Meet Patti Steel

We were lucky to catch up with Patti Steel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Patti , so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

I didn’t wake up one day fearless. I learned risk by necessity and by curiosity. Music taught me early on that growth lives just beyond comfort. Every time I picked up a new instrument, stepped onto a stage in a new town, or shared a song before I was sure it was “ready,” I was taking a small risk. Over time, those moments stacked up.

I also learned that staying safe can be its own kind of danger. Playing it too carefully often meant silencing instincts, creative urges, or opportunities that felt scary but exciting. When I started saying yes to uncertainty, touring without guarantees, trusting my voice, and building a solo career later in life, I realized that risk was not recklessness. It was listening deeply and moving anyway.

Now, risk feels less like a leap and more like a practice. I trust myself to adapt, to fail forward, and to find meaning in the unknown. The reward is not just success. It is staying alive creatively, honest in my work, and open to becoming something new.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and educator rooted in American roots music, with deep influences from jazz, blues, country, and soul. My work lives at the intersection of tradition and exploration. I love honoring where the music comes from while pushing myself to stay curious and emotionally honest.

What feels most exciting to me is the freedom to build a creative life that is both expansive and sustainable. I lead multiple projects, perform solo and with my band, and educate both music and photography students. Teaching is a vital part of my work. Whether I am guiding a young musician through songwriting or helping a photography student develop their creative eye, my goal is the same: to build confidence, curiosity, and a sense of personal voice.

Photography also plays an important role in my own creative practice. It informs how I see stories, space, and emotion, and that perspective carries directly into my songwriting and performances. Everything I do is rooted in storytelling and connection, whether that happens in a quiet listening room, a festival field, a classroom, or through a lens.

Right now, I am focused on creating new music, expanding my live performance footprint, and building deeper community around my work. I am also refining the systems that support an independent artistic career, from touring and collaborations to education and creative mentorship. My brand is centered on authenticity, warmth, and presence. I want people to feel something real, to feel welcomed, and to leave with a sense of connection and possibility.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three things stand out as the most impactful in my journey: curiosity, resilience, and self-trust.

Curiosity kept me learning. It pushed me to pick up new instruments, explore different genres, and remain a student even after I had experience. The advice I would give is to stay genuinely interested. Study widely, listen deeply, and allow yourself to be a beginner often. Growth comes from asking good questions, not from having all the answers.

Resilience is what allowed me to keep going when things were uncertain or uncomfortable. Creative paths are rarely linear, and setbacks are inevitable. Early on, it is important to separate your worth from outcomes. Learn how to rest, regroup, and return with intention. Consistency over time matters far more than any single win or loss.

Self-trust has been the hardest and most transformative skill to develop. Learning to listen to my instincts helped me make decisions that aligned with who I am, not who I thought I was supposed to be. For those starting out, I would say this: pay attention to what energizes you and what drains you. Build a practice of checking in with yourself. Confidence grows through action, not perfection.

Ultimately, these qualities are not fixed traits. They are practices. If you nurture curiosity, tend to resilience, and act on self-trust, the path begins to unfold in ways you could not have planned, but will recognize as your own.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, absolutely. Collaboration has been one of the most meaningful parts of my creative life, and I am always open to connecting with people who value curiosity, integrity, and generosity in their work.

I am especially interested in collaborating with musicians, songwriters, producers, visual artists, photographers, educators, and creative organizers who are grounded in craft and open to exploration. I love projects that cross disciplines, whether that is music and visual storytelling, live performance and community education, or artist-led events that bring people together in thoughtful ways.

I am also open to partnerships with venues, festivals, nonprofits, and creative brands that align with values of authenticity, inclusivity, and creative sustainability. I am most energized by collaborations that feel reciprocal and rooted in mutual respect.

If you are reading this and feel a spark of alignment, the best way to connect is through my website or social media platforms, where I share current projects, upcoming shows, and contact information. I welcome thoughtful messages and genuine ideas, and I believe the best collaborations often begin with a simple conversation.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Taryn Starkey
Nik Cagle

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