Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matias Ponce . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Matias , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my parents, my upbringing, my community, where I grew up. In The Old South End of Toledo, OH.
My father, being the immigrant from Querétaro, México and my mother being the 1st born of 10, Mexican American from Ohio. Their trials and tribulations have raised me into the human being and artist I am today, through their sacrifices they gave me my resilience.
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?
In my 14 years of pursuing acting professionally here in Los Angeles, I have been lucky to acquire some life skills and wisdom throughout my journey. I moved to LA from Toledo, Ohio back in September of 2009, at the time I was only 20 years old, so in part I’ve grown up a bit in LA also, I’m 34 now.
When I look back, first area of knowledge to me is *Patience, To soak up every second, minute and hour of your life and what year you are living, experiencing, breathing in. It will catch up fast to you, I can recall when I first got to Los Angeles, at 20 years old, just a young brown man from Ohio, you know the Midwest. All this excitement and fear of the unknown especially in the entertainment industry, can make you feel like you have all the time and capability to make it, which you do. It’s about how you use your time and patience through the journey of your life, to not force things and to be okay with letting go of that which does not serve you in anyway positive way, weather it’s through family, friends, jobs or preconditioned ideas we have in our youth.
*Be nice to people. You don’t know anyone’s personal battles or past lives that the individual has lived before.
Many people will come in and out of your life, it’s okay, it’s supposed to happen. No good person ever means any harm to you. It’s never personal.
*Call and see your parents often. My father recently transitioned this past year of September, I got to enjoy him for 72 years. In that time has was here I can recall moments where I felt so self involved in my career and living in Los Angeles. I’d forget to check in often, talk less, less trips back to Ohio for Holidays, the distractions we sometimes create for ourselves when we are pursuing our endeavors, take away our attention from the true reasons for being inspired, reminders of love, that you are always loved by your parents and family, the 1st number one fans in your life don’t forget that.
It’s okay to take breaks and not doing anything related to your career. You have the rest of your life to pursue. Acting will always be here, the art of it will succeed us unto the next generation of actors. Sometimes it’s not that important, the pressure we put on ourselves is not real, it’s not physical, it’s all mental. You have to be mentally strong and persistent with patience.
Explore other sides of you, others talents or desires you want to know about. Since I’ve been a Teaching Artist, working for many theatre educational programs that teach within LAUSD, I’ve discovered my love for Theatre Arts Education, Being a professional actor and educator where I get to use my skill sets and talents for the youth is to me the real work. Always give back when you can.
The Marathon Continues.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They gave me life and taught me love. They gave me my name and gave me my talent. They gave me their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.matiasinmotion.com
- Instagram: @matiasinmotion
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiasinmotion419/
- Other: imdb.me/matiasponce
Image Credits
Main bnw photo and the others that are headshots are by LA photographer Peter Konerko.
