E62: Tapping into the Untethered Creative Realm with Matthew Zaremba

Matthew Zaremba is a multidisciplinary artist best known for his minimalist illustrations examining the human condition and the intricacies of the head and the heart. Boston-based and internationally recognized, Zaremba is a published visual storyteller whose work spans a myriad of mediums from print to paintings to public murals. Fashion brand 2006 Bodega has been curating the finest selection of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men and women from over 100 brands. Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation: The counterculture to internet access Grounding yourself by going analog Fostering creativity in your kids Tapping into the creative realm of kids Matthew’s definition of emotional optimism Episode Highlights: The Counterculture to Internet Access While the internet is a bridge for communicating with other people, sometimes, you can also get lost in it. Therefore, it’s important to ground yourself by going analog. It's part of dealing with the human experience – emotions, feelings, and reactions to the world. For example, if your art is known through the lens of a digital presentation, people are absorbing it with their eyes through a screen. But at the same time, the substance of it is so far from that. Although there are pieces that are reactionary to that, a lot of it actually is social commentary. Using a typewriter or recording on a tape or a reel where you're connected to a physical conduit makes everything more intentional because you can't just delete it off your feed. There’s a ground effect that allows you to be present. Tapping into the Creative Realm of Children As adult artists, they try to find that unbiased, unjaded realm of creativity that only kids can do. For instance, abstract artists get back to the naive state of not being influenced by the outside world. In other words, it’s untethered. It exists. It just is. On Emotional Optimism Matthew relates emotional optimism to survival. As bad as it gets, it's most likely going to be a temporary thing. No matter what this is right now, it's got to get better than this. People are getting anxious and it is a huge inconvenience. It is very taxing on all of us for a myriad of reasons, but it has to get better. If you're breathing, things are still moving. Resources Mentioned: www.bdgastore.com www.matthewzaremba.threadless.com