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

Matt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

The legacy I hope to leave is that of a life well lived and lessons greatly learned. As a kid I was always told what I could and could not do and what I would need to be successful in my dream career.

As a kid I wanted to be an architect and a pilot. I was told I needed math, which at the time I was (led to believe I was) terrible at. I would argue I’m still fairly terrible.

When I was in high school I wanted to be a writer and a filmmaker and I was gaslit out of pursuing my goal, partially because I was told I needed a degree and specialized, (read: “expensive”) schooling.

As an adult I realized the people around me, talking me out of my ideals and ambitions were full of shit.

My legacy and gift to the world, God willing, is to leave everyone I can with the knowledge they can pursue their dreams, moreso succeed, without a formal education/background and a degree.

Some call them BA degrees, I call them “B.S.” degrees. I wholeheartedly believe experience trumps any degree and that degrees are often unnecessary, archaic and greed driven barriers.

I also want to leave everyone I can with the knowledge that there are workarounds, albeit occasionally creatively insane (which I’m known for being) viable workarounds to getting a career in the field you want without the prerequisites previously mentioned

While it may not be the exact job it will be as close to the target goal as possible and quite possibly launch you into the specific job you are aiming to be in.

Lastly it’s all about time and intent. I have found through personal failures that it boils down to intent. When I started my journey into photography I was a massive pothead.

I neither condone nor condemn the use of pot, but for me I failed because I had pie-in-the-sky dreams of being a pothead photographer working conventions like Animé Expo, Wondercon and the like, working with gorgeous cosplay models (yowza~).

Thankfully it didn’t pan out as I had wanted it to. Be a lot worse off if it had. My point being it took years, but I ultimately found success in the most unlikely and most unorthodox definition.

I started working with kids and found out that helping them as well as others who have gone through similar trauma gave me a purpose. I succeeded in teaching kids the most simplified versions of what I learned and how I found happiness and how they can forge their own.

While I no longer work that job I take that experience to heart and share it as often as I can. For me while financial/commercial success would be nice, in a lot of ways it is secondary to me.

Being happy with what I have and striving for better days with the knowledge and memories I have and being open to learning more.

Knowledge is power, kids. That is my gift and legacy. The drive to seek knowledge and the cognitive awareness of all the potential learning on one’s own terms can afford a person. And that my friends is both limitless and endless.

Knowledge is power, kids. Knowledge is power.

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

My name is Matt, I’m a native of Southern California, I’m half Japanese, half Mexican, I like Chinese food when it rains and long walks on the beach.

Oops! Wrong interview.

Joking aside and as you may now be able tell, I am a writer (read: smart-ass) and photographer.

I started off as a writer. I’ve been writing since I could put pen, rather pencil, to paper and have been a photographer for about, if not a little (at the time of this writing) over a decade, now.

I’m also a concept designer and a fantastic chef. Oh and a (very) part time YouTuber.

For both writing and photography, I take commissions and collaborations. Anything you want written, any photo you want taken: I’m your man.

What sets me apart from most others in my line of work is that I’m neuro-divergent, being on the Autism spectrum as well as being creatively adaptable and creatively insane.

I provide million dollar results on less than a shoestring of a budget. Give me ten bucks to work with and I’ll produce a project/product worth a hundred.

I’m also a Jack-of-all-trades. The difference with me as that I am master of all as opposed to the traditional master of none.

I’m a huge comics, video games and animé nerd. Couple that with my Asperger’s and I speak the lingo that others can’t.

Speaking of lingo, I speak fluent enough Japanese and a bit of Spanish but just enough to get my face slapped. Just kidding. Partially. Although it was enough to get me married.

And I think that about does it. I’ll provide some links below if anyone wants to check me out.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/Twilight-Gemini/shop?asc=u

https://youtube.com/@themadmaverick?si=RonvBpVcXf94c5Xr

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

A story of resilience? Hmm… Truth be told: “Resilience” is the story of my life. One of them anyway. It’s hard to pinpoint one but I’ll take a crack at it.

Hmm… I suppose the greatest testament to my resilience and God’s love for me was about seven years ago when I successfully albeit and thankfully temporarily took my own life.

I’m not sure how it all came to pass as reports vary but what I can confirm is that I was prescribed lithium for my bipolar and it ended up wrecking and literally killing me.

I died three times at thirty minutes a piece. Each time I narrowly missed the cutoff for permanent brain damage, though some would argue I was already brain damaged or they were surprised I had a brain to damage.

Long and short: when I came to, I lost the ability to walk. I was on a walker for a couple of years. It was hell leaving the house.

Every time I went to the grocer’s I would see geriatrics out and about on their walkers and I felt so ashamed and very despised. In my mind I imagined the senior citizens thinking and talking amongst themselves: “Who the hell is this kid”?!

Also each time at the grocer’s my birth-giver would conveniently and without fail forget I was on a walker and berate me at the checkout for not moving fast enough.

Each time, without fail I would turn to her and remind her I’m on a walker and each time without fail she would look me dead in the eye and tell me she forgot.

Anyway two years of that and the very little physical therapy afforded to me, prompted me to take matters into my own hands.

I said to myself: “Fuck it! I don’t care if I look drunk, I don’t care if I fall, I don’t care if I get stopped by the cops, but dammit I am learning to walk again”!!

Took a total of five years and me getting a job working with kids to fully recover and learn how to run. One fine day one of my students was doing something stupid and I learned to dash.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My particular goal and mission driving my creative journey is a similar answer to what I want my legacy to be, which is to leave everyone I can with the knowledge they can succeed and that knowledge is power.

Where the path branches off would be personal happiness and financial success. I want to be able to make a comfortable enough living to where I can stand on my own two feet.

I have a lot of dreams I want to pursue and goals I want to accomplish. I want to be financially successful enough to fund at least in some small part all of my endeavors.

I would love to have my own café/comic book shop, maybe a small restaurant/pub/creative space. I want to make short films and ultimately start a family for a more personal legacy.

So much to do and so little funding. To quote Homer Simpson: “I could do a lot of things if I had the money’.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Twilight-Gemini/shop?asc=u
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@themadmaverick?si=RonvBpVcXf94c5Xr
• Other: $MattD1424

Image Credits

Credit to Ava Brown for the personal/biographical photograph.