The Masterpiece Interview

“My Wife Says I’m Realistic” ~ Felipe Xavier

I am passionate about life, even though I may not show much.

Hello and welcome everyone to the very first episode of a brand new series titled The Masterpiece Interview.

In this series, we will have detailed interviews with The Masterpiece Writers who possess exceptional voices. We initiated this to give much exposure to our brilliant writers and know what they think about life and writing.

Today, we are honored to have our guest, Felipe Xavier, a Brazilian writer with an authentic and heartwarming voice. So, let’s talk to our guest and explore his life and thoughts.

Hi, Felipe, how are you doing? Everything’s alright?

Felipe Xavier: I can’t complain.

Well, that’s good to know. Let’s start with the most basic question. How would you describe yourself as a person? Who is Felipe Xavier?

Felipe Xavier: Basic hard one I would say. Hahaha.

That’s funny. No worries, take your time.

Felipe Xavier: I am passionate about life, even though I may not show much. I am a very grounded person, and maybe that’s why I love art so much. Because it takes me out of my rationalization. I love my family and friends, and there’s nothing better than being with people I love, eating, drinking, listening to music, or watching a movie.

I think that’s it. I find it very hard defining myself.

That’s sounds great. It’s hard for people to define themselves. But we see that you have a great understanding of yourself. Now, tell us, what do you do for a living and what country you belong to?

Felipe Xavier: I am from Brazil. I work as a User Experience Writer at a fintech.

Can you expand a little more about your work? What exactly a user experience writer does?

Felipe Xavier: The area of User Experience is very wide. I work with a team that thinks what will be the best experience for the users of our products. We analyze the journey one takes while using the apps, websites, or even social network interactions.

The idea is that every time we start a digital experience we have a goal. So my job is to help you achieve that goal in the best way possible, also being accessible and enjoyable. There are many steps to get there but my direct responsibility is how the text appears on this journey.

Yeah, that makes sense. You do a very important job indeed. Now, tell us how was Felipe as a kid? Was he a mom’s good boy or a restless unruly kid in the neighborhood?.

Felipe Xavier: Hahaha. That’s a great question.

I’ve always been a good kid. I loved reading and listening to music. I got the best grades at school. I used to try putting all the characters I read about in my playtime, you know. All my fun was a lot based on creativity.

I would say that my childhood was very different from my adolescence. I kinda changed a lot during those hard teenage years.

It seems that you are a creative person by born. What changes did you experience in your teenage years?

Felipe Xavier: I lost my father as a kid. I was only 5. My mom married again when I was 11 and I believe that it changed it all. It was very hard because everything became different after my mom’s marriage.

It’s not because my father-in-law is a bad person, he’s not. But he’s very different from us, and that took very long for my brother and me to get used to it. Even today it’s a hard relationship. But he’s great for my mother, and that’s what helped us understand after a while.

No wonder, you experienced a hard time in the early years of your life. Will you be okay to share how the death of your father changed your understanding of life in those years?

Felipe Xavier: Yeah, sure.

I don’t think I understood what happened when I was a kid. I mean, I felt the void of fatherhood in my life. I remember hating Father’s Day at school because I didn’t have one anymore.

After my mom got married again, there were struggles with my step-father always trying too hard, having a relationship with us because it was important to my mom. After a while, my brother and I just decided to cope so we could have a peaceful life but on the first opportunity we had, we moved out. I was 15 years old when I left my mom’s house.

My brother was 19. We moved to a bigger city to live with my grandparents, my brother was about to start college and I went with him.

I think I understood that I had to cherish the ones I had as much as I could. My mom said that my father has always done that.

That’s a different experience for sure. Very challenging indeed. Okay, now an interesting question. In which country would you like to be born if you were given a choice? And why?

Felipe Xavier: Switzerland. Hahaha. I’ve been there and it felt like the greatest place on Earth. I mean, I don’t know if it is. I was a tourist and everything is different when you visit a place or live there, right? We don’t usually see the problems because we having fun.

We know that you had your honeymoon there.

Felipe Xavier: Yes, maybe that helped.

Anyway, tell us something about your life partner. How you two met and finally got married?

Felipe Xavier: She’s the greatest woman in the world. That’s the cliché of love, right? I met her in church. I am a protestant and I was visiting a new community to start going. The first day I went she was up there singing.

Really? That’s so uncommon and beautiful. Was that a love at first sight?

Felipe Xavier: I don’t believe that but I definitely got interested. I didn’t do anything after that. I just continued going to that church. I met a lot of people and eventually we talked.

We started as friends and that went on for 6 or 8 months until I finally asked her out. We had the greatest conversations until late at night.

And she said Yes?

Felipe Xavier: Not at first. She said ‘No’ the first time. Then, after 2 months, she asked me if I still wanted to go out with her. Hahahaha.

Wow! That’s really interesting.

Felipe Xavier: We were both coming from complicated relationships. So we decided to take it slow.

That’s understandable. So, now the obvious question. What does love mean to you?

Felipe Xavier: For me, love is a choice.

You choose to do everything you can for the well-being of others, even when it’s not necessarily good for you. I learned that from the greatest man who has ever walked this Earth (for me, of course), Jesus Christ.

It seems that you are a religious person. Now, allow me to ask you a different question. How do you define life? Have you given deeper thought to why we exist?

Felipe Xavier: I was talking to a friend on a podcast one of these days. And we asked each other the same question.

Isn’t it a great question for all of us?

Felipe Xavier: It is, for sure. It’s a deep one.

I believe that life is an unwrapped gift that we should give back in the best package we can. I know we don’t always succeed in the package we’re trying to make but we should never stop trying.

You are sounding very optimistic, Felipe.

Felipe Xavier: Maybe I am inspired today. I’m usually not optimistic. My wife says I’m realistic. If something bad happened to you I am not the guy who’s gonna say “everything will be alright.”

It’s like, how can I say that? I don’t know if everything is gonna be alright.

So, let’s recap the whole thing — you were a mom’s good boy, then had a hard time and an eventful childhood, stayed in a different city away from your mom and loved reading and music. Later, you met your woman at a church and eventually got married. You are a believer, have your own meaning of life, and kinda realistic person. Now, tell us — how writing connects all these. In other words, what inspired you to start writing?

Felipe Xavier: I didn’t know I liked writing until a few years ago when I started writing about movies on the first website/podcast I had in 2014. What brought me to it was that I could learn a lot from everything I read, listen to, and watch. The writing was a way to share what I learned and took from the things I was consuming.

It was also a way for me to take the thoughts out of my head, especially in bad times, writing is an escape route for me.

From your writings, we know that you are a fan of superheroes. Is that the result of reading too many comic books or you really believe that human can surpass their limitations and become superheroes?

Felipe Xavier: It’s the result of reading too much…hahaha.

I know that science can accomplish wonders but I wouldn’t go so far as people turning to green monsters as they get angry. But I believe we can learn a lot from them. That’s why I prefer the noblest ones.

Do you think every superhero can teach us something good?

Felipe Xavier: No. I don’t think I learn anything from Deadpool, for example. He’s just for fun. Others like Batman, for example, are made to question our morals, politics.

What you have learned from your favorite superhero and who is he?

Felipe Xavier: My favorite superhero is Superman. I know that he’s not very loved nowadays. Most people think he’s boring and old fashion but I disagree. What I learned from him was the power of education and principle teaching. He lives in a paper world and he still chooses to do good because he had parents who taught him the meaning of being human.

Well, now tell us what should be the core characteristics of a gentleman(good/superman), according to you?

Felipe Xavier: Oh, I never thought of it before.

Selflessness, honesty, truth, loyalty… I think if people were more selfless the world would be less divided now, you know? The reason why I think selflessness is so important is that it is one of the things I struggle with the most.

I think I am very selfish and that’s something I hate about myself.

It’s really hard to be selfless. Now an interesting question for you. Which one is better — single life or married life?

Felipe Xavier: Married life, for sure.

Because you are married and there’s no going back or, for real? Hahahaha

Felipe Xavier: Hahahaha. For real.

I know that there are different perspectives about married life. Some would say it’s outdated. But I really love being married. I don’t think there are things I dislike about being married but there are things that I have to put more effort into, you know?

Like I said before, love is a choice. You have to choose to love that person that is supposed to spend the rest of your life with. For that it’s required some level of selflessness, or else it’s not going to work. I’ve been married for a year and a half, so this is the point I am at right now.

I know if you ask me that question in ten years you’re gonna get another answer. But I know I will still rather be married than single.

That’s a decent statement. Marriage is a choice for sure. Love and marriage demand selflessness and little adjustments. I wish you all the very best. Now, let’s focus on your writing journey. How often do you write? Daily or in your leisure time?

Felipe Xavier: I write daily because I work with that, but writing pieces like the ones I write on Medium I do it whenever inspiration comes. Some days it’s in the middle of my day job, some days are super early in the morning.

What inspires you to sit down and write? Do you have favorite writing hours?

Felipe Xavier: Art inspires me in general.

I usually start thinking about something. So I start talking to myself in my head, and as a way to organize those thoughts, I write them. It can come from a song I listen to, looking at the sky, or having an argument with my wife.

My favorite hours are usually first thing in the morning before I start working.

Are you an avid reader or social media have already killed your reading habit? We find that, in this age of notifications, now it’s really difficult for people to read books. Tell us about your favorite writers?

Felipe Xavier: I am an avid reader yet. Thank God. I got 3 readings going this month. My two favorite writers are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. If I can ever write like those guys one day I could die feeling like I fulfilled my destiny.

And your favorite books?

Felipe Xavier: The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) and Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis.)

How painful is your writing process? Do you finish your first draft at a stretch? Or, you procrastinate a lot while writing?

Felipe Xavier: Oh, I procrastinate a lot. Sometimes I start my first draft and finish weeks later. Or even months. I’ve already abandoned texts because my mind changed so much since I started that it was just not worth it anymore.

We noticed that you connect your readers with simplicity — simple diction, structure, and a conversational tone. Is that deliberate?

Felipe Xavier: I think it’s the influence of my daily job. Since I have to do this conversational tone on interactions in products, it reflects on my writing everywhere. I think it’s also cool if you are included as a reader, you know? Like you’re part of the text.

We think it’s great as it gives readers a pleasant reading experience. Anyway, name your weaknesses as a writer. What are your limitations?

Felipe Xavier: Procrastination is the worst I guess. There’s also the language barrier. Writing in Portuguese is way easier for me because it’s my native language. Writing in English demands a huge effort. I speak English since I was 10 but writing regularly started just a few years ago.

We know that you have started a podcast. Can you tell us more about it?

Felipe Xavier: I have been making podcasts since 2014. All of them in Portuguese. But I released a new one last year, my first one in English called Medium Writers Heard. The idea is to read great stories from writers across Medium.

Wonderful. How is it going so far?

Felipe Xavier: I haven’t released any episode this year because of the so-called procrastination but I’ve recorded four more episodes. So I’m coming back. I really like doing it.

Podcasting is a new passion of mine. It came to me a while after I started writing. I just love how intimate it can be.

We see that your life possesses enough ingredients for a novel. Have you ever thought of writing one? I mean what is your writing goal in the next 5 years.

Felipe Xavier: Indeed I have. I’ve already started to. I still wanna focus on at least one of them after I reach some financial goals.

Well, Felipe, we are just wondering — do you have any dream job? Or, you are completely happy with your current work and lifestyle?

Felipe Xavier: I don’t know if I have a dream job. But I know that whatever I do will always involve writing, reading, and creativity. I think my dream is to reach a financial moment where I can change what I do if I feel like it.

How much money means financial freedom to you? Felipe Xavier: An amount of money that I can live well, travel, and invest without having to work like crazy.

Now, let’s have some quick questions.

Do you believe in luck? Felipe Xavier: I do.

At what age, love first knocked at your door? Felipe Xavier: 17, I guess.

When was the last time you cried? Felipe Xavier: Last year when I lost a loved one because of Covid.

Do you have any pets? Felipe Xavier: I do have. A dog, her name is Rey. It’s a Border Collie.

Who your best childhood friend? Felipe Xavier: Lucas.

What’s your favorite color? Felipe Xavier: Black

Favorite dress? Felipe Xavier: Sweatpants, sneakers, shirt, jacket, and a hat.

What foods do you like the most? Felipe Xavier: Pasta. I just love it.

Your favorite band? Felipe Xavier: Abandon Kansas. Though they are not that famous.

Are you an introverted person? Felipe Xavier: Yes, I am.

A good life means____ what? Felipe Xavier: Spending quality time with people I love.

What is your life expectancy? Felipe Xavier: I have no idea but if I’m healthy I wanna live as long as Earth accepts my presence. Hahaha.

Do you still have a kid in your adult self? Felipe Xavier: For sure. You know, I watch cartoons daily.

That’s great, Felipe. Thank you for being with us. It was lovely to talk to you and we wish you all the best for the coming days.

Felipe Xavier: Thank you for having me. I had a great time. I loved it.

Read Felipe Xavier’s amazing stories from the following links and know more about him and his writings.

• My Father Was Murdered When I Was 5
• Life Is About the Journey, Not the End
• We Were Born on the Same Day
• I Saw the Colosseum and It Took My Breath Away!
• Switzerland — The Most Wonderful Place on Earth

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