What is the best thing that I love about my work?

That there is no limit beyond the one I set for myself. Creating, designing and writing is an inexhaustible source and the more you drink from it the thirstier you become. I would spend lifetime’s reading, learning and writing. That is the greatest gift of my profession, an endless supply of words put at the service of all.

What is my idea of happiness?

Happiness is a challenge that we have already achieved but do not know how to savor. Happiness has nothing to do with the great human desires such as money, love or health. I think it is an act of courage and love because it is based on appreciating what we have. The lucky one who knows happiness is the one who is able to bend down to grab it. 

What is my greatest fear?

Society. Without a doubt it is the biggest danger I can see in recent years. People are angry, afraid and live automatically without looking at who is next to them in the subway, on the bus or in the office. It is a shame to see how the will to help is lost and self-centeredness wins.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

I know my faults well and we are already allies. I don’t want to bore you or make a long list, so some of them are: self-criticism, nervousness or impatience.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?

Those who act with passion, heart and humanity. To mention a reference: Cristina Fallarás or my teacher and journalist Jose María Calleja whom I keep in my memory with great admiration. 

What is my greatest extravagance?

The intensity to get matters done. I deeply reject passivity. 

On what occasion would I lie?

I would like to say never but I will not lie on this occasion. I believe that if I dared to lie it would be to do good. Only and exclusively. I detest lying. I detest the sweetened truth. There is the lie and the interested lie. The purpose of the latter is to serve ignorance. Ignorance, like lying, is another obstacle to happiness.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

Mental blocks. Facing a blank page sometimes makes you reflect on your true talent, questioning it even.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

During my internship, in the small town where I was born. I worked for Radio Onda Cero Badajoz. After a love breakup, that job filled me with life and hope.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

My impatience. It is my greatest struggle.

What is my greatest achievement in work?

I think the investigative report on Palestine-Israel. I wrote it in march 2020 during COVID-19 and in a few months it transformed my way of looking at life, politics, money and love. I got to know the pain of its people and it became part of my daily life.

Where would I most like to live?

Where there is never a lack of love. No matter the city or the house. I would like a normal house in a normal life because the people around me make my days extraordinary and that’s all I need to build up.

What is my most treasured possession?

My grandfather’s shirt. I was 11 years old when he died. I remember asking my grandmother for it and every time I think of him, I see him with that shirt sitting in his armchair. He was missing an arm and I will always remember his peculiar way of getting up. He was a great person, well liked by his neighbors and even more so by the family. Of all of us, I was the lucky one to keep his favorite shirt. 

What is my most marked characteristic?

Physically, my teeth, even the dentist is surprised. Personally, generosity defines me. Generosity and humor, I could not be myself without those characteristics.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?

A road from where you can see the best sunset in Spain. 15 minutes from my house where the sky is dyed pink and the sun sets between the mountains and my hometown.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?

I don’t have one. But on the menu there must be ‘bacalao dorado’ and ‘gazpacho‘. No doubt.

What books influenced my life and how?

The Alchemist because it was the first book I read. I remember falling in love instantly. Among others, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl because it made me understand the Holocaust in a different way, in a very personal way. 

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?

It could be Chopin’s Nocturne op. 9 no. 2 like Imagine or John Lenon’s Your song or Losing my religion. Music is the language of the gods.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

I rarely read or watch fiction, but if I had to choose one it would be Katniss Everdeen in ‘The Hunger Games’.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?

My father. He is the pure example of effort, hard work, generosity and kindness. My mother as an example of joy and strength. My brother as an example of intelligence and perseverance. Everything good I have is thanks to them. 

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime?

The Pianist by Roman Polański. I would recommend watching it every year.

What role play stories in my life and work?

200%. Everything is made of stories, even my thoughts. Since I was a little girl I’ve created a fantasy world. We live on stories. We are stories and we will be stories. 

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me?

It is a truth. In my case I have had different narrators, some good and some not so good. During my adolescence I was my only enemy and as a narrator I left too many things to likelihood. I still regret it.  

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?

My partner and my father. He is unconditional. I see through his eyes admiration and love. They are the best mattress where my dreams rest.

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2021? 

I would love to work for an NGO like UNRWA, World Vision, Journalists Without Borders, Save the Children, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, International Red Cross…. It doesn’t matter the agency if the mission is to help more and more people every day.

Which people in my profession who can make a real difference in my creative career would i love to meet in 2021? 

I would want to meet great figures in diplomacy and international law to ask as many questions as I can.

What project, in 2021, am I looking forward to work on?

On my personal project, I can’t say anything yet but it will be an innovative social work.

Where can you see me or my work in 2021?

This year I will publish some free e-zines that I am working on. For now you can only find me on my blog or my instagram. 

Web: https://luciamatsuki.wordpress.com/

Instagram: @luciamatsuki and @goddamn.ed 

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

It’s a motto. Without passion we are adrift, whoever lives in nihilism is destined to the unhappiness we were talking about before. 

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? 

Cristina Fallarás – Journalist and writer to summarize her professional career.

How can you contact me?

Via e-mail: officialpress.no.nonsense@gmail.com

Instagram: @luciamatsuki and @goddamn.ed

Lucía Matsuki Martín de Prado, Madrid, España. Journalist, 24 year old.