vancouver speaker. artist. provocateur.
I’m michele Mateus
I’m the mixtape
head bobbing, heart clenching
I am not your typical speaker, I’m a conversation starter.
I don’t have a quick 10 steps to success to share, but I do say the things everyone else is tiptoeing around.
Things flow organically, and you can can see people are nodding, they are really listening.
Curiosity, creativity, connection. These are the tracks I speak on.
I go first. And the room always goes somewhere good.
what your audience walks away with
That feeling the morning after a damn good conversation.
Where something feels different.
A laugh that surprised them.
Maybe a cry they didn’t see coming.
New ideas, and more yet to come.
Not a framework.
A feeling.
The type of feeling where the noise drops
and something clicks into place
recent press & Features
CBC vancouver. Rangefinder. the Portrait masters. vancouver guardian.
By the North. Ripple of Change. Pecha Kucha New West
how I show up
I show up as the full version because she’s all I know. I’m, honest, raw, and some find me funny. Allergic to small talk? Me too, which and you will soon find out.
WHAT I
SPEAK ABOUT
Curiosity, Creativity, Connection.
I speak about why these three aren’t nice-to-haves, but actual lifelines that are available to each of us in unique ways, then we go into what gets possible when you follow them somewhere honest.
who am I
I’m an award-winning photographer, artist, neurodivergent human, and speaker
based in Vancouver.
People ask me all the time how I became so resilient, and my simple answer always circles back to what I speak about. No spoilers!
I carry the wisdom of the people who shaped me, and there’s too many to thank, but shout out to my grandmother!
Creativity is the
frequency I tune into
It’s always there for me and I know it’s can for you too. Like life, creativity is messy and all over the place, but we gotta stick with it, be playful and not be so connected to the results.
Creativity has become the most reliable place for me to land when everything feels too much, and I wish that for you too.
topics I enjoy sharing about
my hot takes
quieting the noise is an act of rebellion
in an overstimulated world, getting quite is badass
embracing your f*ck around and find out era
which means letting a lot of shit go in the best of ways
creativity as a healing study buddy
we all have it, we just need to find ways to engage with it
the power of being witnessed
this is where true authenticity lies
wtf does it mean to be an artist
who knows! but I have some thoughts
simplicity is not boring, in fact it’s the antidote
you don’t need more, you most likely need less, way less
let’s talk
i’m not a motivational speaker,
I’m a PROVOCATEUR with a heart,
who loves f* Words and storytelling.
Conferences, festivals, events, podcasts.
Honestly, I’m up for anywhere the conversation is
allowed to go somewhere real.
If you think we’d vibe, then let’s make it happen.
blog features
recent Publications
BY THE NORTH: Could This Be the Antidote to Our Overstimulated World?
VANCOUVER GUARDIAN: Homegrown Feature
RIPPLE OF CHANGE: Beyond the Pink Ribbon
RANGEFINDER: Embodied Boudoir Photography
CANVAS REBEL
BOLD JOURNEY: Thriving Through Adversity & Overcoming Mental Health Challenges
