In this paper, we propose a unified approach to matrix representations of different types of Appell polynomials. This approach is based on the creation matrix – a special matrix which has only the natural numbers as entries and is closely related to the well-known Pascal matrix. By this means, we stress the arithmetical origins of Appell polynomials. The approach also allows to derive, in a simplified way, the properties of Appell polynomials by using only matrix operations.