We were lucky to catch up with Patrick Mcandrew recently and have shared our conversation below.

Patrick , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have worked on so many meaningful projects, but one of the most meaningful projects I have worked on is actually still in development. I am working on a new musical called, “The Startup,” with an incredible team of artists. The show explores our relationship with technology and Big Tech’s influence on society. This project first formed through my own research, reading, and observing on how social media is affecting the mental health of so many people, especially on younger generations. In addition to that, the various stories that have come out about Big Tech companies using our data against us helped inspire the show.

I believe theater and storytelling is a powerful vessel for spreading awareness around issues that are influencing us at a global level. “The Startup” has the capacity to realign our understanding of our relationships to technology and why it’s so important to be mindful about the time we spend in front of our screens.

Patrick , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have over ten years of experience working in entertainment in a variety of different capacities. Upon entering college, I quickly realized the power that theater, and eventually entertainment in general, has on an audience. Storytelling is central to my work and I believe that advocating for a cause through engaging stories has the ability to make a real impact.

As I developed my interest in the responsible tech space and public interest technology, I came to discover that entertainment can be a powerful medium for addressing the key issues that the responsible tech movement is looking to solve. In essence, both deal with the core of preserving humanity. Understanding how we develop and use technology is essential to ensuring that humans’ best interests are kept in mind when this technology is implemented. What better way than to experience this through storytelling?

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to spread awareness about the unintended effects that technology can have on our ways of living. It’s essential that we use new technologies, like AI, cautiously so that we don’t displace workers and, eventually ourselves as a society. If I can tell stories about this that reach a wider audience, then I will have accomplished my goal.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that everyone has creativity inside them. I don’t think there is such a thing as non-creatives, just people who haven’t explored that part of themselves yet. What I will say is that people who tend to lean into their creativity and develop art, theater, film, etc. are doing so because they are compelled to do so. It’s almost as if we have no choice. And, not only that, but we are looking to say something with our art. It is a means for communication. It is a means for reaching out and connecting. Sometimes it can be easy for that message to be lost, but I believe if more people were in touch with their creative selves, it would allow the world to find much more harmony among themselves. Less would get lost in translation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.patrick-mcandrew.com/
• Instagram: @patrick.mcandrew
• Youtube: @patrick.mcandrew
• Other: TikTok: @patrick.mcandrew

Image Credits

Dan Lane Photography, Curtis & Cort Photography, Ann Marley Photography