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

Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I’ve always known the film and music industry to be volatile and oversaturated industries, so pursuing a career as a musician and filmmaker is the dumbest calculated risk I’ve taken in my entire life, but motivation comes from passion. One of my favorite pieces that sums this up is Charles Bukowski’s “So You Want to be a Writer?” In the opening sentence, he straightforwardly asserts, “If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it.” The central theme of the piece revolves around the repeated advice: “Don’t do it.” Bukowski challenges the reader’s desire to be a writer, questioning the motivation behind the creative act.

To me, the piece initially felt like a challenge to all creatives, urging us to seek a genuinely unique perspective when creating. Art, after all, is essentially a distinct viewpoint on an otherwise routine experience. In the context of today’s reality and the pursuit of social media fame, Bukowski’s question gains even more relevance: “If you’re doing it for money or fame, don’t do it.” He encourages confidence in one’s work, warning against seeking approval too soon, stating, “If you must first read it to your wife…You’re not ready.”

Most importantly, Bukowski advises against being dull, boring, or pretentious, emphasizing the need to avoid conforming to generic standards. Throughout my career, I’ve embraced risks, leaving a video client base on the East Coast for more creatively fulfilling opportunities in the West. I take pride in the ambiguity of my music genres, even if it may impact my financial success. Every video I release is a result of dwelling on a vision until it becomes a reality.

Living in a world saturated with creativity, I acknowledge the value of taking risks. In the film and music industry, the investment often extends beyond money to include learning to live with minimal financial resources. Trusting in the vision of the life you want requires a certain degree of ignorance and audacity. Despite living in a country that undervalues its artists, I continue to take risks because creativity, to me, is the ultimate risk—exposing oneself artistically and risking financial stability.

Creativity involves bearing it all artistically and taking a financial gamble. It’s a passion that drives artists to endure the challenges. The concept of the ‘flow state,’ described as divine intuition during creation, is the pinnacle of human potential. Greatness, intangible yet palpable, is the presence of something or someone evolving forward. Regardless of the industry, all creatives wait for that spark and, when it comes, take the risk because they feel compelled to do so. In Bukowski’s words, “When it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, it will do it by itself and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you. There is no other way. And there never was.”

Michael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a musician and filmmaker who makes my content, but also helps local businesses with creative problem-solving and social media campaigns. Currently, I’m writing singles that I release under the solo project Mastro, and working on feature-length film scripts that I hope to produce one day. I can produce original songs and videos for businesses and help them develop a collection of videos to release. I would like people to know they can feel comfortable discussing their silly ideas with me.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There’s no such thing as a painless journey. There’s no such thing as a straight line. Don’t expect things to take off right away. Sometimes you need to have blind faith in something that seems so fruitless. Stay the course, don’t let other people dictate how you feel about yourself.

I have posted so many videos that I thought would be big hits and no one saw it. I’ve had videos that I thought no one would see that got 500k views. Some of the videos that I’ve put the most time in have been my biggest busts. If you love what you do it doesn’t matter. The internet and social media have allowed us to place a metric on our creativity. This is simply not something that you should let affect you. Regardless, keep creating, whatever is inside of you… get it out.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

By far the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is inspiring and entertaining people. Nothing feels better than hearing somebody who values my content or (even better) is inspired by my content to create something else.

Contact Info:

• Website: mastrotunes.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mastrotunes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.mastronardi.7
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mastronardi-54596a47/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MastroTunes
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mastrotunes?lang=en