I’m Patty Scull, an entrepreneur who is equal parts creative director, people-person, and operations brain.
My professional background lies in the New York City events world. I’ve sold and produced hundreds (probably thousands) of events since 2005, ranging from weddings to multi-day conferences, mitzvahs to tradeshows, networking events, happy hours, brand launches, speed dating, street fairs, album releases - and everything in between.
Along the way, I’ve dipped my toes into other random side quests like bartending, covering live concerts and albums for indie music blogs, promotional modeling for brands, and (accidentally) becoming a pet influencer with my late, great soul-cat Thomas.
If I tell you that I’m a Gemini sun, Gemini moon, Leo rising, and Life Path 11, would that make more sense? :P
A common question I hear at events is, “How did you get started doing ... all this?”
... which is a totally fair question! Quitting a stable, full time job to launch an aura photography company is not for the faint.
My story starts on a doorstep in Seoul, Korea, where I was abandoned as a baby. I was adopted and raised in coastal North Carolina where I grew up with a deep curiosity about identity, connection and what makes us us.
At 24, I moved to NYC and never looked back. The city matched my pace: fast, creative, always evolving. In TV shows like Sex and the City, they say New York is the fifth character - and it’s the same for me. New York has been a constantly changing constant in my life (which, if you know NYC, you can probably relate). It’s pushed me toward and away from things that helped me grow: spiritually, personally, and professionally.
In 2009, in the Canal St. subway station, a mysterious note fell into my purse. I was in the midst of a major life crisis and found it when I got home:
I still have no idea how it got there but have since laminated it for posterity. This text was impactful to me for many reasons. First of all, I took it as a literal sign from the universe that it just appeared in my purse having come from seemingly nowhere. Secondly, the passage is all about following your heart, life path and the central tenet of Buddhism - walking the middle way - all things I had struggled with up to that point.
Sometimes it’s hard to follow the “path with heart” when you’ve got bills to pay.
Especially when you’re a broke college grad and a newly transplanted New Yorker just trying to pay rent and student loans. But this note stuck with me and served as the underpinnings and compass for a lot of my decisions since then. Which leads me to now.
Aura photography is my favorite kind of “yes, and.” It’s art you can take home. It’s a conversation starter and a memory-maker. And at events, it becomes this instant permission slip for people to be curious, playful, and fully themselves.
I always tell people I love aura photography and giving aura readings because it allows the individual to stop for a brief moment in time, and reflect on their circumstances. Your aura reveals your mental and emotional states, and even big changes and stress. Though your aura is constantly changing and evolving, aura photography serves as a “checkpoint” for introspection. Self-reflection is something New York City (and the U.S. in general) doesn’t do enough of and I’m honored and grateful to be able to facilitate a moment of respite for people - which is exactly what that mysterious note did for me way back in 2009.
To paraphrase the work of Carlos Castaneda (who I later learned is the author of the mysterious excerpt): a path is only a path, follow the one that sparks joy. That’s what aura photography does for me, and I hope you too find it to be as magical as I do.