Matthias Southwick

Hmmm, where to begin?

Well, let's start at the beginning. As an infant, I had an allergic reaction that left me with neurological damage. It took me years longer than normal to be able to speak and even longer to read and write. In the beginning, I hated writing, but there is something that changes in a person when going through a great struggle, never giving up, always pushing yourself forward. Now writing is something I have a great passion for. As a kid, I loved the idea of being a storyteller, but I just couldn't get my ideas from my head out onto paper without it being all jumbled. I began writing fictional stories when I was twelve, after having special brain therapy to retrain my brain to work around damaged nerve pathways. But because of my difficulties and being mocked by bullies and even coworkers as an adult, I was afraid to share my stories with others. I was in my late twenties when I finally overcame my fear and shared my writing for the first time. It was incredibly freeing. A few years later I had a carpentry business, but after a bad car accident in 2013 that left me with a spinal injury, I had to close the business. Now, I don't share any of this to obtain pity from anyone, but rather to inspire those who might be going through similar struggles. Press on, never give up, and I assure you things will always get better for you. And with some hard work, there are no limits to what you can do. I'm now a published author and I received a scholarship to the Los Angeles Film School where I’m working on getting my bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking.