ADAM JK: "PERSONAL WORK"

Artist and NOW WHAT? author Adam J. Kurtz shares what happens when “be yourself” starts to actually work. With his signature heart, humor, and anecdotes that will make you feel better about your own f'ed-up creative process, Adam connects personal expression to real-world success without pretending it’s a clean or linear path.

Let’s get personal:

• Connect who you are to what you make, and why it matters
• Reframe the big questions around failure, change, and the unexpected weight of success
• Explore what profit really looks like — financial, creative, and otherwise

This is a true story of growing from “popular online” to doing major client work, selling a million books, and opening a retail business, and the lessons, doubts, and surprises along the way.

Presented by AIGA Portland and CreativeMornings Portland for Portland Design Month 2026

With the support of Adobe and Foster Theater

Community Partner: New Narrative PDX

Everyone deserves to feel like themselves and have a place to belong. New Narrative provides mental health care, peer support, and housing across the Portland metro area, working alongside people to build lives that reflect what matters to them. We help people access the support, stability, and connection they need to live the life they choose.