Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Matteo Miles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Matteo, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
It can be easy to worship at the altar of self-doubt. Acknowledging that every artist has a unique path and embracing my distinctive style has been pivotal. I feel that every creator can have difficulty seeing their own art through the eye of someone else, and not appreciating it like they should. I have a bad habit of blacking out the memory of the process until i’m tripping over all these canvases in my home, underestimating their value. Something I’ve learned to do when painting is remembering to add an ‘easter egg’ to personalize it, as it belongs to me; to feel connected and less of an imposter. Another lesson I learned is to talk about your work and be proud of it as if you’re sharing the love of your first born child.
By recognizing the value and trusting my abilities, I’ve been able to control the self-doubt often associated with imposter syndrome, to believe in the internal success and allow the creativity to flourish a little better.
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?
My name is Matteo Miles and I am a Traveling Muralist located in Greenville, South Carolina. I have been painting murals for 5 years with 20 years of drawing experience. My work consists of a variety of subjects and styles ranging from chalk art to typography and realistic portraits. I have plenty of experience working on both exterior and interior walls of many types of surfaces and sizes up to 4 stories tall. Most of my work is found in hotels, restaurants and local businesses. I I enjoy learning new techniques and connecting with my clients to bring life into their space and a unique vision to the towns I visit and live in. I work by myself and like to maintain professionalism and efficiently to bring my work to life. I work well with other artists and have had collaborations on a few projects. My favorite process of my work is designing the pieces to fit the environment to last a lifetime. My main goal in my career is to license my original designs and travel the world to cultivate my work in other colorful communities.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities and skills that were most impactful to me are speaking up, trying new mediums and connecting with other artists. Asking questions and taking initiative is so important with talking about a project with a client, there’s nothing worse than not being on the same page with someone else’s imagination. Yes, I want them to trust me but I love knowing they are satisfied with seeing exactly what they were envisioning.
I’m getting closer to figuring out my own personal style. Learning anything from spray-painting to oil or collage, I love exploring so many different mediums that I enjoy being able to apply the broad versatility in my work.
Connecting with other artists online or locally, new or experienced has made me more comfortable with sharing knowledge to the craft and business of it. We’re all learning here and it’s nice to see the diversity of how we apply those skills and support each other’s style.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Being flexible in my work ethic. My work ethic comes from the acceptance that I just absolutely love making art and making ideas come to life. It’s not something I want to do, I have to do it. My commitment involves intense dedication to use what I got. Long hours, meticulous attention to detail, and a tireless pursuit of perfection are all part of ensuring each project not only meets but exceeds the expectations of clients and admirers alike.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.matteom.com
- Instagram: @matteomilesmurals
Image Credits
JackieJustFilms Photography
