We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Patrick Arthur Jackson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Patrick Arthur below.

Hi Patrick Arthur , thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

When I first entered my field, my view of potential work and projects was limited: I went to school for theatre, I’ll act. What I never considered was WHY I loved the art of storytelling and HOW I could combine my passion for storytelling with cultural and community connections. In 2020, when COVID removed my more traditional ways of exploring my creativity. I did what most did and pivoted, and discovered that a degree in theatre gave me a unique set of skills to be an asset in the virtual world we found ourselves in. I worked part time as a contracted social media and branding consultant and spent the rest of my time as the Director of Technology and Media for Today’s Church Tampa Bay and The Church of the Everlasting Kingdom. Between 2020 and 2021, I produced more than 100 virtual events, programs and services, including several virtual conferences.

So what has this journey taught me about earning a full-time living? To remain flexible and open in how ALL my gifts and skills can be used to do what I love. Stay curious about your craft, see how others are being innovative in your field, and never stop learning.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a creative multi-hyphenate with a passion for community connection through storytelling. I have worked as an actor, teaching artist, choreographer, director and producer at a number of theatres and arts organizations in the southeast. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Morehouse College, have studied with the British American Drama Academy and an alumnus of the Florida Studio Theatre Acting Apprentice Program. Some of my regional performance credits include: Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol (American Stage), It’s A Wonderful Life (American Stage), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Jobsite Theatre), Gloria (Mad Cow Theatre), A Raisin In The Sun (American Stage), White Rabbit/Red Rabbit (Urbanite Theatre), Alice With A Twist (Florida Studio Theatre). I currently serve as the Manager of Education, Outreach and Program Design at the Woodson African American Museum of Florida.

Off-stage, I am the host of The Black Hand Side Podcast, a podcast that celebrates black culture, connection and conversation. I serve as the Director of Multimedia for Today’s Church Tampa Bay and all accepting, bible based, Christ centered congregation, with a call to Love God, Love Self and Love Everyone else. Nationally, I serve as the Chief Deacon in the Office of Ecclesiastical Affairs with the Church of the Everlasting Kingdom. Some of my organizational connections include: Actor’s Equity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. I am the proud son of Cynthia B. Jackson-Ward and Patrick D. Jackson and thankful for the power/gift of storytelling. May it continue to inspire thought, conversation and change across the local and global community.

“You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn’t do anything to the object of its displeasure. So use that anger. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it. You talk it. Never stop talking it.” – Dr. Maya Angelou

In 2014, Eric Garner was killed by a Staten Island police officer. To say I was angry was an understatement, but for the purposes of this story, we’ll go with that. It was a different anger than I’d ever felt before. Different than being called a sissy or a faggot because I didn’t want to play basketball with the neighborhood kids. Different from my white colleagues passive aggressively questioning my extensive knowledge of black theatrical greats like August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin and Paul Robeson. Two years, prior my anger was sparked when a black boy was killed in Sanford, FL. Trayvon Martin’s murder jolted me. The anger bubbled then but not quite enough to be life changing, but something about Garner’s death was different…now, their were eyes.

Eyes watching, eyes recording, eyes witnessing what so many had spoken up about but their voices had fallen on deaf ears. I didn’t know what to do at that moment, so I wrote my way out of my blind rage and bitterness. Shortly after Eric’s murder and just a few days short of my birthday, Michael Brown’s murder in Ferguson, MO sparked the communal pushback and Black Lives Matter was born.  For the first time, my gift of storytelling had a purpose beyond entertainment. Allowing my body to be a vessel for all of those voices. My mind raced with excitement and thus began the shift in my artistry. I penned a spoken word piece entitled, “A Letter to My Suns” with a hope to inspire little brown and black boys to show up and shine, standing firmly in what and who they were called to be.

Now almost 10 years later, my artistry and community connection is even more intentional. The projects I choose to produce, to perform in, to publicize and to partner on are fueled by that original anger and passion, motivated by a purpose to lift up all those black, brown, queer, “othered” people and strengthen their voices. There is a unique power in the impact of a story. It sits with us. Whether we agree or disagree, we are challenged to think, to consider, and to question our own values and place in the story.

My daily hope is that my audiences will be compelled to “Never Stop Talking It” and be unified as we collectively press toward a mark of peace, understanding and unconditional love and acceptance.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let’s grow together.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In Tampa Bay between Pinellas county and Hillsborough county, I can count on one hand Black theater directors. There aren’t that many and I’ve worked or know all of them. As I grow in my career, it’s my goal to be amongst that number and continue to ensure there are opportunities for others to come along on the journey.

In my personal professional development, I desire to not only grow as an artist, but to eventually use my artistry as a form of community development. I look up to my friend and big sister, Erica Sutherlin who has combined her community impact and her artistry. It is one of my goals to do the same, interweaving my connections in the black, faith and queer communities to create artistry that will spark conversation and healing in all of these sectors.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love conversation and discussion. It’s one of the reasons I started my podcast, The Black Hand Side. After every piece I produce or direct, I host a talkback to hear the audience’s reflections, questions and most importantly how they connected to the piece and what they will do next after experiencing the work. Art solely for entertainment is oatmeal, no butter, no sugar, no cream. Art is meant to inspire, elevate and incite action and change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.patrickarthurjackson.com/
• Instagram: @patrickarthurjackson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackhandsidepod
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-arthur-jackson-30450527/

Image Credits
Patrick A. Jackson Kara Gold-Harris American Stage Jobsite Theatre