Matt Rodin, Creative, Meditator & Good Human

Today, is *bring your creative soulmate to the blog day* and I’m bringing Matt Rodin; magical, good human and the true definition of a creative. He’s currently creating content and hosting Red Carpet shenanigans & class at Broadway.com along with hosting his original series, Urban Campfire. Yes they sing, not around a fire, but it’s dreamy and BYOS (s’mores).

Matt, Thank you for doing this, for supporting me and endlessly inspiring me. ok, now my turn to pick that creative, genius brain. Here’s a quote from Steve Jobs about creativity to get us started…

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”

Q: What’s your favorite wellness tool at the moment?

A: First of all thank YOU for welcoming me into the FFB family (and your life in general.) It’s a gift to come across humans who you feel are on the same wavelength and you are most certainly one of those people. You make me better and I am grateful every day that our lives have intertwined. What was the question? Oh yeah – meditation no question. For the past year and a half (I think) I’ve made an effort to incorporate it into my daily routine. The type I practice is TM (transcendental meditation) which just means that I repeat a mantra or phrase over and over again and each time my mind wanders, I simply return to the mantra. It’s been nice to realize that there is no one ‘right’ way or perfect amount of time to sit. Giving yourself 5 minutes of just breathing is better than none. It centers me, helps me feel aligned with source energy, and clears away the gunk (jealousy, anger, frustration, rush, pressure, etc.) that builds up naturally. More than all those, it gives me the ability to separate the mind and the intelligence, the child and parent, the voice that’s impulsive and the voice that sees the big picture. Meditation has truly transformed my life and it makes me appreciate what it means to be a thinking, breathing, conscious human being.

Q: What was the first thing you remember creating?

A: The first thing I can really remember is a trifold poster board about PT Barnum. I couldn’t tell you what the assignment was but I know my Mom is still talking about it. I’m sure she has it somewhere. More recently – the first thing I created when I moved to New York City was a series called The Broadway News Bulletin. It was horrible. It was a sort-of ‘Daily Show’ about Broadway news. I filmed it on my iPhone and barely knew how to use video editing software. As painful as those videos are to look back on, I’m incredibly grateful that I had the courage to put myself out there and make something because it was the seed for what my ‘career’ has turned into.

Q: We both have traveled a windy road in and out of performing… can we peer back at how far you’ve come and the map that brought you here?

A: Man oh man. I get emotional thinking about it because I look back and know how much unnecessary stress I was putting on my younger self to be a ‘successful’ performer. WTF is that? ‘Success’ according to who (or whom maybe?) I think growing up, like many people, I saw Broadway as the end-all-be-all. It was this magical fairy tale place where all your dreams come true. Once I booked a Broadway show, my life would be PERFECT and I’d live happily ever after and even throughout college I think I still believed that. It took me being in New York some time to really wrap my brain around the fact that being a professional actor means working when and where you can – even if it’s for less than $800 a week in the middle of nowhere Ohio. I don’t say that to discourage anyone from pursuing that – if that is going to bring you joy and fulfillment than YES GO FOR IT! I had to really sit down and decide if that’s what I wanted my life to be, or at least a part of my life. It’s still something that swims around my brain daily. Since my energy has shifted to producing content in the last few years, I’ve had to learn (and am still learning) how to balance performing and auditioning with a full-time job and freelance clients since, right now, I’m still interested in exploring all those facets of my life. People like to say focus on ONE thing, and while I believe that to be true from moment to moment – I’ve found that as long as what I’m working on is connected to my WHY, I can justify spending energy on it. Again, there’s no ‘right’ way or path – it’s all happening exactly how it’s supposed to – meaning that every experience is a learning opportunity.

Q: And further, what’s on the horizon?

A: Well first off it’s Red Carpet season – there’s something close to 15 more openings before the end of April. On top of that, and the other projects I’m working on with Broadway.com, I’m trying to put out content on my own social channels that spreads light and knowledge and is true to where I’m at and how I’m feeling. I’m auditioning occasionally, only going in for projects that feel aligned with the type of work I want to be doing and I’m getting back to songwriting – something I was passionate about in college. I can’t say exactly what the next 6, 12, 24 months will look like, but I am open, excited and grateful for whatever is coming my way.

Q: Ok, so tell us about Urban Campfire.

A: I spent twelve summers at an all boys overnight camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin (Camp Timberlane for Boys) and every Friday night was a campfire. I loved that it was a designated time and space for reflection and togetherness woven with music and stories. So earlier this year I put together a night of music and spoken word that celebrates the power of storytelling and called it URBAN CAMPFIRE. In addition to playing some originals, I asked a few other artists to come play 10-15 minute sets. I wanted URBAN CAMPFIRE to be a space where artists felt safe to be their true selves and everyone would leave feeling more spiritually FULL than when they arrived. It will definitely happen again and inevitably expand and grow in unexpected ways – I’m excited.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you would have known five years ago?

A: This one’s tough. Five years ago I was in college – ready, excited, and scared about what was going to happen next. I wish I knew it was going to be ok. That as long as I’m true to myself and continue to be curious, everything works out in the time that it should. I wish I knew that as long as my actions are inspired and come from a place a love – I would be able to have experiences that I dreamt of as a kid. Now I’m in the process of relearning all those things, daily, because once you’re out of school – life becomes one big question mark. There’s no way of knowing what’s coming, so I choose gratitude and faith over dread and fear. I look forward to looking back on this part of my life.

Q: You met your hero Jason Mraz recently? What did that experience mean to you?

A: It’s hard to put into words what it means to meet and spend time with someone who’s had such an impact on your growth as a human, from afar. Since the first time I heard his music (a bootleg recording of him covering Elton John’s “Rocketman”) I felt connected to him. Only more recently have I realized why. He’s the embodiment of what I aspire to be – the work he creates inspires and uplifts people. He happens to do that through music and songwriting and it was indescribable sitting and talking with him about it. As with everything, I’m looking forward to seeing how and where our paths will cross in the future. It felt like the closing of a chapter in my life – that I now had the permission to grow and expand to my next level self (which is terrifying.) More than that, I learned once again that with faith and patience, timing will always be perfect. For months prior, I had been feeling very artistically and spiritually stuck, completely clueless as to what I was ‘supposed’ to do next. When Jason seemingly appeared out of thin air, I took it as a sign to relax, let go, and allow that magic to happen in it’s own time.

Q: Why create?

A: I haven’t read ‘THE DENIAL OF DEATH’ but I think it has something to do with that. I think it’s hard for us to face our own mortality, and creating is a way to feel like we’re leaving something behind – like we can make some kind of impact on the world. Maybe that’s morbid – but I believe that this time we have is a gift. We are so lucky to be humans – and we all get to choose what we want to do with the short amount of time we have. I choose to create – any and all the things – because it’s an extension and expression of the inner most light that we all share.

Q: What does mind body spirit connection meant to you?

A: Total human optimization. To be able to feel alignment through every molecule of your being. It’s that moment you feel clicked into flow state – when your thoughts fade away, your spirit soars and your body begins to work on it’s own. It takes an understanding of the needs of all three and giving time and space to each.

Q: The secret to feeling good in your body and mind is…

A: I don’t know – and I’m not afraid to admit that. I find yoga and meditation to be the most helpful but I think it’s different for each person. It starts by listening to what your mind and body are saying and giving them the love and time and energy they need. So often I find that what feels like a physical problem is a manifestation of a mental block or stress – and mental strains are often tied to something physical that I’m not giving attention to.

Q: In a digital age, I’ve been really focused on the idea of legacy lately. What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

A: I want to leave the world better than when I came upon it – even if that means positively impacting the life of one person. One is greater than zero. My gravestone (here he goes with the death thing again) won’t list how many followers or dollars I had. When people 100 years from now are looking through the crusty archives of the internet, I want them to see the truest possible representation of me and where I was, honestly, at each part of my life. I know that social media can and will never represent ALL of me – that’s impossible – so I choose to share the things I’m learning and the knowledge I’m intaking. That’s how I can uplift others, that’s how I choose to make the world a better place – by sharing my experience honestly so the next person has a little more wisdom to work with.

Alright. that’s all. I love you, Matt. Tell us when and where we can connect with you, learn from you and be a part of Urban Campfire.

I’m all across the internet @MrMattRodin. { Instagram: @MrMattRodin Twitter: @MrMattRodin Youtube: Matt Rodin } and any updates with Urban Campfire, and everything else I’m working on, you’ll be able to find there. My social channels are a place where I try to provide value, always.

(And he does, you guys so go link up with him!) 

Photos & Interview by Jane Jourdan.

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