Props

In a world often shaped by routine and rigid expectations, Colin Matthew Regis, better known as “Creative Matt”, chose to carve out a life defined by imagination, purpose, and resilience.

At 36, the Port-of-Spain native has turned what began as a therapeutic escape into a full-fledged profession, called Making Creativity Real, mastering the art of prop building while mentoring the next generation of creatives in Trinidad and Tobago.

Regis, a father of two and husband to Sheena Tang Nian Regis, traces his creative path back to a childhood of movement and uncertainty. Raised between Carenage and Port-of-Spain, frequent relocations due to his mother’s rental arrangements left him without a fixed sense of home. However, what he lacked in stability, he gained in cultural exposure, having experiences that now influence his artistic expression.

“I never really felt like I belonged anywhere,” he recalls. “But music was my therapy. Later, it became art,” Regis said.

That transition from sound to visual came naturally. A student of Belmont Boys’ Secondary School, now St Francis Boys’ College, Regis found encouragement from an art teacher who saw promise in his raw talent and invited him into the art faculty free of charge.

Simultaneously, he joined a music and dance group called Surge at just 14, performing alongside soca artistes like Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin. These early moments of validation became crucial anchors for the young creative.

But life, as it often does, tested his resolve. After drifting from the scene and enduring personal struggles, Regis found himself in a dark space until a group of friends pulled him back into the light. They invited him to assist with party decorations, a task he initially approached with only a basic background in drawing and painting. That experience sparked a turning point.

“They introduced me to Christopher Littrean, a master prop maker,” Regis explains. “That was the first time I saw Styrofoam being carved. I was blown away.”

Littrean became a mentor, and Regis absorbed everything from styrofoam techniques to stage design and visual storytelling. For the first time, he could envision a lifelong career. By 18, he wasn’t just an artist; he was a prop builder with a purpose.

Collaborating with big names in soca and entertainment felt like second nature to him.

“I was always around art and music from a young age, so working with Machel and Destra in a different capacity felt natural. It was just a different kind of stage,” he said.

Even as digital technology reshapes the industry, Regis remains devoted to hands-on creation.

“There’s something deeper when you work with your hands,” he says. “Creativity is something that you have to have the ability to adapt, so I think to be full-on creative, you must stay true to certain foundation elements.”

One of his most ambitious undertakings came in 2012, when he created and executed an event called Inside Out, an attempt to transform an outdoor venue into a fully immersive club-like space. Featuring a 12×16-foot chandelier and a walk-through water fountain, the setup was bold and imaginative. But just one hour into the event, a wall came crashing down.

“I was devastated,” Regis admits. “Everything that could go wrong did. I had invested everything, not just money but my heart.”

But instead of giving up, Regis sprang into action. With the help of friends and team members who believed in his vision, he quickly gathered tools and support. Together, they worked through the chaos, reassembling the setup and reinforcing structures to keep the experience alive for the patrons.

“I had a wrench tucked into the back of my pants while running around fixing things. I remember feeling it stick my leg when I finally slowed down, it was that intense, but I kept going, we all did. The event still happened, and the people had a good time,” he explained.

The experience, while overwhelming, became a defining lesson in resilience. “It was something I created from scratch, and even though it wasn’t perfect, it was real. And I didn’t let it fall apart. That meant everything to me.”

Today, Regis isn’t just building props; he’s building a movement. He’s currently developing a school to teach young people the foundations of prop making, aiming to integrate creativity into mainstream education. His mission is as much about mental health as it is about artistry.

“These things played therapy for my upbringing and now mental health is a big thing persons speak about, so I think that the arts and the music, well for me is something that I plan to push more out and making creativity rebrand as part of a syllabus, where we don’t make art just as a hobby, but part of mainstream education, so that when it is people feel sad or depressed, art and music can help with that,” he says.

When he’s not sculpting styrofoam or designing for major events, Regis finds solace in nature. He hikes, reflects, and reconnects with the childhood wonder that fuels his work.

“Staying in touch with that part of me helps me overcome any obstacle,” he says.

As he continues to evolve, Creative Matt stands as a living testament to the power of second chances, the importance of mentorship, and the transformative potential of art. With plans to teach, inspire, and innovate, he’s not just creating props; he is creating legacy.