You ever buy a twenty-two-dollar airport sandwich and convinced yourself it was worth it?That’s what this week’s episode is about — except the sandwich is a photography competition.In Gold Star, Patrick unpacks his love-hate relationship with the American Photographic Artists’ Untitled competition — and what it reveals about the creative world’s obsession with approval. From spreadsheets of judges to award-show absurdities like the Oscars and Grammys, this episode digs into why artists still crave validation from systems they don’t even believe in.It’s funny, frustrated, and a little too honest — a meditation on why we keep chasing the gold stars that will never love us back.Featuring a clip from Jim Carrey’s Golden Globes speech, a story about Patrick’s first Houston Addy Award, and a Light Leak that challenges you to make something that doesn’t need anyone’s permission to exist.You’ll hear about:Why creative competitions feel like overpriced validationThe psychology of approval and the decay of validationWhat Jim Carrey can teach us about artistic hungerHow to stop mistaking opportunity for illusionWhy the real reward is the right to keep doing the workMentioned in this episode:American Photographic Artists (APA Untitled Competition)Jim Carrey’s 2016 Golden Globes speechThe Addy Awards (American Advertising Federation)Rick Rubin, Diane Arbus, Van Gogh, Tom SachsLight Leak: The Paradox of the WorkWhat if you stopped making work for judges, algorithms, and invisible audiences — and started making the thing that’s too honest to explain?

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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