Patrick St. Michel is a freelance writer, copyeditor and consultant based in Tokyo. He reports on and writes with a focus on Japanese music, pop culture, food, internet culture and travel. Originally from the Los Angeles area, Patrick moved to Japan in 2009 and has been writing for publications like The Japan Times, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, NPR and many more. A milestone in Patrick's writing career came in 2018 when he contributed an entry to the 33 1/3 book series, which is a series of short books about albums by Bloomsbury Publishing. Patrick's book was part of the 33-1/3 Japan Series and focused on Japanese pop group Perfume’s album ‘GAME’. 

Patrick has also worked with companies and artists based in Japan and abroad. He has spoken at music conferences such as the Pop Conference in Seattle and the Shibuya Showcase Festival. He has also appeared as a guest on radio programs, TV shows and podcasts. In today's episode, Patrick discusses the importance of having a niche field in writing while being willing to branch out into unknown territory. He details what it took for him to do writing as a full-time professional. Patrick speaks to the importance of having a foundation of a steady income and how to keep the joy and passion in your writing when you turn it into a full-time job. 

Connect with Patrick! 

Twitter @mbmelodies 

Website https://patrickstmichel.com

Blog http://makebelievemelodies.com/

This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.