Live portraits, speed networking, and bonding over our shared affinity for stress
Live portraits at Lanterns of Love, a wedding vendor networking event organized by The PDXperts
I love meeting new people, but it’s not always easy, especially when trying to make new connections in a crowded room. So, when a local event planner named Shi invited me to draw portraits at a speed networking event I was hopeful but also a little nervous. You might think that someone who draws live portraits of strangers can’t possibly be shy, but the truth is that one-on-one is so much easier for me than dropping myself into a crowd and trying to decide what to do with myself. Fortunately, I could ease into the night at my portrait table before standing up during the speed networking portion. Shoutout to DJ Casey Kay who played bangers during the event and made it hard to stay in my chair.
The night started off with an endearing exchange as a woman jogged across the room to sit with me, saying she had seen me at other events and hadn’t had a chance to get her portrait drawn. Her goal this year is to slow down and rest, yet she admits that she likes the feeling of being stressed—hence choosing a career in wedding planning.
Shortly after beginning, the event picked up steam and the room filled up with excited conversations. After several portrait sessions at my table, I jumped into the speed networking and managed not to disintegrate into a thousand awkward pieces. Those quick little chats led to more visits at my table once I sat back down to resume portraits. Over 21 portrait sessions I met event planners, photographers, florists, bartenders, DJs, calligraphers, bakers and cooks who gathered in downtown Portland’s Hi-Lo Hotel, adorned in red, gold, and white for the Lunar New Year.
I met a woman on a sourdough journey and a photographer who collects old cameras. I met a young florist who’s planning to become an orthopedic surgeon and has no intention of ceasing to work with flowers even as a doctor. I drew a woman who left her corporate job at Intel to pursue event planning, and watching her socialize throughout the room it was clear she made the right choice. A girl who bakes for weddings told me her goal in life is to love people through food, and when I asked her what dish feels the most full of love she said pho. She happily spends hours tending the broth.
Two women sat down across from me and before I could ask them any questions we were already cracking up about an anecdote one of them shared. She said she’d just been at the gym where a man approached her and told her she reminded him of a scarecrow. We died laughing and speculated what on earth he meant by that. The other woman, a florist, talked about her grandmother’s garden when I asked her about her earliest connection to flowers. We bonded over growing up with a family member who tended an epic garden and hosted Easter egg hunts. Together we remembered shaking the eggs and hearing the jangling of quarters and dimes. It’s fascinating how those sensory memories return in just a few words.
Next I drew a mom and daughter who started an eco-conscious photo booth company together, Alegría Photo Booth. Their booth is made using FSC-certified wood, and they told me they wanted to operate sustainably in an industry that’s often characterized by waste. They also shared that they enjoy watching telenovelas together. Finally, two wedding photographers sat down and told me how they got started. I was amazed to learn that one of them would style Barbie weddings as a child, setting out the wedding dress and caring for all the details. She was clearly made for this. Her counterpart worked at a wedding with me last fall and was thrilled to see that I brought a copy of the illustrated guestbook from that very wedding, which I brought as a sample at my table.
The energy of the event stayed with me while I slept and woke me up with a buzz in my spirit. That buzz was some mixture of inspiration, excitement, and most distinctly, gratitude to have connected with so many brilliant souls in a few whirlwind hours. I’m already excited for the next mixer.
