We were lucky to catch up with Michael Mastronardi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michael , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I have no idea where my blind optimism comes from. I have an issue with never taking things too seriously and always having a positive spin on even the darkest moments of my life. The struggles help you appreciate the light and the mistakes are always learning experiences. I remind myself that life is a sine wave, regardless of how low you feel there’s always an upswing. You can stack endless negative points on the T chart, but there will always be a few positives. Plus, no one likes a cry baby. Stay positive my friends.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hi, I’m Mike Mastronardi and I make video content and music. I’ve been working as a videographer and producer for my production company Mastrotunes. We provide end-to-end delivery of creative projects from commercials to shorts and music videos. I’m also releasing music under my artist name Mastro. We help small businesses create marketing campaigns and develop and execute fun narrative video ideas with creators. and I also produce my own content. I love helping people find their voice and deliver a clean product.
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?
STAY THE COURSE: It’s going to feel like the entire world is against you, they aren’t. It’s going to feel like no one cares, they do… just not nearly as much as you think. It’s up to you to demand attention, no one is going to give it to you without a fight. You will be prodded, so stay malleable, and be prepared to pivot. What will separate you from the masses is your persistence and willingness to adjust to the flow. Don’t let your self-doubt convince you to quit when you’re at the 1-yard line. You might be closer to completing your next goal than you think. Artists often set goals like “I want to be famous”, or “I want to be successful”, these aren’t goals. “Fame” has no meaning, and success is a varying metric, goals are something you can physically attain. The only way to hold yourself accountable is to give yourself a defined deadline for a specific achievement and pat yourself on the back. Being an artist is hard, like really hard. When you meet your goals, don’t continue to extend the tunnel. Remember to appreciate the accomplishments before setting off on new expeditions.
SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T A BAROMETER FOR QUALITY: Sometimes strong plants grow below the top of the canopy. Don’t be a slave to the algorithm. Don’t let other people’s opinions affect the way you create. Art is for the artist, not the audience. Self-expression is for yourSELF. Just because something doesn’t trend, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I’ve had videos explode that sat dormant on my account for weeks. I’ve had videos I spent months creating that received minimal interaction, and videos that took less than a minute and garnered hundreds of thousands of hits. I will always be more proud of the first video than the latter, and no number on a social media post can take that away.
FAIL HARD: No one remembers your failures. Don’t let your fear of failing handcuff your future. No one remembers the shitty street performer, let the audience walk past you, it you aren’t out there sucking, then you won’t build upon your failures. Allow yourself to suck for awhile, you will find more creative momentum proving people wrong. When people have faith in you, you have high expectations of yourself, those expectations will ruin you, don’t let them.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I’m overwhelmed, I like to remember that I’m not the only one. I know plenty of others deal with the same problems, which helps me cope. It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one with financial woes, relationship turmoil, or work inconsistencies. The fact that you are one of many will help you come to terms with the current state of affairs around you instead of internalizing and pretending it’s all your fault. Many factors will determine your mood, don’t let something out of your control dictate your feelings about yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, remind yourself that you’re not the only one, prioritize what you need to do, and get up off your butt and do it!
Contact Info:
- Website: mastrotunes.com
- Instagram: mastrotunes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastrotunes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mastronardi-54596a47/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MastroTunes/videos
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ogTqMtz22DLxeBx9cHu5z?si=PmI46XSoRY65693sKNb-_g
Image Credits
Lauren Frick
