Find out what other people, web sites and media outlets are saying about Matt Welsh and Spiritual Media Blog. This page contains in-depth interviews, published articles and news commentary about Spiritual Media Blog and Matt Welsh. If you would like to interview Matt or invite him to contribute an article to your site or publication, please email him at .
LILIPOH magazine publishes Matt’s article on Why You Gotta Follow Your Passion
In The World Is Flat, Best-Selling Author, Thomas Friedman explains that the world is flattening because globalization and lightning swift advances in technology and communications connect people from all across the globe as never before – creating a global market place for labor, services, products and employees. In this flat world people from all socio-economic backgrounds are competing for jobs with other people from all over the globe. For example even professions such as accountants, attorneys and radiologists are now losing their jobs because people from other countries can do those same jobs more efficiently and at a lower cost. In order to be successful and thrive in this new flat world, a person has gotta follow their passion!
The only people who are not in danger of losing their jobs in a flat world are the untouchables. Friedman defines the untouchables as employees who cannot be replaced because they bring an intangible quality to the market that cannot be replicated or outsourced by someone else who can do the same job better or for a lower wage. When we are following our passions we are doing what we love and expressing that intangible and untouchable part of ourselves. This unique expression of the sacred part of ourself can never be outsourced to someone else who can do the same job at a lower wage or automated by some machine or a computer.
This is why following your passion is absolutely essential and even a financial necessity at times in todays global market place. Freidman recognizes this when he writes, “When the world is flat, curiosity and passion for a job, for success, for a subject area or even a hobby are so much more important. . . . That innocent passion for a certain job, without knowing the salary or the working hours or the preparation required, is what you need to get back in touch with. It’s that childlike feeling of, ‘I want to do that because I want to do that-and I don’t have to explain why,’ that we all need to rediscover.”
We can learn how to turn ours passions into our career by cultivating and developing our right-brain capabilities. For example, Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, explains:
“The left hemisphere handles sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right hemisphere, meanwhile, takes care of context, emotional expression, and synthesis. . . . Until recently, the abilities that led to success in school, work, and business were characteristic of the left hemisphere. They were the sorts of linear, logical, analytical talents measured by SATs and deployed by CPA’s. Today, those capabilities are still necessary. But they’re no longer sufficient. In a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and choked with choices, the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specialties of the right hemisphere-artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and pursuing the Transcendent. . . .”
Pink concludes, “When you hear your parents or your college graduation speaker telling you to “do what you love,” they are not giving you some syrupy pabulum. They are giving you a survival strategy.”
Of course, Friedman and Pink’s contention that following your passion is a necessity in today’s new flat world may be incorrect. However, the alternative is to not follow your passions and to live a life wondering how things might have been. It seems at the very least, the intrinsic motivation and joy of the journey that following your passion provides one with makes it well worth the risk.
Interview on Tina Ferguson’s Podcast about the future of spiritual entertainment
Tina Ferguson, host of Intuitive Life with the Queen of Dreams, interviews Matt about the future of spiritual and inspirational entertainment and how working in Hollywood motivated him to create Spiritual Media Blog. You can listen to their conversation by clicking on the link below.
Interview with Jeff Rivera on Gumbo Writers about how people can best pitch Matt ideas for Spiritual Media Blog
Jeff Rivera, creator of Gumbowriters.com, interviews Matt about Spiritual Media Blog and how people can best pitch him an idea for his blog.
One of the best ways for authors to get the word out there about their books is through bloggers. We had the opportunity to interview blogger, Matthew Welsh about how to pitch him.
You started out as an assistant at William Morris. What did you do exactly for them and why make the switch to blogging?
William Morris is a talent and literary agency. I worked as an assistant at their Beverly Hills office. I was responsible for managing the agents’ phone calls, emails and calendars. I would answer and screen their calls, take messages and set appointments for them. Sometimes, an agent would ask me to read and write a review for a movie script that they were considering whether or not would be a good fit for one of their clients to have a role in.
I switched to blogging because I like the creativity and freedom that is involved in blogging. Instead of reviewing a script that might be boring to me, I can write about books, movies, TV shows and music that I believe in and that I am passionate about.
Another reason I switched to blogging is that while I was working in Hollywood, I realized that there were a lot of really good inspirational and spiritual movies, TV shows and programs being made that were not getting that much attention or respect from agents, studio executives and actors.
So, I decided to create Spiritual Media Blog to raise awareness for positive programming and emerging conscious entertainment to help balance the vision of darkness and negativity that most of the media and Hollywood focus on. I wanted to create a blog that inspires more people to produce this type of entertainment in order to let the mainstream media and Hollywood know that the public really does want and is willing to pay for spiritual, inspirational and uplifting entertainment.
What is your blog about exactly?
Spiritual Media Blog is about spiritual and inspirational entertainment in music, movies, books, television and new media platforms. I believe there is an emerging genre of entertainment that shows humanity acting at its best, leaves us touched, moved or inspired, or calls out to the deepest and most Sacred part of our being. For example, I recently interviewed Tamara Henry, one of the producers of Unbeaten, a documentary narrated by Dan Akyroyd about paraplegics participating in a 267-mile wheelchair and hand cycle race across Alaska. This movie really inspired me because it is about the heart of a champion and people who refuse to be defeated.
Do you get a lot of people pitching you? What really turns you off when people pitch you?
I do get a lot of people asking me to review their book, movie or Web site. Probably the biggest turn off is when people ask me to review a book or movie that is not related to the subject matter of my blog. Another turn off is when people ask me to introduce them to other people who I have interviewed or reviewed for my blog. This puts me in a difficult situation because it’s hard and sometimes uncomfortable for me to introduce someone to somebody after only one or two emails.
What would you say is the best way for people (and authors in particular) to pitch you?
The best way for people and authors to pitch me is probably to try to develop a friendship or professional relationship with me first before trying to pitch me. For example, they could leave a comment in my blog, connect with me through Twitter or Facebook, or sign up for my online Newsletter. This lets me get to know them and their work a little bit before they pitch me an idea.
This is not always necessary though. If they are really passionate about their book or project, then they can email me first and let their passion come across in their email. If they do email me first, then it can be helpful if they know someone I have interviewed or reviewed on my blog. They could either mention that they know that person at the beginning of the email. Or, they could have their friend who knows me introduce me to them over email.
How often should they follow up if they haven’t heard from you?
Probably once every other week. If someone sends me a few emails and I don’t respond, then it is best to wait a couple months and then try to approach me with a different angle for their pitch or they could update me on any significant changes in the progress of their book, movie or project.
Any last words of advice?
If you are going to ask another blogger to review your book or web site, then it is always helpful to let that blogger know any way that you might be able to help support their work. For example, you could offer to put a link on your web site to their blog, mention their blog to your Facebook friends, Twitter Followers or Email Newsletter subscribers, or write about their blog on your own blog if you have one.
Also, this may seem pretty obvious, but excellent writing and passion for your work is probably the best way to “pitch” someone or market your book. There are a lot of programs out there that claim to be able to turn your book into a bestseller, generate publicity for you, or help your web site get tons of traffic. These can be useful. However, excellent writing and passion for your work are so much more important than these programs because they lead to word-of-mouth publicity and authentic recommendations from people who have actually read your work. If you have a book that will inspire, entertain or inform people, then stay persistent because the people who need to read your book or visit or web site will eventually find you one way or another.
For more information on blogger, Matthew Welsh visit: http://www.MatthewWelsh.com