We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Matt Smiley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Matt below.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

As an artist, I invested a big portion of my early career into filmmaking. When I stumbled into documentary filmmaking I discovered a medium of storytelling that gave me the opportunity to take a deep dive into history and really make an impact on bringing a worldwide audience to pay attention to certain issue. My pivotal journey began with ‘Highway of Tears’ (Netflix), a documentary feature centered on the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This project held profound significance for me because my sole intention was to follow my heart and see where the narrative led. Throughout the endeavor, I forged countless remarkable personal connections with individuals who contributed to the project’s realization. More importantly, we succeeded in capturing the interest of a worldwide audience deeply invested in understanding the gravity of this critical issue.

What made the experience particularly meaningful was its ability to catalyze socio-cultural change and compel the Canadian government to take decisive action to ensure the safety of all women and girls. ‘Highway of Tears’ opened doors for advocacy and policy reform, underscoring the transformative potential of documentary filmmaking to effect positive societal change.”

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?

My journey as an artist and filmmaker has been an exploration of creativity and a commitment to meaningful storytelling. I’m known for my vibrant and thematic paintings, where I blend automatic writings, vivid colors, and imaginative characters to create works that resonate with audiences. Both my grandparents were artists and while I didn’t get much of a chance to know them, I do have the luxury of having access to the artworks that they left behind, which explains why my passion for the arts fuels my daily life.

While art doesn’t necessarily provide an immediate solution to problems a client may have, it does help liven a room, a space or environment and help promote a dialogue for people to express themselves. I think what sets me apart from most artists, is my sensitivity and drive to find new ways of challenging myself, along with providing services that add tangible value.

Through the years, I’ve been fortunate to pursue my artistic passions while steadfastly increasing the value of my brand in the market without compromising my artistic integrity. While my paintings serve as a prominent facet of my business, my true uniqueness lies in my ability to unite people and evoke genuine happiness.

What role does storytelling play in your artistic process, and how do you incorporate narrative elements into your visual artworks?

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that magical element of never knowing what tomorrow will bring. There’s always a new idea or project that will present itself and catapult you into a new direction. That ignites my passion daily!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

There is no secret that resilience is one of the most fundamental traits needed to be successful in any feild, especially in the arts. There is no shortage of rejection on a daily basis. The biggest difference between those that succeed and those that fail, is the ability to push past rejection and find the open door. I’ve had countless experiences where my resilience was tested and managed to overcome it.

While I usually dislike too much self-reflection on past successes, I can still credit my experience with “Highway of Tears’ to showcase my resilience. At every corner throughout that process, I had a lack of financial resources and help to move the project forward. Even when the project was finally screened at TIFF Human Rights Watch, it didn’t have a clear path to distribution. When no offers came and no one jumped onboard to screen the film, I personally created my own distribution strategy and embarked on a screening tour across over 50+ cities around the world. It took almost a year of relentless screenings to get Netflix onboard, which gave the topic and the film a massive boost. There is no secret to why that project succeeded. It took daily action from morning till night over a series of years to bring it to international success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mattsmiley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_smiley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattSmileyEntertainment
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmattsmiley/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattsmiley

Image Credits
Photo credit: Anzu Lawson photos