Not long ago I was going through my morning ritual: coffee, and a leisurely scroll through the daily postings in my social media feed. While scrolling down the page it occurred to me that there seemed to be fewer lighthearted postings than in times past. Pictures of food, videos of cats, smiling selfies at sunset all, or at least increasingly, seemed to be replaced by bitter memes and political rants with accompanying arguments in the comments section. A gathering place for friends and family seemed to be turning into a place for airing public discontent. As I scrolled, I'd read something disturbing, and then instinctively reach for the keyboard wanting to respond to the negativity only to grudgingly heed an inner thought warning me that, at any moment, I too could become part of the problem. As my frustration grew, suddenly a posting shown out like a light. It was posted by Summerville singer-songwriter, Matthew Crissman, it read simply, "you're beautiful you're loved you're worth it...#keepgoing." 
It wasn't the first time I'd seen such a posting from him marked by words of love and encouragement. Sometimes a post will simply say, "Thankful for another day," or "Have a Blessed Day. #makeitcount." In fact, I'd seen enough of these posts to conclude that these shared thoughts weren't just born of a random upbeat mood, but rather the result of an intentional campaign, undeterred by the weather, so to speak, to offer a blessing into a medium that has become so increasingly cynical, if not outright hostile at times.
I met Matthew probably sometime in the Fall of 2016 at Cuppa Manna Cafe in Summerville, SC. He was very quiet natured and polite. He would sit outside warming up, and then come in when it was his time to perform. His voice, like his lyrics, struck me as unique and sincere. He performs original music that seems to communicate the same kind of hope and encouragement seen in the postings that I spoke of earlier.
"Love is what inspires me the most, and I hope that by giving it freely, and without expectation, that I change the world even if it's only a little bit."
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| Matthew Crissman - Singer-Songwriter |
One needs to look no further for proof of that change than to his music page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewCrissmanMusic Since creating the page, Matthew has grown his audience of followers to over 700, and steadily growing each month.
Social media followers of Matthew Crissman Music will receive a steady diet of sincere artistry, and encouragement. When I asked Matthew about his positive message he explained that "Being positive, at least for me has always been a struggle. It's something I've trained myself to do over time." He further explained, "Growing up, I was picked on a lot. I want people to know that no matter their circumstance, a little bit of positivity goes a long way." What I gathered from this was that Matthew knows what others need because he's been there, and he tries to be for others what he wishes they had been for him. When I offered that observation to him, he confirmed by simply saying, "exactly."
Matthew's latest single, "A Light Inside You," has gained a lot of traction in the local area. It's been featured on a local radio station 98X, and has just been released in video form, and can be found on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes. You can see the video at the following link: A Light Inside - Matthew Crissman
Matthew lists many influences ranging from the Beatles to Smashing Pumpkins, but said that, "Love is what inspires me the most, and I hope that by giving it freely, and without expectation, that I change the world even if it's only a little bit." Spoken like a true artist with a light inside to share.
