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

Matthew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

To be creative, is to take risks. Pushing past the fear of failing and embracing the reality that you’ll likely fail again and again. It’s picking up lessons in the frustration or shortcomings and learning from them. It’s problem-solving. Trying again until whatever you’re working on starts to inch closer to the vision you had, or starts moving in an unexpected but promising direction that surprises you and keeps those creative gears turning. It’s a risk to consciously explore the inner workings of the head and the heart, and create something tangible that might somehow embody those invisible but enormous pieces of your being, and then present that to the world. That’s courage. To leave yourself open to the opinions and perspectives of others, who might relate to or reject what is so intrinsically personal. If you’re fortunate enough to connect with an audience and build a consistent body of work, it’s also a risk to diverge from that path to explore unknown creative territory. Every facet of creativity is a risk. Flying blindfolded, often unaware of where and how you’ll end up, but somehow knowing that’s where the light is.

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

I’ve always been creating art in one form or another since I was a young child. Music was my first love, being raised by a blues musician. I was able to start playing music by ear at a young age. Never knowing how to read music, or necessarily what the notes or chords were, but understanding tone and melody and working my way through the process until I came out with something I liked. I was an avid writer, creating zines of poetry and prose. I made photographs. I created collages. The through-line between the myriad of mediums I utilized was trying to hold and suspend moments of life. I’ve always created in an autobiographical way, tapping into my memories, feelings, and thoughts to better understand my place in, and effect on, the world around me. Eventually I started creating minimalist illustrations that served almost as a visual journal to say the things I had trouble saying, or to respond to my inner world and the external world in a way that helped detach it from my being. This was especially true when addressing feelings. This approach became a cathartic way of separating the feeling I was illustrating, from defining who I was as a person. This theme of the ephemeral also ties back to my experiences and involvement in graffiti. Through this creative journey I have exhibited across the globe, have collaborated with brands, have connected with countless people, and most importantly, have been able to grow as a human.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve experienced a fair share of loss. When a friend or loved one passes, I’ve often thought about the idea of a “legacy”. What you leave behind. How you’ve impacted others. Again, this could also tie back to graffiti, and the names of those long gone that still adorn surfaces. Hemingway said “Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name”. In that sense, I’m just striving to tell my story. I encourage everyone to do the same. With vulnerability, honesty, humility, and confidence. I think the more we tell our stories, the easier it is to find commonalities, solace, hope, and new ways of looking at life itself.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think I feel that art has allowed me to tap into parts of my psyche and emotions in ways that I would otherwise be unable to. It’s where I find my calm and my clarity, as some might say, the flow state. I think deeply and I feel deeply, and at times that can be overwhelming, complicated, and chaotic. Making things, whether it’s a song, or a painting, a poem or a sculpture out of found objects… These are all ways to channel the messy stuff into something that feels more intentional or focused. Within the work, whether it’s completely experimental and a throw-away, or something I hang on my wall or show to the public, there are things that reveal what I had previously been oblivious to. Little insights into myself that I can observe or explore, address or seek closure, embrace or let go. It’s a fascinating journey and the source of invaluable knowledge of self.     

Contact Info:

• Website: matthewzaremba.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/matthewzaremba