Portland is as dense with ad agencies as it is replete with restaurants and arts venues. So if you’re new to town how do you get a sense of who is doing what in Portland’s creative AdLand? One easy answer is to look at the list of winners of the biennial Broderson Awards—or better yet, to have been at the awards ceremony last Thursday (October 27) at the State Theatre.

That might have helped Pete Shelly, a young copy writer now based on the outskirts of NYC who is hoping to move to Portland, but he visited portland a week too soon. Pete is so gung ho about moving here that he built a very cool little website announcing his trip here and inviting ad creatives to have a cup of coffee (on him) to talk about Portland.

What kind of welcome did Pete receive in Portland? “I had 5 ad agencies in mind, and I had meetings with principles at 4 of them, all based on the premise of ‘hey, let’s grab a cup of coffee.’” Pete says. “They were all pretty open about lending a hand and giving their perspective. I was kind of blown away by the response. Nobody had to let me come into their office, but they did, and they took the time to sit down and listen to my story. I was anxiously awaiting the list of Broderson winners. I had the opportunity to stop by the gallery they had set up next to the State Theatre, and, having talked to creative directors and writers at each of the agencies, I was curious to see how everyone fared. I think that taking a look at the work produced in Maine just this year is a pretty good way to see how much talent is in this city, and that’s pretty attractive to me. I want to be a part of it as well.”

So here, Pete, is a whirlwind tour of Portland’s advertising creatives, courtesy of the Ad Club of Maine:

First off, the Best of Show award went to creative director Don Fibich of Kemp Goldberg Partners for their “Continue the Journey” print campaign for Sea Bags (great Portland agency building a great Portland brand—this is our kind of story). KGP also scored with their Camden National Bank Annual Report and their logo for the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine.

Virtually owning the big budget TV categories, the VIA agency‘s Teddy Stoecklein, Amos Goss, Ron Clayton, Ken Matsubara walked (half a block) home with medals for Samsung, Fairpoint and Klondike. VIA also won for it’s integrated marketing campaign for Samsung’s tablets, digital work for Samsung and Pediacare, environmental design for DuPont and a “Pitched but Ditched” whiskey bottle design for Pendleton.

Garrand‘s chief creative officer Larry Vine chalked up an impressive 12 (mainly print category) wins for national clients like Dunkin’ Donuts, Hood  and United Way and Maine brands like Gorham Savings Bank, Gorgeous Gelato and Maine Jewish Film Festival.

Several strong in-house departments scored as well: Angela Adams, IDEXX Laboratories, CIEE, Maine College of Art, White Rock Distilleries, Inc. and Coastal Enterprises Inc.

Dearest to LiveWork Portland’s heart, perhaps, were wins by independent creatives and small design studios for authentic local brands, like Leslie Evans‘ logo and brochures for Calendar islands Maine Lobster, Taja Dockendorf of Pulp + Wire’s identity and packaging work for Pleasant River Soap Co. and Erica Hebold of E+M Marketing’s design for the Grace Restaurant website.

Will the winners influence where Pete applies for a job? Or will he just move here, find some buddies and set up his own shop? As Zhou Enlai said about the French Revolution, “It’s too soon to tell.”

From the VIA Agency (left to right): Teddy Stoecklein, Jessica Fidalgo, John Coleman, Greg Smith, Dan O’Donnell

For some reason Portland is possessed of a number of hypertrophied creative communities relative to our population: architecture, culinary arts, literature, music and particularly advertising. I asked Dave Goldberg of Kemp Goldberg how big the agency scene is here. “Between ad agencies, PR firms and digital/interactive marketing firms in greater Portland, there are WAY more companies in this business than an area this size should or deserves to have,” says Dave. “I have 27 bookmarked, but there are more.” I asked him what he thought accounted for the disproportionate numbers and he answered with an anecdote, “I was down in West Hartford recently at my 30th high school reunion. I was talking to a woman I knew from school who does PR. From our discussion my guess is that in greater Hartford, an area larger than greater Portland, they have half as many agencies. Hartford does not have a “creative economy.” It doesn’t attract the creative talent, leadership, investment, etc. We in Portland are different.”

To celebrate that difference, the VIA agency is hosting this year’s Broderson Awards, The Ad Club of Maine‘s “Celebration of Commercial Artists from the State of Maine.” In a recent post on Forbes.com, I talked about Dunbar’s number and the size of cohesive social communities. In the hunter gatherer terms I was considering, our advertising community is one of our few creative enclaves larger than a clan and approaching a tribe. A clan, however, would fit the theme of this year’s competition which (mis)quotes the great (and greatly inebriated) Irish poet Dylan Thomas with the title ”In Our Craft or Sullen Art.” Why a sullen art? For Thomas, the poet’s craft was practiced while others slept so as to earn “the common wages /Of their most secret heart.” Sounds a lot like advertising!

In the words of VIA creative director, Teddy Stoecklein, ”To outsiders Maine, let alone Portland or Bangor, is usually just vacationland. Our Fine Art community is often overshadowed by bigger cities like Boston, New York, Providence, even Montreal. The same is true of our Commercial Art community, yet we have some of the most talented people in the nation, right here. The Broderson Awards is hosted by the Maine Ad Club to reward the very best in Maine. But it’s more than just a pat on the back or a trophy. It’s also an acknowledgment that our craft is indeed a Fine Art. It’s both a showcase and a moment of inspiration.” To make that acknowledgement stick, they have lined up some first rate judges: Nina DiSesa, Former Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of McCann Erickson, New York; Rupal Parekh, Agency Editor of Advertising Age; and Peter Friedman Former Executive Producer at Wieden + Kennedy and McCann Erickson, New York.

The deadline for all entries is next Friday, July 1, 2011 at 5 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted. See the Broderson site to find out more.

Like this month’s Abstract conference that created an intersection between the design communities of New York and Portland, the Broderson’s in October will do the same for advertising. But whereas the designers convened in the very nice but clan sized Hannaford Hall at USM, the ad tribe will take over the 2,500 seat State Theatre. In honor of Dylan Thomas, sullenness will not be banished, drinks will be served!

This profile did not begin with a random refresh of the CreativePortland.ME site, but in a different kind of coincidence. At the end the Bright Eyes concert at the State Theatre my son grabbed a free poster that was being handed out as a kind of party favor. The following day I was writing about the show and came across some really great performance shots of the show by a guy named Robbie Kanner. I contacted him to see if we could add a couple of his pictures to the post and it turned out that 1) he had also designed that Bright Eyes poster and 2) I had seen his work before from having followed his link on CreativePortland.Me. CP.me, as I like to call it, exerts a kind of ambient pull. If you dip into it from time to time you become aware of adjacent corners of our creative community: people older or younger than you, people who specialize in other things than you do, and even some people who do things that you never even thought of.

Robbie is a very talented photographer, designer and media artist who comes to Portland by way of the same U. Maine, Farmington underground railroad that brought us designers like Kevin Brooks, Matt Selva and many others. Here’s how Robbie answered our (admittedly skewed) “Is-Portland-Maine-the-greatest-thing-since-sliced-bread” questionnaire:

How long have you lived in Portland and where did you move here from?
It’s funny, I’ve actually only owned an apartment in Portland since last September. I’ve been traveling down from Farmington when I was in undergrad, sometimes 4 times a week, but only recently have had a bed to sleep on in this city.

Which creative communities do you participate in and how easy/difficult was it to become a part of them?
I’m in a few different ones. The local music scene, which is just the best and unlike any other city. I’m also a new media artist and have shown in various galleries every first friday since December of ’10. In addition, I did some design work for Portland Stage and got involved in that theater scene. From my perspective it was pretty simple to get involved in all these communities. Really, just being dedicated to your trade will get you involved in whatever community you want pretty quickly.

As a young designer and photographer are there opportunities for you here that you wouldn’t/didn’t have elsewhere?
Absolutely. I speak so highly of Portland because it’s hands down, just the best. The amount of talent in local music is so incredible and I’m beyond privileged to design these records or photograph these bands. In addition, I recently became the Program Director over at Maine.FM where we play only Maine music. You want to know the most incredible thing about that? People listen. That’s what makes Portland unlike any other city; we support and believe in each other

Who are the people and what are the places or things that particularly inspire you in Portland?
Aww geez, I’d be typing for a decade if I were to get everyone/place mentioned. With that said, Mark Curdo, Jonathan Wyman, Kevin Kennie, Walter Craven, Chris Moulton, Ryan Peters, Kris Johnson, and Josh Brill. Empire Dine & Dance is where so many inspirational-half-in-the-bag conversations have happened for me. Inspiration is just a walk down Congress St. away in this city.

What is your favorite aspect of living in Portland?
I wake up every day feeling like P. Diddy in Portland; it’s that good. I leave my apartment and take my walk into work and just totally dig it. I love the people I see and the interactions I have with them. I love that dude who walks downtown and can only whistle one note at the top of his lungs and no one tells him to shut up. Mostly, I love that I can take comfort and pride in saying that I live in Portland, Maine.

How attached are you to living and working in Portland and what are the things that most keep you engaged here?
This is the longest relationship I’ve ever had! I’ve continuously dropped everything in my life for the people and this city because this community is what keeps me going. One of my best friends just had brain surgery and the first thing he said to me when he got out was “I’m alive! Let’s record this album.” That’s the mentality of so many people I know in Portland and that will keep me working and living in this city. It’s a way of life that I’m 100% proud of.

Have you made Portland or Maine part of your personal “brand story” or is place not important in how you present yourself to clients?
Well, it never did until recently. I started to think about how Maine represents quality and hard work in so many different aspects of life. For me, it goes from working on albums, websites, photographs, and radio all the way back to when I was 13 stacking bails of hay in central Maine. It’s the feeling you have after a hard days work that you want to convey to a client. Branding Maine into my work tells the story that I care about the quality of a product—and I absolutely do.

Bright Eyes gave a great show last night at the State Theatre. The band’s leader, Conor Oberst rubs people either the right or the wrong way, so I didn’t really know what kind of rapport he would strike with the audience. A few songs into the set he started talking about how he was really happy to be in Portland. I figured it was standard performer patter. But if you know his songwriting, you know that he has a way in his lyrics of colliding a heartfelt longing with something very particular and specific, and that’s just what he did. What followed was not a canned appreciation of what a pretty town Portland is, or how nice the people are or how good the food, or the local music scene, but something right to the point. “We come here a lot… when we finish an album… we’re kinda nervous… Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering… we always stay at the same hotel, walk the same streets… that man does magic… he’s a wizard, and he walks among you…” And there it was laid bare. One of the reasons why great musicians from all over the spectrum—Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Eric Clapton, The B-52’s, Tony Bennett, Suzanne Vega, Steve Reich, Paul McCartney, Phish, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, the Kronos Quartet and just about everyone else in between—have feelings of affections for Portland is the work of one very inspired and talented man, Bob Ludwig. For those not versed in the sacred arts of audio mastering, what happens at Gateway Mastering is the final, critical step in turning recording sessions into releasable and reproducible music. In a classic interview on SoundStage!, Ludwig said, “I try to improve upon the master source if I feel more musicality is hidden in the tape…. The main key is the room itself. I tried to make it as acoustically perfect as possible.” So there you have it. Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, like 1,300 or so other artists who have crossed Gateway’s threshold before, come to Portland to hear their unborn music as if acoustically projected on the walls of Plato’s cave. Leaving Portland, they know that every bit of the music that they made will make it out into the world, and for that they are truly grateful.

On a related note, wow, was this a great week for music in Portland! On Monday night I saw The Low Anthem perform at SPACE Gallery. As much as I appreciated Conor Oberst’s directness and sincerity—not to mention his rock star moves and seizure inducing light show—The Low Anthem totally won my heart. The four members of the band traded off on dozens of instruments, not one of which looked even vaguely new. They took their time and seemed to enjoy playing with the enormous dynamic range they have between close, quiet four part vocal harmonies to full out screaming Americana garage rock. Their performance communicated something visceral about the importance of individuality, the acceptance (and enjoyment) of imperfection and the way that care and discipline create a platform for abandon. It is the musical equivalent of artisanal, locavore food. I got to meet singer, drummer, stand up bass player and founding member, Jeff Prystowsky before the show. I asked him what made them come back to Portland and play at SPACE Gallery again. The subtext is that they have become a pretty big band with a major record label and they could clearly fill a larger and more lucrative space. Jeff didn’t know quite where I was coming from, but after a bit he said that multi-functioning art spaces like SPACE are few and far between, and those are the kind of places that they like to play. During the show, lead singer (and guitarist, banjo player and cell phone thereminist) Ben Knox Miller repeatedly said how much they liked playing at SPACE and how lucky we were to have such an art space in our city. And their last two records, Oh My God Charlie Darwin and Smart Flesh? Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway as well!

Photos: Bright Eyes (above and below) by Robbie Kanner; The Low Anthem (below) by Aaron Flacke

Portland is vital both because of the creative individuals who make this their base of operations and the local businesses that support their endeavors. Portland native Jocelyn Kahn has her feet in both of these worlds. By day, she manages Caravan Beads on Forest Avenue, and by night and weekend turns her flea market obsession with vintage dominoes into earings, necklaces and pendants that she sells on her Iceleen etsy shop, at local stores and at Picnic Portland events. I asked Jocelyn about being a fixture in the crafting community in Portland.

As a crafter, what is it like for you living and working in Portland?
I love working and crafting in Portland because there are so many other creative people working here too. Its easy to get inspired when you see so many beautiful objects being made by those around you, and working in a creative environment certainly helps.

What made you choose Portland?
I grew up in Portland so it felt natural to move back here after college. We have such a great food and art scene for such a small city. Caravan Beads is my families’ business and I like being part of a small, creative, local company.

It seems you like being a resource to local artisans. Do you also feel supported in your own work?
I think Portland is a great place for people making and selling arts and crafts. There are wonderful shops that really go out of their way to carry locally made items.
I really admire all the master minds of Picnic Portland. They do such an awesome job of promoting and organizing the shows.

Do you think this is an easy town to move into?
I personally found it pretty welcoming but I studied at MECA and then Massart so coming back I already knew people in the arts community.  I hope people who move here find it welcoming. I think if you are someone who wants to become involved there are plenty of was to do so, and events like First Friday help put us out there for people visiting Portland. I’ve definitely met people who have never been here but know we have this reputation for being a cool little city.

Chris Kast is a true Portland character. A veteran of advertising agencies small and large, national, regional and in-house as an account manager, copywriter and creative director, he has stayed in Portland long after the point he thought he would have moved back to New York. What’s kept him here? Well, love for one (see handsome man above) and, of course, work. He has found that he can do the quality of work that he demands of himself, for Maine Magazine, Maine Home and Design and his other clients and have the quality of life that he has become used to and live in Portland. Chris is social media personified. He loves to bring Portland’s different communities together, which he now has even more incentive to do. I asked Chris our standard set of questions and told him not to hold back. He didn’t!

Can you tell me what you like about living and working in the Portland?
The coolest thing about living and working here is that it’s easy. What I mean by that is that this is an enriching city that makes it easy for me to thrive as a creative/brand builder/social media wonk. The creative vibe and energy is palpable. Over the years I’ve developed a network of friends, acquaintances and colleagues that, not matter the so-called “competitive” environment always stand ready to help solve a problem or move a project forward. The restaurant scene here is stellar, the music scene is unbelievable… Port-Vegas—as a bunch of us call it—is buzzing. Of course I do tend to get grumpy and grumble sometime around April 1 when I am ready for the foolishness of winter to be gone. But that’s part of life in northern New England.

Why and when did you move here, how things have changed during that time and what do you see ahead for Portland and for yourself.
I moved to Maine in 1988 and while the city has changed and grown, I really grew. During the time I separated from my wife (who is still a dear friend) and came out of the proverbial closet. At the time I was partner in a buzzing “creative services joint” called Crank and was concerned over the impact my new “status” would have on my business. Well the impact was nil, nada, zilch. Portland is a VERY gay & lesbian friendly place to live and work. Yeah, the Equal Marriage thing got voted down in November of 2009 but not with Cumberland County Voters. And for the record I do believe that even the people who voted against Question 1 didn’t do so because they were or are intolerant… they did so because they do not see the need. For the most part Maine is a live and let live state. And it really is just a matter of time before Equal Marriage is here.

Have you made Portland and/or Maine part of your personal “brand story”?
That’s a really good question. For the longest time I always had one foot mentally out the door. As soon as my kids were grown and on their own (which they are) I was moving back to NYC. It didn’t happen. I fell into an incredible working situation with the people who publish Maine Home+Design & Maine Magazine and met the man who became my husband. It was and remains the one/two punch to my face that woke me up to the fact that I am, proudly, a business person doing amazing things and in this incredible little city.

Who are the people in the creative economy here that you admire?
Kevin Thomas and Susan Grisanti are two… Louise Philbrick, Meredith Alex, Scott Nash, Eva Rose Goetz… there are so very many artists, writers and creative people living and working here that they ALL inspire me. Not being trite or evasive, just telling the truth.

How about any favorite places, things, edibles?
My favorite place is anywhere I am with Byron Bartlett. That and The State Theater, Space Gallery, Port City Music Hall, Boda, Fuji, Nosh, Bayou Kitchen, Live at 5 Concerts at Monument Square… the MadHouse…

CreativePortland.me wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Kevin Brooks. When he’s not donning his cape as an online community builder in Portland’s creative economy, he is a principal at Forge, an integrated brand marketing agency located on Maple Street that he launched last year with designers Sean Wilkinson and Arielle Walrath. As a web designer and developer, Kevin helps his clients shape the form and function of their brand experience online. Outside of work, Kevin is an amateur photographer and a player in Portland’s newest theater troupe, Portland Improv Experience, where he might, occasionally don a cape. Right before the holidays, I asked him about his experiences living and working in Portland.

When did you move here and why did you choose Portland?
After spending six years in a sleepy western Maine college town, I was aching for a move. Initially, I had planned to relocate to Boston, but after a six week pitstop in Portland, I called off my plans to live along the Charles River and found a neat studio apartment on State Street. This was in 2006 and, honestly, I stayed here hoping to find a full time web design and development gig. After a few weeks of taking on contract work, I began to fall in love with the idea that I could survive on my own. I’m not sure that’s something I could have pulled off as a newcomer in a city like Boston, but I’ve always found the creative community in Portland to be open and welcoming of new talent. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was paying rent and feeding myself based on the merits of the web development work I was doing.

So you were just passing through and everything just came together?
That’s not to say it was all super easy, but Portland’s community offered so many networking opportunities then and has continued to provide amazing opportunities like the First Friday Art Walk, Greendrinks and AIGA mixers. If you want to meet those who are truly active ambassadors of the creative community in Portland, you only need to attend a few of those events to become a welcome ‘regular.’  It’s that environment that led Arielle Walrath, Sean Wilkinson and myself to create Forge. As a product of that environment, one of our goals is to continue fueling the amazing network Portland has built up over the years.

What do you like about living and working in Portland?
Beyond working in Portland, the city itself is easy to love.  The amazing food and music scenes should be enough to keep anyone captivated. I find you really have to try to be bored in this city—there is always something to do.

How have things changed since you moved here?
After five years here, I love that there are still new things to discover—be it a restaurant, band, or gallery. The city is constantly reinventing itself in vibrant ways. One only has to look at how Exchange and Congress Street storefronts have changed over the last five years as evidence of this. Through an economically rough few years, the area has avoided becoming a stagnant eyesore and remained strong. A look to the south at Boston’s Downtown Crossing is a perfect example of how easy it is to let such a valuable asset slip away.

Who are the people in the creative economy in Portland that you admire?
I’m constantly blown away by what Arielle and Sean are able to create. I couldn’t imagine working with a better team. Likewise, I consider myself beyond lucky to work with such a talented ensemble cast in Portland Improv Experience. Where else can a web developer also act in a theater troupe?

Can you share any favorite places, things, edibles?
Self promotion aside, some of my favorite things about Portland, in no particular order, are Bayside Bowl, Honeymaker Mead, everything at Miccuci’s, Nosh’s love for bacon, Zack Bowen’s amazing food photography, Bonobo’s pizza, Aurora’s provisions, Tap Tapas’ mobile app development skills, and the State Theater’s brilliant resurgence.

Portland is a great place for a young yogi to land. With almost a dozen studios on the peninsula offering classes in everything from Ashtanga to Iyengar to Vinyassa, Yoga-per-capita may be right up there with restaurant density as one of the defining metrics of this town. While certainly not recession-proof, Yoga (like coffee) is an integral part of the daily practice of many creative individuals. Focus, flow, change of perspective, discipline, joy—what Yoga offers are in fact the internal building blocks of the creative economy. Shannon Fallon moved here three years ago and has found herself a place at Genell Vashro’s beautiful Lila East End Yoga studio on Munjoy Hill teaching Mixed Flow (vinyasa) and advanced Expanding classes. I asked her to tell me about here experiences so far in Portland.

Can you tell me what you like about living and working in Portland?
Portland’s simplicity and size! Whether you are walking to work, walking the dog or art walking, the people you pass throughout your day become part of your life. The more you pass a person, the more familiar they become and the more like family too. I also see a passion in these people. It doesn’t matter if you are a farmer, an artist or an ad executive; Portlanders are passionate about what they do. I find it truly inspiring and it motivates me to keep following my own pursuits.

Why and when did you move to Portland?
I met my boyfriend. He was living in Portland and I in Boulder, CO. While finishing my Bachelors at CU, I traveled back in forth between the two cities and when it came time to graduate in June 2007, Portland seemed the natural choice for both of us. We both grew up and had roots in New England, my family in New Hampshire and his in Maine, and I had already begun to build connections within the yoga community here.

How have things changed in that time?
Since moving to Portland, I have changed immensely as a teacher. When I moved here, I was young and new to teaching. The Portland community has been so supportive in allowing me to evolve and grow. As I’ve changed, I have witnessed Portland change too. Even in this time of recession, we have seen Portland chosen as a venue for large businesses such as Trader Joes and lululemon athletica. At the same time Portlanders are constantly proactive in supporting the local small businesses. This coexistence is something I find inspiring. The changing face of Portland is just another reason why I love living and working here—you can see, feel and be a part of it.

What do you see ahead for Portland and yourself?

Portland has a thriving community, not just specific to yoga. With easy accessibility by car, bus, train or plane, I would like to see more people coming to Portland as a destination. I personally would like to work towards promoting Portland as a premier Yoga city by inviting internationally recognized teachers to conduct workshops here. With dining, art, shopping and scenery why would you want to go anywhere else?

Have you made Portland and/or Maine part of your teaching practice and “brand story”?
Absolutely! Yoga teacher Mitchel Bleier recently came to Lila East End Yoga for a workshop and said, “Do yoga, Practice locally.” That really resonated with me. The most fulfilling aspect of teaching anything is watching a student’s growth. I am completely committed to teaching yoga in Portland and watching the community grow.

Who are the teachers, alternative health practitioners and other people in the creative economy in Portland that you admire?
Jennifer Morrison, teacher and owner of Studio 72 (72 India Street). As a student of yoga, I am so grateful for her presence in Portland and studio space. She has a rich knowledge of the Ashtanga practice and gentle, caring approach that makes Ashtanga accessible to anyone.

Any favorite places, things, edibles?
Kamasouptra (located in the Public Market House)! The have so many wonderful options (including, vegan and gluten-free alternatives). They make it easy for me to grab on the go between teaching and practicing.

I first met Graeme Kennedy this summer at the Wilco Solid Sound Festival at MassMOCA. I had seen that there was a band from Portland on the bill named Brenda, and a little digging revealed that the trio didn’t contain anyone named Brenda (or even female) and that they were about to release their first album, Silver Tower,  on a small label in Portland named McKeenstreet Music. It took a while to put all of the pieces of the Wilco puzzle together, but the story goes something like this: 1) in the spring, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco was at Gateway Mastering in Portland to put the finishing touches on the amazing Mavis Staples album, You Are Not Alone, that he was producing; 2) Tweedy squeezed in a bit of shopping at Rogue’s Gallery where Graeme happened to be working; 3) Kennedy had been tipped off and had the presence of mind to Brenda all day on the sound system for Tweedy to hear, and the rest is history. Graeme is a producer, designer and a recording artist in his own right. The Portland Phoenix Best Music Poll voted him best electronic act under the name Graeme K. He has lived in other towns with music scenes, most notably Brooklyn and the birthplace of grunge, Olympia, Washington, but he has chosen Portland as the place to make things happen. Here’s what Graeme had to say when I asked him about living and working in Portland:

What do you like about living and working in Portland?

I was born and raised in Maine and, growing up, never wanted to live here as an adult. There were no creative people my age and no entrepreneurs. I moved to New York City the minute I was old enough and never planned on looking back. However, over the last 10-15 years, Portland has drastically changed and, seemingly out of nowhere, became a legitimate hub for progressive arts, creative marketing, and incredible music that was totally missing as a teenager in Maine. I think the growth of USM and the rise of MECA helped create a vibrant community of 18-35 year olds who are intent on putting Portland on the map. SPACE Gallery and the Picnic Arts Festival would not have been able to exist in 1994. The passion, and audience, just wasn’t there. But now, it is a totally different landscape. We have such a wide array of choices, styles, and goings-on that things are even starting to get lost in the fray! That is the highest compliment I could bestow on Portland right now, that there are so many cool things going on that if you don’t pay attention, you might miss something. That was never, ever the case in the 90′s. I moved back to Maine from NYC in 2006 specifically because something special is happening here that isn’t happening in New York, the other Portland, LA or Austin.

What you see ahead for Portland and for yourself?

I’d like to see Portland follow in the footsteps of Olympia, Chapel Hill, or Washington DC, places that were ‘hubs’ of independent music in the 90′s, but with the marketing and business savvy to grow and be financially viable for years to come. I think we’re sitting on something pretty special here in Portland, and it is our responsibility to match the creativity and quality coming out of Portland with the resources and care to get attention outside of it. I lived in Olympia, WA for two years and the feeling there was sad, as if they missed the boat. You had these amazing bands and labels coming out of this tiny town of 30,000 or so: Bikini Kill, Nirvana, Elliott Smith, Beat Happening….but you go there now and it is like some strange mausoleum to what once was. Nirvana signed with Geffen. Kill Rock Stars relocated to Portland, OR. Everyone moved on, but Olympia is still there. I don’t want that to happen to Portland. What we need to do, and what I am working towards, is true artistic expression with genuine financial success. I’ve had each of those things separately, but the goal is to bring them together. MKST Music is looking to release a lot more albums in 2011. 2010 was a great year, with three of our artists winning Phoenix BMP’s, the release of Brenda’s debut album, and their booking at Wilco’s Solid Sound this summer. On the horizon we have debut releases from San Francisco’s Horse Thief, Taiga’s Chomp Chomp, and LA’s Dethro, in addition to Amen Brother and Graeme K’s followup to Hidden Beast. We are also excited about packaging some albums and rare tracks for free digital download on our site for a holiday special. We want to work with Peapod Recordings, Eternal Otter, and Dog and Pony to put Portland on the map as an independent recording label town, not simply a music town.

Have you made Portland and/or Maine part of your “brand story”?

Absolutely. Our logo is me with a Maine beard! The idea is to send the message that our label’s bands and our ethos are intrinsically tied to Maine.

Who are the musicians, producers, photographers, designers, artists and other people in the creative economy in Portland that you admire?

Ferdinand’s fun, Forge’s bravado, Peapod Recordings’ drive, Kellen Tucker’s vision, Brenda’s devotion, Sara Lemieux’s intricacy, Megan K. Walsh’s skill.

Anything else?

As a part of Portland’s music scene, we can put our stamp on the city and its sound, but the goal is to get people outside of Portland and Maine to pay attention to what we are doing here. I believe what people are doing in Portland can compete with anything else out there, but we need the guts, drive and vision to get to the next step.

CreativePortland.Me, is a new visual directory of the creative economy in Portland, Maine, created by brand marketing agency Forge in collaboration with LiveWorkPortland. To add yourself, just find a cool picture and go to the super simple Profile Creator page. You could be our next profile!

A random spin of the CreativePortland.Me roulette landed on designer Erin Flett in first position, and she’s a fine person to lead with for our new weekly profile of people who have added themselves to Portland’s new creative economy directory. Erin describes herself as a graphic/surface/textile designer and she clearly is all that and more. She plays the etsy/blog/social media axis to advantage and is on her way to becoming a lifestyle brand. Her hand-screened throw pillows make a great impulse buy on etsy and great visuals for savvy blog editors. You can buy them through her website or at Eli-Phant in Portland. They have been blogged by Real Simple,  Apartment Therapy and Decor8 among others, and she has been covered by magazines from Singapore to Boston to—of course—Portland. A real fixture in the local design scene, Erin has worked as a designer and creative director at Maine Magazine and Maine Home and Design, designed original prints on raincoat cotton for a line of tote bags for AU, and has participated in the Picnic Music and Arts Festival. I caught up with Erin yesterday and asked her about living and working in and around Portland:

Can you tell me what you like about living and working in the Portland area?

The nostalgia and creative energy that overwhelms Portland is like no other place I have discovered. I feel it’s a simple place to live and a great place to be inspired. I find so much here that makes me happy and at peace. The paths behind our house are covered in moss and leaves, the rocky coast, the smells of the ocean—the insane amount of trees and lushness. But the real thing I love are the stories of the people here. I am known to pull over and start up a conversation. While waiting for a tree to be cut down on a side road coming home from my mom’s house I sparked up a conversation with a 78 year old gem of a man that owned 100 acres around him and built his house he lives in. He told me a story about the tree that was being cut down. This is what brought me here. I love old stuff and great stories and meeting people with so much soul makes me feel apart of something real. And now that I have two little girls, I want them to feel this same sense of connectedness and passion about a place they call home.

Why and when did you move here?

Maslen and I moved here to start our life together—I moved here in my twenties looking for that perfect place to start my life after college and one day have a family. Working at a design agency at first then going solo—work here never felt like work—I loved the people, the businesses that I worked with and my clients turned into life long friends. The lifestyle for me is perfect—I would go for a run either in the woods or around the back bay, hike a trail or go to the ocean. The options are endless. Everyone gets it here—we love it here and we make it work—sometimes making sacrifices along the way, but what wins out is peace of mind that comes with living and working here.

How have things changed during that time for you?

What has changed for me in the past 10 years working here is that I have had to work smarter. I do more with less and really figure out the best most economical way to do everything. I have always really been mindful of this but I think now more then ever I am figuring out how to do things that are amazing with a not so amazing budget.

What do you see ahead for Portland and for yourself?

What I see ahead for Portland I hope is a busier OLD PORT with all these creative souls coming together. I believe all this creative energy will explode…and I really want to be a part of that. I feel as a designer and business owner/entrepreneur in Maine you have to have that spark and passion constantly driving you—because everyone is telling you how bad the times are or how slow things are everywhere. I just take it all in and appreciate living and working here and keep going.

On another note I feel a lot of people are banding together creating organizations that are helping our Maine economy and supporting local artists and business owners, like LiveWorkPortland. These organizations and non-profits are working toward making life here better for all of us. We all need to take time to help out where we can so we all can grow and prosper here.

Is Maine part of your “brand story”?

Maine inspires me. Everything from the layers of leaves and moss to the endless amount of old things that have an amazing story. I can go to yard sale and buy old books or textiles that were worn or read by the great grandparents of the families that still live there. I create patterns that speak to me, but all of it is a interpretation of my life, and right now my life is here in Maine. I have prints that have come from my days walking through miles of sunflowers or prints dreamed up from childhood memories gluing seed pods to rocks. I think what I love most about doing what I am doing here is the creative result is heartfelt and human…because that is how I feel here.

Who are the designers, artists and other people in the creative economy in Portland that you admire?

I am totally in love with a lot of artists here—but I admire people that have taken a dream and turned it into a thriving business. I feel I could name a lot of well known designers but I also admire all the unknown or undiscovered talents that do amazing work, just to do it, for the pure joy and passion of it. I think the big names that have made it here would tell you that it’s that rawness of living here and the passion that inspires them which ultimately brings success. (Or at least I hope that is true.) I hope to add my name to that list but I rather add my name to the list of people that are happy doing what they love. My nana always said, “you can do anything you set your mind to do, just love what you are doing and don’t stop believing.” Maine is a test of creative resilience and perseverance. I am thankful to be a part of it.

CreativePortland.Me, is a new visual directory of the creative economy in Portland, Maine, created by brand marketing agency Forge in collaboration with LiveWorkPortland. To add yourself, just find a cool picture and go to the super simple Profile Creator page. You could be our next profile!