Trevor Orton is a Portland, OR-based content strategist, brand strategist, and copywriter. We partnered with Trevor from the very beginning, and he has since helped us establish the voice of The Artisans Cup as well as content elements, from our website to print materials to parts of the event itself. We wanted to ask him a few questions about how he works and how Bonsai has impacted him both personally and professionally. Here’s what he had to say.
What do you do?
My biggest passion is connecting dots between people or groups. When it comes to the extremely freighted concept of marketing, as a culture we’re all still kind of recovering from the Mad Men era of twisted words and empty promises. But I think there’s a better approach. No matter what your company or organization does, there are bound to be people out there who organically want or need what you offer (if not, you’re not going to be around long). So you don’t need to convince people who don’t need or want what you do – you just need to find the people who do. I see that as my challenge to take on: Helping organizations know who they are and who their audience is, and then making the connection.
How did you get started?
It’s kind of funny actually. I got a degree in writing, and also studied marketing in college. But then I ended up on a totally different career path for several years before getting fed up and deciding I wanted to get back to doing something I was passionate about. I quit my job as a Financial Rep and started Orton & Others, my content strategy business. I’ve spanned the spectrum from full-time agency life to full-time on my own, but I’ve never once regretted my decision to make the switch back into the creative industry.
What excites you most about The Artisans Cup?
Bonsai has an incredibly rich history, as do each of the individual trees themselves. I’m excited to see all these trees come together in a stunning display setting, within an environment that will educate and provide context to all that’s involved in the art form, and the philosophy behind it.
What initially drew you to The Artisans Cup? What made you want to partner with us?
The passion. The statement on the website – “The time has come for American Bonsai” – rings extremely true, and I got that impression from the very beginning. I was impressed with the sense of importance and urgency to create a lasting niche in the art canon for Bonsai. It’s thrilling to contribute to a project that is defined by that kind of passion.
Who has had the biggest influence in your career (living or dead)?
I’ve had a lot of wise, talented people influence me along the way. Friends who gave me advice; industry pros who helped me understand how to break in and find success; family and, of course, my incredible wife who supported me. But there’s one thing that has always stuck with me. In A Movable Feast, Ernest Hemingway reminded himself at one point, “Do not worry. You have always written before, and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.” Anytime I feel stuck and wondering what’s next, I read that and it gives me the perspective to move forward.
Tell me about your creative process.
I ask a lot of questions!
Where do you find inspiration?
For someone whose primary creative focus is words and ideas, I’d say I’m more visual than most: I get a lot of inspiration from photography.
Does your work often involve collaboration? What’s your perspective on collaboration?
Absolutely. I’m almost always collaborating with someone. When working in the agency environment, no one person ever carries the entire burden of the work that’s being delivered. And the same is true when I’m working under my own brand, though it looks different. Sometimes I’m the one who won the project, and I need to find people to help me deliver what was promised. Other times, it’s someone else’s project and they’re inviting me in to add my input and perspective to the finished work. Either way, I couldn’t stand not collaborating. One of the main reasons I quit my job to go back into the creative industry was to work in a team setting on things that were bigger than myself or my paycheck.
Have the principles of the art of Bonsai influenced you since working with The Artisans Cup? How?
I don’t think it’s possible to encounter something like Bonsai and not be influenced by it. One of the byproducts of any art form (in my opinion) is that it raises questions of our humanity and position in the world around us. Bonsai, with its paradigm shift in perspectives on time and struggle and effort and form, is uniquely suited to present those questions to us. I think for me the biggest influence has been understanding how time and environment have shaped these trees and how they have endured and adapted through the struggle, determined to succeed. There’s not a person alive who can’t relate to that.
