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I am a Portland based creative, and my artistic practice focuses on painting, murals and digital design. I own Art Larger Than Me which is a fine-art and art merchandise business that supports my creative practice. My work currently focuses on abstract expressionism and graphic portraiture, and the juxtaposition of both styles into cohesive paintings, murals and illustrations. I am the founder of The Downstairs Gallery, an art gallery in downtown Portland, Oregon that seeks to provide support for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists with disabilities, and their creative practices. Born out of necessity in 2020, The Downstairs Gallery hosts quarterly art shows and is open to artists of all disciplines, showcasing visual art as its main avenue of expression. Aside from creative work, I am also an accomplished musician and music producer. I work wit indie record label Its Future Time in Portland to release self produced music in a jazz based, hip-hop genre.
What you’re about to listen to every day for the next 365 days is an account of my life. Told non-linearly, and illustrated through short stories about random happenings, funny moments, embarrassing situations, triumphants wins and devastating losses, and those who have helped me (and hurt me) all along the way. My hope is that through these stories you will get to know me – I’m a Black, transgender man, I’m an artist and a musician, I’m a son, a partner, and a friend. My hope is that you’ll also get to know yourself – see yourself a bit more through every story. Because at the end of the day, we are all living this same life, and watching it through seven billion different lenses.
I think back to how many times I have told my own “origin story” – the story of where I come from, what I’m doing here, or who I am. Every one of us has a handful of different versions we tell about ourselves in different situations, right? The version you say in the icebreaker meeting at a new job. The version you tell over the holiday dinner table with your in laws. The version that only your best friend knows, where you did that thing, or reached that rock bottom, or you achieved that milestone. The Daily Daren is a project about these stories. It’s a “Who Is Daren Todd Handbook”, with all the answers sliced up into tiny, bite sized pieces. It’s visual. It’s audible. It’s art, but it’s really storytelling. Because the stories of our lives dictate who we are. And, who we become.