Where Ya’ Been at, Pat?
My absence was never inactivity. Pat was still creating, still working, still supporting people, and still figuring out what parts of myself were worth carrying forward. Stepping away gave me room to reconsider visibility, ambition, community, and the impact I want to have. Now, the question isn’t really where Pat has been. It’s what I've learned while nobody was looking, and what I intend to do with it.
Great question. Pat’s been tucked off, chillin in the cut… Pat’s been locked in and focused on what’s in front of him. Pat’s been out of the mix for years, but Pat’s about ready to pop his head back out and see what’s up.
Pat hasn’t posted anything on social media in a few years, and he ain’t been active in about five to six years. Pat doesn’t lurk. He has a LinkedIn, but he don’t really be on it. If not for that, he’d have no social media.
Pat fell back from public life. Pat goes to events if he’s invited, or it’s something he wants to attend. Pat’ll show up, be present, be engaged, and then fall back. Pat feels like he’s done what he wanted to do within the community. From house parties, day parties, open mics, all kinds of concerts, large events, social meetups. Pat went to a hackathon. He’s attended hella community festivals, conferences, creative events, all that. Pat was outside for long enough.
Over the past few years, Pat’s stayed inside. Pat’s become more selective about where he chooses to be.
Pat’s lived locally for all but six years. That’s a lot of handshakes, a lot of hugs, and a lot of connections. For that reason, he doesn’t care to be seen.
You may know who I am, or perhaps you’re not yet familiar… While I might not mean much to you at this moment; I certainly do for a large contingent of people from my section. My area. My region. My home state. My hometown. My community. My locality. I represent it and I reflect it.
Granted – many of the people Pat knew moved to other parts, or left completely. Just one third of the area’s adults were born in the state. Then, narrowing it down to those from the city, there aren’t many of us. It’s got Pat feeling like the last of the Mohicans.
It’s all good though. Over time, Pat accepted that his hometown had transformed from a hidden gem into a world-class city, driven by economic output and tech booms, rather than the counterculture and anti-establishment spirit he remembers. The city became the establishment. To sustain himself, even Pat, to an extent, needed to assimilate. He fought it for as long as he could… He stood pat.
Pat does respect everyone who’s established long-term roots here. Not initially, though. Pat was adversarial because he felt they didn’t need to denigrate longtime residents to establish a new culture. Truthfully, he got tired of being in spaces where they were dumping on locals. Where the topic of conversation was about how weird people were. Or how there wasn’t true culture. It annoyed him because they’d turn and ask Pat where he was from.
Here.
Awkward.
I’m not… I mean, Pat is not the ambassador of here.
Everyone’s experience is their experience.
Plus…
The people here ain’t been from here for like 20-25 years.
Pat has moved past any ill feelings about the area’s new iteration. Locals have cultivated a new experience that aligns with the present time. The boom imported innovative talent from all backgrounds. Pat wants everyone who loves it here and considers this home to recruit. He’d rank the area as one of the most beautiful regions, and he says to argue it with ya momma. It don’t even rain like that anymore.
The area has steadily been diversifying, and Pat struggles to think about how that could ever be a bad thing. Pat’s mind draws a blank because it truly ain’t. Pat would especially love to see more creatives move here. Not just tech and healthcare folks.
However, individuals like Pat have also been impactful and influential to many people in the community. You can view Pat’s career spin wheel for reference. Pat’s grateful that he’s kept photo documentation of the journey, because some would think that he’s full of himself or blowing smoke if he hadn’t. The wheel represents a fraction of the work that he’s accomplished.
As we approach 2027, Pat feels it’s time to pop out and show folks. Pat’s been quietly doing impactful work since he moved back in 2009. Because Pat doesn’t broadcast or heavily promote the work, newcomers haven’t noticed the impact. Which makes sense- who am I to them when they’ve never seen or heard the name? However, old or true-heads know thy name. Many of them already know Patchy.
Where ya’ been at, Pat?
Pat needed to prioritize his wellness. It’s no secret what the creative process did to him. Pat detailed it in The Creative Process. Quite frankly, Pat dropped hella weight, and it had him looking gaunt. I mean, he’s never been an Adonis, but at least he looked like a healthy adult.
Let’s not pretend like being visually appealing, doesn’t have advantages in the professional world.
Hell, the world.
Pat’s had wonderful opportunities. A lot of them were maximized, but some were just left on the shelf. The main factor was consistently being in a position to receive such opportunities. Charisma and charm certainly helped. However, the expectation to constantly be “on” was more than Pat was equipped to handle, at least at that stage of his life. Pat wanted a break to self-evaluate and introspect.
Sure. The opportunities were substantive, if not lucrative. But it was leading Pat in a direction he wasn’t sure he wanted to hitch his wagon to. At the nucleus was Pat’s creative freedom and artistic liberty. Pat maintained that he was a creative masquerading as a professional. Pat had struggled to compartmentalize both aspects of himself. He still found great fulfillment in his professional work, but was his heart fixated on it? It paid the bills mayne… It took Pat a lot of personal space to consider different ways to marry the two.
It took time to calibrate. It was a creative process. Pat overindexed on creativity at the sacrifice of professional mobility.
Pat knew he was unlikely to be selected for certain opportunities, and he didn’t feel the unbridled confidence to perform effectively in those roles at that stage of his life. Not the functional or operational duties, but instead, the ancillary aspects. Pat was confident that he could do or learn many jobs. But rather, it was all of the other factors that came with certain positions.
After all that, Pat just wanted an opportunity to reenter the workforce after not being employed while writing Beautiful Trash and FreeSense.
To return to the workforce, Pat needed an organization willing to take a chance on him. Pat felt he had a decent resume with solid experience. Pat performed well in previous positions. He had success with his former employers. He met a lot of people and was involved with cool initiatives. Pat felt well-liked and reasonably respected within the community. So he took a shot at some career opportunities and received some callbacks. But for some reason, his charm dissipated. Opportunities Pat usually closed, he was passed on.
After nearly five months of aggressively pursuing a new career opportunity, Pat found a lifeline in a former supervisor. It was with a national organization spanning across 25 cities. It has existed for 30 years, yet remains in its infancy locally. The opportunity gave Pat a professional reset and allowed him to expand his impact regionally and nationally. Pat taught people living in the Greater Anchorage, Alaska. He taught people in Phoenix, Arizona, and Los Angeles, California. Compton. Inglewood. Watts. Skid Row.
The power of the internet.
Pat’s visibility, working for a national organization while continuing to support the local community, decreased. He had previously worked for local universities and statewide programs, and those institutions required regular travel and partnership with communities across the state. Pat was accustomed to serving thousands of students and professionals annually. That reduced to hundreds with the new role.
But the role required building stronger relationships. It required working closely with multiple cohorts and remaining in contact until a successful outcome was achieved. The demographic was more varied and required different communication styles. Creatively, the opportunity made Pat a better storyteller. He understood that communicating with a 20-year-old is not the same as communicating with a 55-year-old with a 30-year-old child. That shift to supporting both demographics in the same atmosphere was an adjustment.
Pat didn’t have the time or space to compartmentalize between them; instead, he needed to marry the social groups. Pat modeled connectiveness and cohesion through professionalism and career development.
The gratitude I’ve felt over the past four years cannot be overstated. Working somewhere where I see myself represented at all levels of the organization has been enriching. I see myself represented at the top of the staff directory, and not just at the bottom of the page. I understand that intelligent, hardworking professionals come in all shapes and sizes, and represent different cultural backgrounds and lived experiences. Working with and supporting program participants whose backgrounds I relate to, and continuing to make an economic impact in the community, has nursed me back to physical health. 💯 + 💯
Following the creative process, while seeking a return to the workforce, the number of rejections that Pat was getting was staggering. At first, it was hard to reconcile and not take the rejections personally. Especially within a region and local communities where Pat donated his sweat and tears. He was like, “Wow. Okay.”
Until Pat realized that many of the decision-makers were among the 70% of the area’s adults who were not born in the state or did not grow up in the community. The people Pat once knew and grew up with relocated elsewhere. And those who remained were on a similar type of time as Pat. They were also tucked off, focused on their lives and their families.
This lamented the notion that there are two (or more) versions of the same city. There’s an iteration where newer residents (transplants) cultivate a new culture and forge new social networks. In lay terms, some people are poppin‘ to people who ain’t from there. This isn’t exclusive to my hometown. It happens everywhere there’s rapid population and economic growth.
Then there is an iteration of an area that embodies the culture of the long-term residents. No matter how large a city might be, when you live someplace for the majority of your life, you understand that everyone knows each other, or you know someone who knows someone.
For most of Pat’s life, his reputation rested with the latter. He was known to people from the area or who had lived there a long time.
You may know who I am, or perhaps you’re not yet familiar… While I might not mean much to you at this moment; I certainly do for a large contingent of people from my section. My area. My region. My home state. My hometown. My community. My locality. I represent it and I reflect it.
This is where StandPat derives from… As Pat’s hometown rapidly transformed, standing pat meant staying true to the anti-establishment, counterculture sentiment he grew up with. We didn’t applaud big businesses for coming in and building fancy but characterless buildings. Pat grew up in an era when conversations were driven by social and creative interests, not by professional titles and financial investments. We used to call it “selling out” to go work for “the man.”
Unfortunately, “the man” had more resources to build and destroy the area’s previous iteration. This displaced many longtime residents. Speaking out against it did Pat very little favor. However, those people Pat grew up with since a jit, stood tall. They repped for Pat; even within a daily conversation, it sufficed.
“Trust me. I know Pat; you’re missing the point of what he’s saying…”
That’s all Pat truly wanted, because everybody else jumped ship… Granted- these weren’t individuals Pat knew since childhood. He met many of them in college, or in the workforce. But ultimately, he realized they weren’t people he’d hitch his wagon to. So, it was proper fashion to “clear the cache.”
There is nothing bottomless about our collective origin. Simply undiscovered and overlooked. However – I possess an instinctive aptitude in identifying beauty amongst the unseen. The competence to recognize greatness in the present. All the while, affirming those individuals who are often misconstrued and misunderstood.
Many people do righteous work, but because they don’t say or do what’s favorable, they get overlooked and/or mislabeled. Pat has consistently stood by and defended these types of individuals because he can relate to them. He doesn’t unfollow; he won’t disassociate just because he doesn’t agree; he stands pat.
Once those kinds of individuals are rebuked, ostracized, and chastised. Once vindicated, they’ll never be as present and available in the same capacity again. They’ll never trust the same way. They’ll become cautious of what they say, and who they say it around.
Their silence doesn’t validate that they were in the wrong or that they felt guilty about their sentiments. It’s more about allowing the message to steep and permeate. Pat doesn’t feel guilty or embarrassed about what he’s written or shared. It’s just not worth guiding or informing everyone, and certainly not about self-promotion anymore. People who seek to learn or experience things from a different perspective will check out the work. So let influencers and content creators dictate the masses’ beliefs and values.
Locally, seeing Pat in any space isn’t because it’s a poppin event and hella people are there. It means he rocks with you, or he is genuinely excited for the experience. Pat will be there if only three other people attend, as long as you invite him.
For Pat, returning to the workforce shifted his mindset: put your head down, do great work, do what’s asked, don’t complain, and get physically healthy. The mission never changed; it’s just a continuation of the work he’s been doing for years. The new role helped Pat grow in several ways because working only with young people didn’t affirm a mature, grounded perspective. Younger people are at an impressionable stage of life and are more likely to trust—especially someone with good diction who conducts themselves well.
But that’s also why certain individuals are confined to working with the youth because adults won’t buy the poetic nonsense. Just saying a lot of words that don’t truly mean anything.
From an artistic and creative standpoint, convincing peers and even his elders that Pat’s professional guidance and mentorship could steer them towards their goals… and later seeing those experiences end with positive outcomes, affirmed his greater purpose. It validated FreeSense because much of that narrative revolves around similar tropes.
International affairs, domestic affairs, and humanitarian initiatives are all essential to a sustainable ecosystem. It’s important to be aware and knowledgeable about global issues. But what’s happening in other parts of the world doesn’t directly affect most people’s day-to-day lives. Having a job, a stable income, and the ability to provide for yourself and your family matters more directly.
Sure, it’s not entertaining to discuss the workforce. But most adults work 9-5 jobs. Most people do not earn their income from brand deals and sponsorships. And most people do not have an inheritance. So much of what FreeSense encompasses is this dynamic. Because of my literature foundation, I wasn’t going to present the information in a prescriptive way. I wasn’t going to give a step-by-step guide. I wasn’t going to share a “career playbook”. The message would be presented through narrative.
A curious mind would explore further. A curious mind would research and find case studies and real-life examples to draw parallels and connections.
A closed mind would simply disagree and leave it at that. A closed mind wouldn’t even finish reading. A closed mind would attack the person, and not the point.
But let me ask you this…
You try to offer your career perspective and advice to adults with mortgages, Medicare, children & grandchildren’s school tuition, legal issues, and immigration issues. Understand that it’s not about how well you can speak; it’s about what you’re actually saying. More importantly, it’s about what you can actually do to support.
Pat’s mindset has been to lock in with people who want to listen. It’s not about trying to “preach” and force my perspective in people’s faces. The internet and social media have become a place with street preachers who use tweets and posts as a virtual megaphone. Everyone is an expert based on observation, not experience.
When working with young people, you gotta be hella convincing because they’re balancing social expectations from peers who hold a lot of influence over them. Older people are a little more set in their ways. OGs have more career and life experience.
For the most part, grown people understand the why. It’s more about informing them about the what and the how. OGs are more critical and cautious about new information, so they ask clarifying questions. Presenting in front of a group of youngins, OGs, and elders only increased Pat’s communication skills and sharpened his storytelling.
Pat continues to empower the community with limited visibility. It’s alright, though; it means much more when he’s in public or at an event, and people he’s worked with show gratitude or give appreciation.
So, where ya’ going, Pat?
Pat has gleaned so much from the amazing educators, community leaders, and industry leaders who have poured into him. Individuals who are revered and respected within their industries. He’s realized that:
How people speak about you when they hear your name is more impactful than the amount of people that say your name.
Moving forward, as Pat reenters public life, he intends to lean back into his storytelling and journalistic foundation. Because more important than people who’ve successfully forged their own paths are the individuals who consistently open doors and create opportunities for others. This starts in his hometown of Seattle; then we’ll see where it takes him. However, Pat believes his reputation precedes him, and it will allow him to connect with amazing leaders.
PATCHYp is intended to be text-centric, with an emphasis on literature. Pat has had concerns regarding literacy rates for some time. So, if you don’t enjoy reading, then you might as well exit this website. This is not the space for you. TikTok & YouTube are available if you want to watch content or clips.
Most of the work published on this website will be text, as this is my main platform. I spent way too much time building it to post original content on other platforms. It’s not about commodification, at least not yet. Unless there are lucrative opportunities to create work for other platforms, then I’ll listen. Sans that, I don’t intend to post on SM platforms.
Explore the entire site. There is content in every nook & cranny.
That’s where I’ve been.
That’s where I’m going.
