianson a friend of mine from Calarts and MCAD who’s an amazing artist and musician was moving to LA and asked me if I wanted to get a place together there. I was apprehensive as LA seemed intimidating but I wanted to see what it was about. Luckily after a few months I landed a job as a portfolio manager at Exclusive Artists. I never had much interest in celebrities or makeup and hair but I loved the energy surrounding what we were working on and that became a pivoting point for me.

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

I started by managing and arranging artist portfolios and it helped me eventually progress into booking artists on jobs for photo shoots. Working with artists and helping them grow is one of the most gratifying parts of what I do. I’m very lucky to work with artists who are not only exceptional at what they do but are also lovely people who I consider extended family. There is such a difference on set when artists feel comfortable collaborating and taking risks together to create something beautiful and unique. I also produce shoots now which allows me to make certain atmospheres like that are always in place.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding element of what I do is making sure artists are protected from any and all predatory practices. Making sure their time and craft is respected as well as seeing the final product of what they create. Making sure they are paid on time. All of these seem like they should be basic and universal but they are not always the case.

I’ve often heard the stigma of agencies being “gatekeepers” of the industry which may be somewhat accurate but coming from an artist background I feel like it’s a misconception. Agencies can act as a insular layer to protect artists and guide them in ways they can not manage on their own which allows them to focus on their craft as opposed to the business side of things.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Mental health and well being is probably the least tended to element for not only artists but people in general, many of which suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, among others. Society would do well to prioritize and normalize people seeking help and supporting others so they don’t suffer in silence. You shouldn’t have to feel like you should pretend to be ok if you’re not.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eamgmt.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mattxbauer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-bauer-60765255/

Image Credits
Christina Aguilera for Vogue Portugal Photography by: Agata Serge Terry Crews for ‘TOUGH’ book cover Photography by: Leigh Keily Dave Franco for Numero Magazine Photography by: Agata Serge Ezi Magbegor for Women’s Health AUS Photography by: David Higgs Nasty Gal Campaign Photography by: Dylan Perlot