Meet Matt Delisle | Designer & Commercial Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Delisle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I’ve had to actively try and focus on work less, at least in the past year or so. As I was getting my business going, I was working at least 6 days a week, usually 12 hours a day minimum. Which is too much work. I love what I do and it was still too much work. It was good for developing my skills and for growing my bank account but it was bad for my mental health. I wasn’t really enjoying myself, despite having plenty of things to enjoy.

So I’ve really tried to create more balance by dividing my time into thirds: work, leisure & rest. I aim for eight hours of each, though not consecutively necessarily. Usually I mix in some leisure into my work day (often by staying active—working out, playing music) because I’ve found I’m more productive when working in shorter intervals. So I’ll knock out a bunch of stuff, take a little break and then get back on the horse.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
So we kinda live in a world where most industries have been commoditized. And branding is usually one of the main ways you’d set yourself apart in that type of landscape. But even branding has become pretty commoditized these days. It’s not that tricky to get a solid logo with a clean website/ and webstore. And the internet makes it so that you can promote and advertise yourself in a million different ways. That said, most branding I see is super boring. It looks and sounds professional but it’s rarely distinctive and it’s almost never fun.

When I’m working on a brand, I like to think of it less as a business entity and more like a person. Imagine you’re at a party where you don’t know anyone and you’re looking for someone to chat up. You see someone dressed nicely with a great smile. They have a firm shake when you introduce yourself, and they even have a funny quip to break the ice. But after a couple minutes you find them sorta boring. They don’t really have much to offer in terms of interest or amusement. In fact, they’re a bit of a dial tone. Most modern day brands are this person.

So I work to develop a brand that’s approachable yet distinctive. I’m less worried about “making them look pretty” and more concerned with making sure they have real style and an actual point of view. So that if that person looks interesting enough to approach and interact with, you’re not bored. You’re charmed. You’re entertained. Hopefully you’ve found a new lifelong friend. And that person might not be for everybody…but you can’t be for all the people all the time. At the end of the day, you’re original & authentic. And that makes things better for both the brand and its customers.

It took a lot of work to get to where I am today but it admittedly didn’t feel like a ton of work. Time & dedication & discipline for sure. But the ride has been pretty smooth and fun so far. I really enjoy what I do—I’d probably do a lot of what I work on day-to-day as a hobby but I’m incredibly fortunate to have found a way to make a living off it. Challenges and obstacles are sort of always gonna pop up—whether it’s professionally, personally or otherwise. I’ve found it’s a bit easier to deal with those things when you’re feeling inspired and well-rested.

And it’s easier to feel inspired and well-rested when you’re doing work you enjoy. Sometimes that means charging less money or slowing down so you can focus on your craft. There will always be some give and take. Your dream job might actually be a nightmare of a gig so it helps to check in on yourself and make sure that you’re feeling happy and/or fulfilled in however you’re spending your time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived in Brooklyn for the past 10 years so this list is probably going to be outdated and likely terrible. Every morning would for sure start with cortaditos—I admittedly don’t have a go-to spot though. I’m a sucker for Flanigans so that would be a must. Maybe grab some pub subs and hit the beach for a day. My wife & I got married down in Coconut Grove and we love that area so some time spent there would be a must. Maybe grab some drinks at Monty’s or Sandbar. You have to get Cubanos, pastelistos & crotquetas and there’s probably a “best” spot for each but we’d just go to Palacio de los Jugos to make it easy. And then last time I was in Wynwood, I really enjoyed going to Gramps..A+ vibes at that place.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Sort of too many to count, honestly. My wife, my parents, my brothers. The rest of my friends and family…all of whom have been crazy supportive. In particular, I have these two friends—Thomas Nassiff & Zack Zarrillo—who really kinda paved the runway for me to get this thing off the ground. Between connecting me with clients and feeding me work from the very start, my career path probably goes at least a slightly different direction without them.

Website: https://www.eatcoldpizza.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatcoldpizza/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDeadBeatsClub

Other: I wrote & recorded an album that was released earlier this year, under the name The Dead Beats Club. More info here:
www.thedeadbeatsclub.com