Creative Portland

What do you get when you mix a surrealist painter with an environmental obsession? Vibrant paintings of hermit crabs wearing soda caps as shells. A gorilla slurping a can of Reddi-whip. And two grizzly bears fighting over a gumball machine. For a start. Before he started making his distinctive paintings, Anthony Solano struggled to find the connections between his art and the world. That is, until...

Art can create space for survival. Artist and musician William Kendall—who has worked with youth experiencing homelessness since 1994—would know. From a community of metal heads to becoming a musician, to bike messenger, to bands, to social work and running the Artist Mentorship Program , William’s journey is a testament to the intertwined power of creativity, purpose, and work ethic. The support...

Elite athlete and artist Michael Namkung discovered that pushing his physical limits allowed him to open up and explore emotional pain too. Michael journeys through sports-inspired performance pieces, how he relearned to write with his left hand when he broke his right, and a digital chorus project that allowed people to voice the pain and despair felt in many U.S. communities in 2016. Immersed in...

Chelsea Bieker and Kimberly King Parsons will convince you to trust yourself and your creative vision. Talented authors and friends Chelsea and Kimberly want you to crack open your creative process and tune into something deeper and more sustaining. They share what they’ve each learned about honing your craft, quieting the noise, and being comfortable with the difficult parts of creating. Watch th...

How do you break through in the comic book world and start your days with cereal and watching cartoons? Ask Terry Blas. Terry shares his origin story in an interview with CMPDX team member Joan Stewart, reflecting on how he explored and defined his relationship to being queer, mixed race, and growing up in a religious family. He's learned a lot along the way, shaping his fulfilling career with com...

If anyone is bringing SEXY back to poetry, it’s Eric Tran. He knows all about the Ins & Outs of poetry & sex and aims to fully take advantage of their multiple meanings. In a talk that just needs to be experienced, Eric leads us through poems from incredibly talented (and, as Eric says, sexy) contemporary poets: Sam Sax , Benjamin Garcia , Danez Smith , Jacques J Rancourt , and Kyle Carrer...

Your brand is your vibe. At least according to Leo duo Eden Dawn & Ashod Simonian. They embrace being yourself fully, so that your vibe really shines through. Frequent collaborators with complementary yet unique styles, Eden and Ashod show us how by defining their styles, they find brand and creative projects they can vibe with. The multi-hyphenate team shares their Oregonian pride, playful be...

Explore the porous boundaries between a creative career, hobbies & self worth with writer and artist Vera Brosgol. Vera walks through the heartfelt evolution of her creative calling: from a story-obsessed, weird kid from Russia who made drawings in exchange for friends; to a comics nerd who found stability in animation; to her work in stop-motion on projects including Guillermo del Toro’s Pino...