On April 15th, Medfield resident and artist Geena Matuson was a guest lecturer at her alma mater, Massachusetts College of Art & Design. Geena spoke to a freshman seminar class held by urbanologist and historian Max Grinnell, sharing the steps she took towards becoming a successful freelancer and showcasing artist.
Geena Matuson (MHS class of 2009) is a writer, artist and filmmaker working in media, marketing, communications and web design. In 2013, Geena graduated with honors from Massachusetts College of Art & Design with a BFA in Film/Video, a focus on project coordination and creative direction. Her expansive works have been featured in festivals and gallery shows internationally, including CyberArts Festival, Architecture Boston Expo, and PH21 Gallery in Budapest. Among her list of accolades, Geena was nominated for a Stowe Story Labs Fellowship, and was a semi-finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards for her short film Ice Cream For Breakfast (2013), which she wrote, directed, and produced.
As a successful alumna, Geena returned to MassArt to share her experiences, and demonstrate the importance of presentation, and its impact on perception, “People spend their whole lives just trying to show the world who they are. I like to be transparent with my progress, and wanted to express that there are loads of steps between point A and the ‘point B’ we often see with others who are successful.”
She began by sharing her old, two-page resume with the class, a plain text, black-and-white thing that is none too appealing. Then, she compared it to her new resume displaying all of the same information, but with graphics, colors - on one page. The class audibly awed, and thus launched her presentation about…presentation.
“It’s not just what you do - it’s how you present it. How do people know you fit in with a group, or would work well with them in the office? How do people identify you by your clothing, the way you speak, and, ultimately, your work? This is all how you present yourself, and how others perceive you.”
Geena also expressed that it was “exciting to be in a room full of inquisitive people who are excited, themselves! This was such a great day, and I can really see what people get out of teaching.”
