We recently connected with Patrick Weaver and have shared our conversation below.

Patrick , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is documenting the search for my biological parents and putting it into a series on my YouTube channel. I was adopted from foster care when I was 4 months old, and I always knew I had been adopted, but it was a completely closed adoption through Catholic Social Services in Mobile, AL.

My parents couldn’t have kids. They tried for years and my mother had endometriosis, making it impossible for her to conceive. So, they decided that they would adopt. They waited for over a decade on a list before being called in August 1994 to be told that there was a little boy who had been placed with them. That little boy was me. Growing up as an adoptee, I considered myself to be extremely blessed. But, that never stopped me from questioning a portion of my identity and where I actually came from. I dealt with a lot of insecurities and abandonment issues.

After the pandemic, I decided after lots of prayer and conversations with my family & therapist that I wanted to begin the process of finding my biological parents. There were a lot of reasons why I decided to film this process and push it out into the world. But the most important one was that I wanted people to be able to go along this journey with me & to educate people about what it was actually like to try to seek out this information and what all this process entails.

It was so meaningful to take my followers and fans along with me on this journey and to have it documented for my family to see and my future kids to see. It was a really tough and emotionally draining months-long journey. It wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. And I put it all out into this project. Every tear, breakdown, breakthrough, it’s all in the series. And it all led me to find my biological mother, a half-sister, and to know who they are and where they are. Knowing that I can educate people about adoptees’ journeys and the statistics about adoption while telling my own story is the most meaningful and personal project that I’ve ever worked on.

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’m Patrick! I’m a genderless fashion & beauty blogger and an apparel small-business owner that’s based in Nashville, Tennessee. I grew up in a tiny, rural town in south Alabama. I graduated from The University of Alabama in 2016 and then moved to Music City USA right after. I started my blog, PatrickWeaverBlog after being challenged by other friends I had in the influencer industry to take my love of fashion and beauty and makeup to the next. level. I’ve never been shy in front of a camera or people either. I was a competitive dancer, marching band member and in musical theater for most of my life. So taking those creative juices and pushing them into a new adventure and industry was a thrill for me.

The blogger and apparel industries are very saturated, but there’s no one else like me that does what I do. I mean, name another southern, gay, genderless fashion blogger except me. Genderless fashion and beauty is a concept that basically means that I don’t limit myself to clothing, accessories, and beauty items that are marketed for certain genders. I’m a one-stop shop for people who identify as men, women, and all along the gender spectrum! I shop for pieces that I know fit my personal style and personality and I don’t care which section they’re under in a store or what tab they’re under online.

In 2020 I began to work on creating my own apparel brand that was inspired by streetwear and affordable for all. I created SMOOCH Apparel and launched it in 2021. SMOOCH is a genderless apparel and accessories brand. We’re queer-owned & operated. Each item is printed and shipped by small & family-owned businesses across the United States. After seeing small businesses struggling around me in the pandemic, it was really important for me to do what I could to incorporate them into my business model and help maintain jobs and create new ones across the country. All SMOOCH items are genderless and affordable for all.

When I’m not working, I usually can found at F45 getting in a workout, cuddling with my dog & cat on the couch, and talking about the Real Housewives and politics. I spend a lot of time with my family and my friends trying out new restaurants and going out for drinks.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of my career as a creative and blogger, hands-down, is hearing from people that I’ve known all my life and people from all over the world that I’ve impacted their lives in a positive way. Hearing from followers and customers of my brand and getting to know them has been the most rewarding experience. They truly are why I wake up every day and choose to continue on even when things get REAL crazy and stressful! They pick me up and care for me when I’m struggling and love on me when I need it. Having this community of people in my own little piece of virtual real estate has changed my life for the better and I’m so blessed and grateful for it. The messages, from people who are struggling in their faith, who need a person to come out to & feel safe with, and people who want help putting together a voting plan – are what I value most.

I’ll never forget the moment that a woman from my hometown reached out to me on Instagram to tell me what I’d done for her and her family. She said, “Patrick, I watched you grow up. I watched you being bullied and I never intervened. I wish I had done things differently. My sister’s child recently came out and she’s been so sad because she thought her child would never be happy, never be successful, never be accepted. I sent her your Instagram account and told her to look through it. She saw what we all see in you; a hardworking, funny, very successful man who’s adored by a lot of people, and also who’s gay. She may never tell you what you did to ease her mind and her spirit, but I wanted you to know.”

Those messages have been the most inspiring and rewarding part of my job and my life.

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

I would say that really my three-part mission is what drives my journey and my career as a creative. The first piece of mission is to introduce affordable fashion & beauty to everyone, of all ages, to help them dress for the role they wish to play in the world. The second is to use my platform to call attention to injustice, and wrongdoings, and to always stand with marginalized communities. I hold a lot of privilege in this world as a white cisgender man, and I recognize that. I own that. And therefore I must do more, speak up more, and use my platform for social change. The last part of my mission is to encourage people to chase after their dreams – no matter how big or how small. I want people to see my dreams and me working day & night to accomplish them at all costs. I want to inspire others to chase their dreams and to help them along the way in whatever ways that I can.

I wish that I had had a role model who looked like me and talked like me while I was growing up. It would’ve been easier to believe that it does in fact get better. So now I am positioned to be that role model for young people AND older people, and that’s what I feel God has called me to and challenged me with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://patrickweaverblog.home.blog/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickweaverblog/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCECN78xI2X_M_fBmW6-LhKg
• Other: SMOOCH Apparel Website: https://www.smoochapparel.co/ SMOOCH Apparel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smoochapparel/