We recently had the chance to connect with Justin Patton and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Justin, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My alarm goes off at 5am most days. I drink water, use the bathroom, wash my face, put my clothes on, and I’m outside stretching ready to run first thing in the morning. After a 3-5 mile run, I drink water and cool off outside, and then walk into my house to stretch and do 150 push-ups before hitting the shower. After the shower, I settle into my work desk to journal and/or write some daily goals. After that, it’s breakfast time before logging into work for the day…
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Justin Patton, and I’m a spoken word poet originally from Chattanooga, TN currently based out of Atlanta. The Justin Patton brand represents authenticity and the freedom to embrace the person that you are. In today’s time of many people suffering from not feeling like they are enough due to comparison, the goal of my artistry is to show people that poetry is a practical way to help identify and understand our emotions to help overcome hardship in our lives. I do this through live poetry performances, curating shows, conducting poetry workshops, doing interviews speaking about the power of poetry, writing books, recording albums, and producing poetry videos. What makes the Justin Patton Poetry brand unique aside from my passion for poetry, is the range of subjects I can speak on that always come back to the idea of being authentically yourself.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of being powerful is when I had an asthma attack at 9 years old. Wheezing in the middle of the night, I let my mother know I couldn’t breathe. She rushed me to hospital where I was given breathing treatments and all the ice cream I could eat for 3 days and 2 nights. The doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to run for quite some time which was disheartening because my soccer team had a game the day I got out of the hospital. My parents allowed me to dress with the team and be on the sideline to support my team as they played. However, as the game was close and coming to an end and my eagerness to be on the field spilling out of my pores, the coach asked my parents if it was okay if I played the last 2 minutes, and my parents agreed. With the game on the line, I scored 2 goals in those final minutes including a goal to win the game. That was first moment I knew that I had the ability to defy the odds.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me how to persist through hardship. The most difficult time in my life was when I was going through a divorce while also recovering from a car accident that left me with a herniated disc in my back making simple tasks like getting out of bed and walking nearly impossible in the midst of my emotional state. With these things going on I still had to run my poetry business and be present for my 1 year old son. Physically, I had to stay consistent with physical therapy and find ways to move my body to build my strength back. Mentally and emotionally, I had to find ways to combat the constant sadness and anger that comes with divorce. This time of suffering taught me how to lean into tools that were available to me which consisted of journaling and writing poetry to deal with my intrusive thoughts, leaning on conversations with friends who were encouraging, and setting small goals for myself like, “today, I’m just going to walk to the mailbox and back.” Setting small goals and achieving them would give me the confidence to continue looking forward, and with every small win came a little more light at the end of the tunnel.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie my industry tells itself is that poets don’t make money. I personally know poets and curators who make a living off poetry. The industry is more than open mics and beginners. The spoken word industry is filled with master orators and creative business people who have found ways to build audiences, sell tickets and product. The barrier to entry to be a poet is fairly easy, so everyone thinks they can do it and sometimes this devalues the craft. Poets are often looked at as just opening acts, but because what we’re saying makes you think, feel, and may go against popular opinion so we’re often not marketed on a mainstream level. Poets like Brandon Leake, Amanda Gormon, J. Ivy, and Jeronimo Speaks remind me everyday that it is possible to make a living from poetry.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope that people know I tried my best to bring joy and value to every space I occupied at all times. I hope stories are told of a passionate individual who gave everything he had to what he loved whether that be his craft, his work, or his people. I hope that people tell stories about how I lead with kindness, but didn’t let you take my kindness for weakness. I hope that I lived a life that inspired people to push past their limits and be who they truly want to become because if you don’t define who you are the world will do it for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.iamjustinpatton.com
- Instagram: @iamjustinpatton
- Linkedin: /justinpatton
- Facebook: @iamjustinpatton
- Youtube: @taylorjustinp
