We were lucky to catch up with Matt Blum recently and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
For the longest time, I felt adrift, wandering without a sense of purpose. I snapped photos for the publications, but it was just a living – I didn’t realize it could be more. The turning point came when I pulled back to my roots in black and white film and started photographing the the non-perfection that social media ignores: the raw, the grit, the willing.
As I captured the scars, the reality, I began to find my vision. These were stories that needed telling, moments of humanity that deserved preserving. I realized I could use my photography not just for art’s sake, but to reveal truth and create empathy; that my images could give voice to the voiceless.
Gradually I made my lens an instrument for change. Any time I peel back the superficial and challenge assumptions is a small victory. My aim is to dig beneath the surface, provoke feeling, remind people we all share this precarious human condition. That’s what gives me purpose now – using my skills to expose overlooked truths. I spent years in the dark before finding this sense of direction, but once your creative passion links up with purpose, your path seems so clear. I’m still learning, still developing, but no longer fumbling for meaning. Art, empathy and understanding – that’s what I strive for in every shutter snap.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m Matt Blum. I’ve been a photographer for 20+ years while being based in Dallas, Texas. I am now in the unique position of continuing this never-ending passion overseas in Europe, so you could call that new, although it’s still me, doing what I have always loved. I look forward to the new version of me which will emerge during the process, the challenges that will create a more capable variation of myself, and the souls I will meet along the way.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There are only a few things you can control in this life, and the sooner you recognize them, the better off you’ll be. Your attitude, your effort, and I’d go as far to say, your willingness. If you get these three factors pointed in the same direction, you will undoubtedly will be successful.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for creative, open-minded souls to collaborate with. Everything good comes from it. Creativity, without collaboration, would shrivel and die.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blumphotography.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/blumphotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mattblumphotographer
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/blumphotography
- Youtube: https://instagram.com/mattblum
Image Credits
@BlumPhotography
