Portland is a funny city of transplants from around the United States, natives, and transplants who have gone native. While we’ve all come here for different reasons — the rain isn’t one of them — I think we’ve stayed for the same reason: Portland is awesome.
Part of the the awesomeness is that Portland is an unassuming place to live. You can be who and what you want, you can find your own community or create one, and there aren’t a lot of rules about how you do any of those things. And if there are rules, we break them and make something new. This is a city full of upstarts, iconoclasts, hippies, hipsters, trendsetters, and activists all managing to “live and let live” and lead their lives the best way they know how.
Portland is at its best when it marches to the rhythm of its own drum and doesn’t try to be like another city. We don’t need to compete with New York or Los Angeles or Seattle, because there’s no competition to be had. It’s not that Portland isn’t as good as these cities or that it’s better, it’s just different and that’s why I love it. We’re still in the throes of making ourselves, of growing up, and being the city we want to be.
So when we have an advertising awards show that takes a combative tone and puts down major creative cities, I find the Portlander in me wincing. We don’t need to be modest, or a well-kept creative secret, or afraid to show that we’ve got talent, but we should do this in a Portland way. There’s nothing provocative about hitting below the belt, and drawing attention by acting out in class never lead to anything positive. If we want to be recognized for world-class creative, then we need to have some class in the first place.
I believe in leading by example, so let’s be the best Portland we can be. I know I can’t sit idly by and let someone else claim to speak for me, my profession, or my community when I disagree with what they say. I know I’m not alone in looking to build a creative community in Portland that’s about openness, collaboration, and kicking ass (there’s probably some beer-drinking in there, too).
This isn’t a call to arms, it’s a call for community and discussion. I think there’s room for all kinds of groups and opinions in this town, but I’m ready to hear and say something different from what I’ve found so far. Last summer we had the Substance Summit. This year we need something to rally like-minds and build some real momentum in the creative community
So are you in? Or do you have a better idea?
Not that long ago I entered and won a Portland Summit Award. It still is the best creative award in my collection! Why, because unassuming as they are to Portlanders it is an internationally recognized awards show. When I entered competition was stiff with 27 other countries in the same category. If they want to name drop or compete against the big cities, they’ve earned it.