What Am I Making #014 - Sometimes The Shark He Go Away

What Am I Making Podcast

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What Am I Making #014 - Sometimes The Shark He Go Away

An audio version of an earlier essay. The real message for me behind Spielberg's single greatest scene, and how it might be the best way that I can explain how my brain works.

Matty C

May 24, 2023

I hate explaining my mental health conditions to people. That might seem weird since I spend so much of my time and energy here talking about that very subject. I am willing, often happy, to explore my mental health. Explaining my conditions and struggles to others is not an exercise in improving my state of mind. It is a recitation of justifiers and simplified terms to make the listener comfortable without unveiling myself as a complete lunatic.

Yes, as we have talked more openly about mental health these conversations have become easier and more productive. The vast majority of folks are loving, and want to help. But, even our most ardent supporters will waiver at least a bit in the face of these conditions.

Analogies are a tool that I use daily to explain a feeling, teach a lesson or address a problem. They're always bouncing in my brain. Parallel ideas with common purpose can feel a bit like magic. Using art, music, and cinema is another way I have used analogies and metaphors to carve out an identity and viewpoint.

This week’s podcast is a combination of all of those elements. It’s built around an essay I published at the beginning of April using a scene from Jaws to better explain my struggles with depression and anxiety. Talking about my health can be exhausting, self-indulgent, and even counter-productive. Stories like this one seem like the best way I can find to explore my own mental health while also allowing the reader/listener to explore it with me.

Here is how I, once again, used a piece of art to better understand my own self. It is also one of the best ways I have found to help you understand my struggle and may be yours as well.

Cheers,
Matty C

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What Am I Making Podcast

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson.

I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century.

It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to.

What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years?

Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting.

I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities.

All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster.

This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind.

If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support.

https://whatamimaking.substack.com

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com

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