who is Matt Ho...

A friend once told me, “Allow yourself to shine without the desire to be seen.”

 

At the time, I was like- whatever that means.

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I realize now: everything I see is light. When the sun shines, I look to the world through rays of light, bouncing from something or someone. Everything shines. At night, I find the dark and cold so uninspiring, so alienating... Like the bugs outside, I search for light, something that gives the end to my day meaning. I scroll upon my phone, I stream across my television, and I feel an abundance of humanity again.

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Everyday, my humanity is challenged by circumstance, conflict, and all the delightful experiences we humans share. I hear meanings that others shout and search for meanings I call my own. I feel most heard, most seen when I watch a story. Stories are imagination come to life. They see our joy, they see our pain, and they reflect it all back to us. They share the result of a hard search for meaning.

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Story after story, I finally asked Google where they come from: storytellers. Storytellers are writers, directors, performers, and everyone who helps to share a story. I think performers are pretty special because they commit to the most specific parts of the machine. Others are concerned with the entire story: the entire plot, the entire costumes, the entire props, etc. The focus of the actor is their character. Actors concern ourselves so much with just one person's story.

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People, not characters, over and over distract ourselves from our own stories, purposefully or accidentally. We get lost in other stories and forget how to get to the end of our own. We're so afraid to be seen, we don't even look at ourselves. It's why we watch characters live the lives we suspect are possible for ourselves: to remind us we deserve that life too! I don't want to be afraid. I want to remind people their lives deserve to be a movie and that every experience they endure has meaning. And it takes guts to not only be yourself but to accept being seen. I don't desire to be seen. I just welcome it. That is performing to me.

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I am an actor for film, TV, and voice. I earned a Bachelor's degree of Fine Art in Acting at Ball State University. When I am not acting, I work as a nail tech at my family's business in Cincinnati and practice the piano. This is a space where you can learn more about Matt Ho and my work. Explore my gallery to see a selection of past projects and reach out to learn how I can help bring your next story to life!