Meet Andreya D. Matthew

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andreya D. Matthew a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andreya D. , 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?

I naturally have a can do attitude that I am grateful for. I think it comes from witnessing loved ones like my parents, family and friends overcome challenges. My mother passed some years ago and she was one of the warmest people I’ve ever known. There are some heavy things I’ve recently learned about her childhood that she didn’t allow to emotionally harm her children. I’ve seen loved ones be homeless with children, get themselves into a shelter, and fight to now have a safe apartment of their own. Witnessing their resilience fills me strength. There are quite a few proffesional opportunities I haven’t gotten that I felt would change my life and were close to getting but didn’t. As a result I’ve become very adaptable and learned that there is always something I can take away from a challenge and use to make or find a new opportunity for myself.

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 a Cinematographer from The Bronx. I’ve worked on several Short Films, Features, Web Series, and Music Videos. I’m also currently a Senior Videographer at Bronxnet, the community news. Finally I’m working on a docuseries that will highlight different people in The Bronx that have been impactful to their community. I love storytelling. This docuseries is a good marriage of all of my experiences so far. I’ve also been a little more into Photography since the pandemic and plan to show my work more this year hopefully in some of the local art spaces in the Bronx.

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?

Three impactful skills on my journey so far are adaptability, perseverance, and tenacity. Being in a creative feild you need to be adaptable. It’s constantly changing and opportunities can be vast but difficult to secure. I am a filmmaker which can be hard to make lucrative. So I’m also a Videographer for the community news which at times can be fast paced, since it’s a less controlled environment than filmmaking. Perseverance is important in this feild and especially in New York City because there a lot of opportunities but even more people seeking them. You have to have that drive to keep going. And you need tenacity to not only go for what you want but know that you have a right to take these opportunities and make space for yourself.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

A major obstacle I’m struggling with is procrastination and overthinking. I have a number of projects I want to start and or need to finish. So far talking about it with friends and colleagues and making tangible plan has motivated me. It has also made me realize that I’m not the only one struggling with procrastionation. The trap of procrastination and overthinking can easily make you feel isolated so talking about it has made a difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/amproductions1?fbclid=PAY2xjawH1jTRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpvIJpguEna1lIBQEsdXqmAdbm3LVWuAgJ5w4NysILrnXWotcUkc3yU_eIQ_aem_n8E406B51hW7Ht2MfBdE8g
• Instagram: amproductions1
• Other: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm10347618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_1_nm_7_in_0_q_Andreya%2520D.%2520

Image Credits

Richard Louissaint