We were lucky to catch up with Matt Waters recently and have shared our conversation below.
Matt, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I took the opportunity for personal time during the pandemic to invest in a new hobby of yoga. I needed a health focused habit that didn’t feel like a chore in my life. It began as 10 minutes, then 20, then 30. It was a simple evolution of a daily habit that framed the question of “did I take care of myself today”. This question has become a multi-faceted evaluation of the little things I do for myself each day from exercise & meditation to prioritizing a more positive diet.
Our minds all carry a laundry list of to-do’s that waters down our presence in each activity we do. In my practice, I often have to address the wandering parts of my mind & put them to rest. All the things on my to-do list, must wait. It’s become a sacred time of acceptance where I can only participate in life rather than prepping or dreading the day ahead of me.
My capacity to complete the task has grown with each day that I’ve prioritized my practice, and check the box of “did I take care of myself today”. In the three years since I’ve started practicing, I’ve accessed a new connection between where I am & what I’m doing. It’s positively affected my relationships, goals, and gratitude in more immense ways that I can express.
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’m a full time musician who’s continually trying to focus more on the songs & how they play a part in my life. From the music of my hero’s to the aimless voice memos on my phone, the inspirations that bring us songs connect us more deeply to our communities & loved ones. In this pursuit, my biggest obstacle is my own judgements & expectations that I put on my “output” as an artist.
I’ve just released my first self-produced EP “Few Words” which features 4 songs that are very near & dear to me. This project was a monumental learning experience that taught me how to be an enthusiastic novice while undertaking the task of framing materials that are precious to me.
There’s an ever-moving line in the sand of what we think is our best work. These lines move with our failures & successes, and if we don’t acknowledge that movement then we always end of chasing something. This project has been a step in my acceptance of what we can do with each gift of a day. There’s just not enough time to keep thinking that we are not enough for the present.
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?
This may not answer the question well, but I’d say the 3 greatest qualities to surround yourself with are positivity, patience & persistence. These are the things I most admire in people, and what I’d like to embody myself. I’m learning more & more everyday that the people in your life dictate a lot of what you can get done. Your core group of people needs to be carefully chosen & guarded so that you don’t get pulled a thousand different ways at once. Choosing the qualities I want to see in the people around me has helped me to become a person I am more proud of.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
As the youngest of four kids, I saw my parents do a lot of incredible things to try & provide us a great upbringing. They went to every game, drove us to every practice, talked to us every day. They were the motivating factor behind us participating in our own lives.
As an adult, wrapping my head around everything they did has been hard. The most astonishing thing to me is how willing they were to let me find my own path regardless how disruptive it was to their lives. They drove me to every show, they helped break down my gear, they helped me sell tickets & CDs. It was a never ending cycle of new challenges & the same willingness to do whatever it takes to get to the next step.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mattwatersmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/realmattwaters
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mattwmusic
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/mattwatersmusic
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/mattwatersmusic
- Other: www.linktree.com/mattwatersmusic
Image Credits
Taylor Hues
