While many artists choose to recap their year with a video talking about how glorious 2023 was, Mat Zo went a different direction. The acclaimed Trance and Progressive House artist penned a letter to Facebook describing his struggles throughout his life. These struggles caused trauma that he carried into adulthood and throughout his career.
Mat commenced his heartfelt message by addressing the prevalent theme of broken families and childhood trauma shared by many in his generation. Candidly discussing his own painful encounters with neglect and abuse, he courageously acknowledged the profound impact of these wounds on his adult life. There was a pivotal moment that sparked his introspective journey when a friend described his journey of self-healing from abuse.
This revelation deeply affected Mat, prompting him to confront his troubled relationship with himself. The letter came at a tipping point after 2 months of quitting drugs and the worst insomnia and anxiety he has experienced. In a transformative moment of self-discovery, Mat Zo pledged to nurture and cultivate a positive relationship with his inner child.
As a musician, he drew parallels between his compositions and the messages embedded within them. Mat Zo recognized that his music served as a channel for his inner child’s voice, conveying emotions and experiences that took time to comprehend fully. Moving forward, he vowed to communicate more directly instead of relying solely on his art as a medium for self-expression.
My favorite part about his letter is when he encourages everyone to acknowledge the inner child within themselves. Take the child on an adventure around the world. A child lives in all of us. It is awesome to see artists opening up more and more these days. I hope every artist can share their journey in this way.
