Martin de Maat

“Interview in The Monthly Aspectarian (August 1998)”

“"The Mysterious Martin de Maat" by Jack Helbig in the Chicago Reader (23 February 2001)”

“Martin was a tremendous help to anyone who had lost their dream. He’d help them find it again, pick it up and dust it off. Maybe repair the hole where it slipped through.”

“Talk to Martin, change your life.”

“You have the right to follow your dreams. I'm giving you permission to follow your dreams.”

“I don't give you permission to fail.”

“You don't have permission to disrespect yourself.”

“I am giving you permission to succeed.”

“There's a lot of laughter that goes on. Since we're laughing together, we're true community. It's a very safe place to confront your fears. The minute somebody says, "Perform!" your fear comes up...”

“No one will ever follow you down the street if you're carrying a banner that says, "Onward toward mediocrity."”

“Each of us is unique, and if we don't respect that uniqueness, if we don't allow that which we are to surface, then the world doesn't have it.”

“You know what intimacy is? It's into-me-you-see... it's allowing someone to know who you are when you have all these defenses to keep them from knowing.”

“The base of the work is one of individuals believing in themselves, trusting themselves in the moment and being accepting of themselves and the people around them. In order to improvise in front of an audience, you have to be accepting, involved in the moment and courageous. Those issues, when transferred over to general communication, makes the communication richer and helps in all areas of life.”

“You do not have the right to use this art form to feel inferior.”

“The Hokey Pokey. Think about it. At the end of the song, what do we learn? What is it all about?... You put your whole self in!”

“Let’s try and create scenes that are about something... About something deeper than this ashtray.”

“You are pure potential.”