Hi, I’m Carolyn Patten — artist, hat peddler, and reproductive rights freak.

I was born in California but raised in Texas, where I grew up believing that people should be free to express themselves—creatively, sexually, spiritually—and to make choices about their own bodies, including abortion. That belief was foundational. But like so many, the 2016 election was a wake-up call. I started tracking court cases, showing up to protests, and paying closer attention. The more I did, the more I realized I didn’t feel safe in Texas anymore.

So I left. I left a marriage, a traditional career path, and a life that might’ve looked “easier” on paper but didn’t align with my values. I lived in India, Budapest, all along the West Coast—and eventually landed in Santa Cruz, CA, where I’ve been for the past four years.

I started Follow Me to the Satanic Orgy in the fall of 2021 while drifting solo across the West. I didn’t know where I’d land, but I knew I wanted to do something with the grief of the restrictive laws contaminating my home state—laws that so many of my Texas friends don’t agree with. The hat concept began as a joke between friends, but quickly became something more: a way to raise money, wear our rage with humor, and build community through bold, irreverent fashion.

I’ve been running it solo ever since. Sometimes I have no energy to pour into it, and sometimes I get a creative, rageful spike that brings it back to life. The topic is personal and dark for me—one that brings deep sadness that this is where things are. But I’d rather do something about it and laugh along the way than fall victim to the grips of our policy terrain.

I’ve recently added my brilliant, creative pal Amelia to the orgy, because doing things with your community is better than doing them alone. She’s my silly muse, and I’m so excited to have her on Team Orgy.

At my core, I’m a silly gal. I love to laugh. And I care deeply about injustice—especially the kind that targets those without the privilege or safety to escape it. These hats are a tiny middle finger to systems of control, and a big, weird hug to anyone who believes in radical joy, bodily autonomy, and human rights.

This is Amelia—my creative co-conspirator, visual mischief-maker, and all-around chaos gremlin. She officially joined Follow Me to the Satanic Orgy in March of 2025, but she’s been part of its spirit for much longer. Her sense of humor, design eye, and ride-or-die support have shaped so much of what this brand is becoming.

Amelia is a true activist. She brings her heart, her wit, and her hope for a brighter future—to everything from saving the bees to fighting for body and sexual autonomy for all, no matter who’s in office. Honestly, having a friend who gets the darkness this work represents, along with the endurance and hope it takes to keep going, has been everything.

Amelia helps with product development, marketing, advertising, social media, brilliant ideas, project management, and keeping things weird in the best way. She brings a kind of creative clarity and silliness that reminds me not to take it all too seriously—even when I’m deep in my rage spiral about the state of the world.

This brand started as a solo act, but I’m so glad it’s not anymore. She makes everything more fun, more bold, and more orgy.