We recently connected with Matt Maenpaa and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
We want to believe that creativity is like a wellspring, always bubbling under the surface. While that may be partially true, an active imagination still needs to be encouraged and maintained.
I find the creativity of others incredibly stimulating for my own – sometimes that’s as easy as reading a good story or poem, seeing cool stuff creative friends make on socials. Sometimes its finding a piece of media that inspires you to put your own twist on it, or the desire to refine and explore a concept further.
Creativity can be honed with practice, but I also find that overworking a concept can be stifling. I’ve had fiction projects collecting dust because I overworked them until I got bored and moved on. Photo concepts I never executed because they eventually felt stale in my brain.
Meditation also helps, which looks less like sitting in a quiet room for me. Usually I take a walk or a hike, to just breathe and take the world in. Sometimes getting tasks in like cleaning or cooking, where I can detach my mind from what’s immediately in front of me and let the imagination wander.
So how do you I keep creativity alive? Its finding that balance between honing concepts, taking inspiration from the world we live in, and letting myself stay open to new ideas all together. Knowing when to take that walk or put a project down when I haven’t made any sort of progress.
From the outside it looks like plate-spinning: a dozen projects running in the background, each making incremental progress. Coming back to things as inspiration moves me, being willing to pick up new ones or get invested in a collaborator’s idea.
Keeping creativity alive is an active and shifting practice, one maintained with mindfulness, openness and a willingness to get weird.
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?
Hey there! I’m Matt, proprietor of Foolish Endeavors. I’m a photographer and freelancer writer. The short version of my story:
I ‘ve been writing and telling stories since I could hold a pen, and picked up photography in high school. Life happened, I kept writing and found other work. After years in restaurants and bars, in every possible position, I stepped sideways into freelance journalism and writing as I made an exit from the food and beverage scene.
Fast forward a few years, I spend most of my time doing event photography and portrait sessions, along with art projects and commissions with models and other creative collaborators.
Working for yourself is always a string of endless challenges and adventure, not always fun, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. In addition to lining up new clients, I’m also working on a few big art projects and preparing to launch a Patreon.
For the whole summer, I’m doing Pay-What-You-Can portrait sessions for the LGBTQ+ community. As a queer person myself, I know the value of representation and identity affirmation, so my hope is that I can share my talents with the Colorado LGBTQ community and help them feel seen and show off their truest selves.
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?
Just three? Oof, okay. Patience, discipline and compassion. I think those three qualities are so important to success, regardless of your field of pursuit or creative interests.
Let’s start with patience. Patience is a virtue, right? I think a lot of us heard that from our parents as kids, wanting something to happen sooner. Making art is not always a quick process, and the time from when an idea forms to when we make it manifest can be lengthy. Mistakes are made, and sometimes an idea never comes to fruition. Patience isn’t just for the project, but for yourself.
Discipline is another one that is tossed around, but is often easier said than done. We live in a world with millions of constant distractions, whether they are our responsibilities, our phones or what-have-you. Discipline is not just building a habit and repeating it, but a choice you make to prioritize. Tying it into patience, it isn’t easy to stay disciplined but if you continue to make the decision to hone a skill or work on your art, you’ll overcome your mistakes and see results.
Lastly, compassion. Not just compassion for others, which often seems like a quality lacking in this world we live in, but compassion for ourselves. Because we aren’t always going to succeed, we don’t always feel accomplished. We get distracted, we get tired, and so we don’t keep up with the discipline. We don’t have the patience for ourselves we’d like. Be compassionate to yourself, take those moments to breathe and come back to yourself.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m always open to new creative partnerships, collaborations and commissions. Folks that are genuine and looking to make something truly inspired are welcome. I love working with queer/LGBTQ people, creating art that uplifts and affirms, while challenging social norms. I’m also open to folks that are looking to explore the weird, esoteric and fantastical sides of our world.
People can connect with me through my website: foolishendeavors.com or reach out to me through social media, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: foolishendeavors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foolishafterdark/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foolish.endeavors
Image Credits
All images copyright Foolish Endeavors/Matt Maenpaa 2023
