Please Be Interesting: Mathieu Gregoire
It's a different world. And we’re a different Crispin.
Meet some of our humans making things happen behind the scenes. We asked them a few questions, with one requirement… to please keep it interesting.
Name, Title?
Mathieu Gregoire, media director
How do you explain what you do to your family/friends?
I used to love explaining the hidden world of TV and Broadcast advertising. It was a real “peek behind the curtain” for so many people, but these days ‘Facebook Ads’ gets the point across pretty succinctly.
How do you start your day?
Usually filled with existential dread followed by sunlight, (optimistically but inconsistently) meditation, and Chemex pour-over coffee brewed from fresh-ground, locally-roasted Ethiopian Guji beans
What’s on your desk right now?
Almost always an assortment of art supplies – currently inking pens, a paint pen, a drawing pad, WIP canvas, and two cans of spray paint – and LEGO pieces: currently two brick separators, a Batman minifig, and a recently completed Tales of the Space Age set
What would you be doing if you didn’t work in the creative industry?
They’re all creative industries if you approach it right! But I love working with my hands and the satisfaction that comes with physically making something, like baking bread or brewing beer or building a table, so ideally one of those things.
What's a piece of work that really stood out to you in the last year?
I spent so much time listening to it in the last year that my answer has to be the Hamish & Andy podcast. I have no clue how widely known Australian comedians Hamish Blake & Andy Lee are in the US, but I enjoyed a gusto-filled 2023 as I relistened to the six seasons they’ve released so far, and it took all my restraint to not just start back over when it ended. March eve can’t get here soon enough.
How do you apply your creative skills to another area of your life?
I try to approach everything with a creative mindset because, as many have expressed before me, everything really is art. Mindfulness and intentionality are at the core of how you can create space for ideas and creativity to flourish, and taking a mindful approach to every day can help you get out of the way and let your mind do what it does best – make disparate connections and form ideas – and be there to embrace the output without judgement when it happens.
What’s your biggest hot take?
Most people should spend more time outside! Between how recently – in the context of human history – we’ve even had the choice to spend such a huge majority of our time inside, and modern studies finding clear evidence linking factors like sunlight, spending time in nature, and even experiencing awe with improved mental health, brain chemistry, and circadian rhythm, it’s clear that spending even a small amount of time outside in the sun every day can be truly beneficial.
