Last month Matter Portland had the distinct pleasure of attending the local Ted Talks event, TEDxPortland. Having never attended one before, I was excited for the opportunity to hear from local speakers and those with ties beyond the region with revolutionary ideas forever changing the way we think, innovate and create. The theme of our TEDx event was ‘Perfect,’ and the speakers each gave us their takes on perfection.
With speakers ranging in experience from owning and operating food carts and changing life around after prison, to being married for the better part of a century and creating graphic designs for some of the most well-loved brands in the world, we were in for a treat.
I want to take a moment to talk about Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. because he spoke to each one of the Matter Portland team members’ sense of creativity, passion and willingness to give back to the community. In PR we constantly strive to engage the public through storytelling, and creating lasting bonds with journalists who are equally as engaged with the companies we represent. Aaron put a different perspective on life when it comes to creating these stories.
Aaron is a creator of his own perfection, working out of his basement while simultaneously taking the multimedia world by storm creating logos. He has worked for companies both large and small, and at the end of the day his most loved stories are the ones that have personal meaning – a story we at Matter can relate to. Aaron discussed his passion for helping others with his “little mouse finger,” through his plan for ‘Free Fridays,’ where he spends a few hours helping those who can’t afford his services. Don’t we all want to help others with our “little mouse fingers?”
Matter Portland was taken in by the idea of Free Fridays and of making a difference for those who are just getting started. The passion was clear on his face, and has inspired us to think of a few ways that we can bring this sentiment to life.
In the words of Aaron Draplin “Create your own perfection. Invent Your Clients. Invent Your Life.”