Meet Mati Baran

We were lucky to catch up with Mati Baran recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mati, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

To me, the idea of having a purpose in life is very elusive. In my life, the notion of purpose seems to keep changing every few years. The more you explore, learn, and grow, the more your idea of it will be redefined – but that’s exactly what will keep you motivated and interested in whatever you’re doing in the career you’ve embarked upon. If you consistently change, there will always be something exciting on the horizon. Perhaps you could could say that this path of growth and change could actually be the purpose of everyone’s life? To take the first step on that path, though, I believe you have to fully trust your intuition. You have to listen to what the universe is trying to tell you – be in tune with the messages it’s sending you. So many people stay in their own little bubble, as their idea of success stays entirely defined by other people’s opinions or expectations of them. A narrow view like that keeps you in place, as it makes you miss the countless signs around you that scream, “You would be great at this.” The key is to filter out that unnecessary noise, any rules or expectations coming from others, and see where the universe is actually trying to push you.

My personal path, though always kept within a creative field, has changed multiple times. As a child, I was always interested in drawing buildings, so in high school, I started attending architectural drawing classes. Somewhere along the way, though, my interests started leaning toward product design, which over the next few years led me to graphic design and, finally, visual communication. Every new step felt right only because I trusted my feelings about it. If it felt right, I did it. Now, after years of creating visual art, I’m starting to explore performance art. Who knows where that will lead me? The thing is, you have to stay interested in moving forward and remember that if you really enjoy doing something, it will always resonate with others. Love brings more love. Do things out of love and the purpose will reveal itself.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am Mati, son of Piotr and Bozena Baran, a visual/performance artist from Poland. In 2023, I moved to London to pursue my Master’s degree in Visual Communication. While studying at the Royal College of Art, I began exploring new forms of visual expression – most notably, performance art. Somehow, by the end of my course, I performed in the epicenter of London (Leicester Square) in drag, lip-syncing and acting while spinning on a rotating plinth. I would have never imagined my creative path leading me into these new strange areas, but it makes me incredibly excited to think about where that could take me in the future. My creative practice is mostly based on public outreach, humor, and textual communication. Additionally, alongside my creative peers, I recently started a collective called “I Participated,” focused on exhibition curation and public art. I am now entering my professional career in London, and the possibilities feel almost overwhelming.

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?

First and most important, and I can’t stress this enough – delusion. Yes, delusion. You’ve got to believe that what you do or make is GREAT. You have to believe that you are unique and will achieve amazing things, because if you don’t believe that, why should anyone else? There are countless talented, smart, charismatic, and attractive people in the world. The only thing that makes some of them stand out is that they are willing to put themselves out there and stand right in front of people’s noses. Those people do that because they trust in their power, because they are at least somewhat *delusional* about their capabilities. You could say that delusion is essentially just belief in yourself, and it really is the key to opening many doors in your career. It’s one thing to have a dream, but knowing that you will achieve it makes you never give up on it.

Aside from that, keep having interests and hobbies unrelated to your career, because when you start merging them, beautiful things can happen. For me, it’s music – I’ve been a music nerd my whole life and I also play multiple instruments. That interest constantly keeps creeping into everything I do – whether it’s performing to my favorite songs or embarking on a creative project based on musical education. To me, putting what you love into what you’re good at not only allows for the best possible outcomes, but also strengthens your particular niche. Keep merging things that you enjoy.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

As most artists experience at some point in their life, I am currently facing the issue of wanting to create things that will unfortunately not make me much money. Bummer. Naturally, as I progress on my creative path, I grow more interested in niche areas, which are always harder to bring immediate monetary value. What I know is that it will take me time to sustain myself purely from things that interest me the most, but honestly, even just the prospect of it excites me. My lovely delusion tells me that it can, and it WILL, happen. While most people would say to focus purely on what is bound to make good money, I say do not trim yourself to other people’s expectations of what you should or should not be doing with your life. Find a balance, and keep being in tune with your own intuition, your interests, your loves. Think about how good things could be. That will keep you afloat.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/matteorz