During our in-depth conversation with Matt Taylor, they share their transformation from making videos in their Oklahoma bedroom to becoming a Los Angeles-based content creator and musician. 

As social media personalities increasingly share raw, unfiltered content, Matt has built their following by maintaining their core values while expanding creative pursuits.

“I’m originally from Oklahoma, which many people find interesting,” Matt reflects. “I had a forest behind my house and a calm, chill childhood.” This serene backdrop transitioned into their entry into content creation in April 2019, when Matt first started posting videos while still in high school.

The shift from casual creator to full-time content professional developed gradually. Matt gained traction through whispered storytelling videos about customer service experiences. 

“Those were almost like ASMR-type videos,” they explain. “I was talking about bad customer service experiences at my job at Starbucks, and those started to pick up… That’s when I realized I was on to something.” This success led them to quit their job and relocate to L.A., where they have spent the last three years.

“I was 16, and I didn’t know what I was doing,” Matt admits about their early content. “It was mostly comedy content on TikTok. But I feel like it ranged in the type of content I made more back then than now because I eventually found my niche.”

Creating Meaningful Connections

Matt’s content creation stems from wanting to connect with similar individuals. “Growing up in Oklahoma, I didn’t know many people like me, queer people who like to do creative things,” they share. “What kept me going on social media was seeing people’s reaction and building a community of like-minded individuals.”

His creative process maintains spontaneity. “I have a notes app, and I kind of keep a list of relatable things that happen throughout my day,” Matt explains. “Sometimes, I’ll be on a phone call with my friend, and they’d say something, and I’d be like, ‘I feel like other people have experienced that too.’”

As their platform grew, Matt developed deeper insights into their influence. “Over the years, you slowly learn that it’s more than just me. It’s like I’m influencing all the people who follow me,” they reflect. “I’ve been recognized in public sometimes by 12 and 13-year-olds, watching me and being influenced. I’m adapting to that weight and finding ways to use that for good whenever I can.”

Strategic Platform Management and Community Development

While Matt maintains a presence across multiple social media platforms, TikTok is their primary channel. 

“I mostly create for TikTok, and then I render that content for other platforms,” they say, adding that this approach allows them to understand and serve different audience preferences across platforms.

“I’ll often have a video that does poorly on TikTok, but then I’ll post it on Instagram, and it would do better there with that audience,” Matt notes. “I don’t see it as a failure, but more like a platform thing.”

His preference for TikTok comes from its accessibility: “It was the first platform where it felt like anyone could be a creator if they wanted to,” they explain. “It was so authentic that people would just film something and post it immediately. And it wasn’t as polished as YouTube. TikTok was kind of like this explosion of authenticity.”

With their expanding audience, Matt implements a thoughtful approach to community engagement. 

“As it grows, I feel like you get all these different types of people,” they reflect. “Instead of watering down my content, I just try to create a variety I hope all audiences will love.” They’ve observed that increased followers haven’t changed their community’s core values: “Even though it has grown, I feel like it’s still a lot of like-minded and cool people.”

His engagement strategy prioritizes quality interactions while maintaining personal boundaries. “I love to check the comments minimally,” Matt shares. “I want to interact with my audience. And so I try to look at the top comments, but I don’t like to scroll too far because I know many social media friends who get stuck in this rabbit hole of this echo chamber of negative comments from people.”

Matt reveals that the most fulfilling aspect of their platform strategy comes from real-world impact and seeing people loving their content. “When you see someone in real life telling me I’ve somehow changed their life, it’s so rewarding because that’s what I want to do.”

Managing Public Growth and Criticism

For Matt, the hardest part of growing up as a teenager in the public eye was going through embarrassment. Despite occasional discomfort with past content, they maintain perspective: “I don’t regret anything. I just look back and see a younger version of myself.”

Handling online negativity has become essential. “When you’re on the Internet, anyone can say anything. Being behind this anonymous profile gives people the outlet to say things that they wouldn’t normally say to a person,” Matt shares. Their solution? “To protect myself, I’ve read the comments way less over the years… I don’t care about what the negative people have to say. If you’re saying that on the Internet, I don’t think your opinion matters to me.”

He stresses the importance of setting limits: “It’s funny because when people meet me in real life, and I become friends with somebody, they’re usually surprised by how little I use my phone. When I create content, I’m all-in, but when I’m not doing that, I want to put my phone away and have real-life interactions with people.”

Expanding into Music

Matt’s music career represents a natural progression of their artistic expression. 

“When I used to meet with different agencies and people looking out for my business side of things, they always wanted me to do acting,” they reveal. “But when I listened to myself and looked at what I enjoyed doing, I always returned to music because it was the one thing I never got sick of. I have always loved to play the piano, make little beats on my computer, and write things.”

His musical foundation started early: “Really early on in childhood, there was this video of me… I had written a little song at 8 or 10 years old,” they recall. “I remember being so embarrassed about it because back then, it was just like it wasn’t cool to be like a singer. At least where I was and my family.”

His recent single, “Not in Countless Oceans,” emerged from personal experience. “When I first wrote the song, I was sobbing on the piano,” Matt shares. “I had sat down at the piano and cried for a couple of hours… I feel like almost the vulnerability of that moment helped me create something I normally wouldn’t have been able to.”

The audience response exceeded expectations: “Everyone was very accepting of it and very kind about it, which I thought was amazing. I was so scared that everyone would hate it or just be mad… but I didn’t even have to worry about it.”

Future Plans

Matt maintains a dedication to both content creation and music development. “I’m still very focused on content creation. I’m never going to let that go,” they affirm. “But I would say finding a way to pivot further into music because it’s kind of like a slow thing. I have to lean into this slowly.”

With an EP in development and new singles approaching release, including “Fantasy” on December 13, Matt carefully balances their creative endeavors. “With these creative careers, you could work all day or not at all, and it’s hard to find that middle ground where that makes sense for you,” they explain. “Making sure I take breaks is the most important part, so I can see things clearly and create things like I want to.”

“When you find something you’re passionate about, you’ll be able to stick to it and keep doing it. And that creates a true success story: when you do something you’re passionate about.”