POET. PAINTER. PERFORMER.
Eric Braman
(they/them)
ABOUT ME
Based in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest kid at heart.
I am a writer, theatre maker, and watercolor artist living in Springfield, Oregon. I was raised in Michigan, where a tenacity for niceties and a love of nature was born. Since coming out, my queer identity has pushed my art to explore themes of masculinity, mental health, and queer possibility. I am inspired by the dualities of myself and the communities I have called home.
Creative expressions has been a constant through my life.
I recall the antique desk in my childhood bedroom, coated in spilled paint and eraser bits, which served as my place of permission through childhood. It is where I found a love for writing, doodling, crafting, and dreaming. Those beginning days of scripting puppet shows for Sunday School and crafting up-cycled holiday gifts set me on the path of creative exploration I still tread today.
WHY I CREATE
Poetry, theatre, and storytelling build community.
Storytelling is one of the oldest artistic traditions on earth. When we write and share our stories we are engaging in the greatest legacy humankind has to offer. I am in regular awe of how often a poem or story I write finds meaning, connection, and importance in others. We are, all of us, holders of limitless truths. When we cultivate the courage to create and share we spark an opportunity for community to form. This is why I write, why I perform, and why I encourage others to as well.
Watercolor is a practice of permission.
I am someone who struggles with perfectionism and anxiety. I am drawn to watercolor as a practice in accepting mistakes and trusting intuition. For the most part, my painting process involves open exploration rather than pre-meditated design. As I allow the paper, water, and paint to guide me I find my inner critic quiets as my meditative flow takes over. What results is an abstract expression that prompts wonder, curiosity, and reflection.
HIGHLIGHTS OF WORK
Find my theatrical works on New Play Exchange
Published Writing
CIRQUE Press, Volume 14, No. 1, "The Scent of Sweet" (poetry)
High Shelf Press, Issue XXXVIII, "Learning to Drive" (poetry)
Qu Literary Magazine, Vol. 14, Mattress Magic Empire (play)
Moon Tide Press's Shit Men Say to Me, "Toothbrush" (poetry)
CG Harpies, 2022 Anthology, "Prayer to the Pines" and "Fern Ridge (8.9.2020)" (poetry)
The Coachella Review, A Blue Hydrangea (play)
Enfleshed, "Floating over Mariana Trench" (poetry)
Nancy Stefanick Blog, Playing Peach (essay)
Nancy Stefanick Blog, "Impossible" (poetry)
Poetry Performances & Public Art
Broadway Commerce Center, With Words, June 2024
Oregon Country Fair's Storytelling Smorgasbord, 2022 & 2023
Collaborative Album with Musician Cullen Vance: By Your Side
Oregon Fringe Festival, To Myself, To Myself, To You, To Myself, 2022
Oregon Country Fair - Fair in the Clouds, 2021
Featured Artist Interview, 2020
ArtCity, Rain Play Project art installation, 2019
Oregon Country Fair's Eugene Poetry Showcase, 2019
ArtCity, Studio Without Walls, 2018 & 2019
Lane Arts Council, First Friday ArtWalk, October 2019
ArtCity, Umbrella Project, 2018
Spectrum Bar, Cullen Vance Concert, guest poet, 2018
Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam, 2018
Playwriting, Story Coaching, & Directing
CapitalQ Theatre Festival, Playwright, A Blue Hydrangea, 2024
Oregon Contemporary theatre, Director, Man and Moon, 2023
NW10 Festival of Ten Minute Plays, Playwright, A Blue Hydrangea, 2023
Lane Community College, Improv Coach, The Disasters, 2021
NW10 Festival of Ten Minute Plays, Playwright, Mattress Magic Empire, 2021
Lane Community College, Story Coach & Director, The Essentials, a Storytelling Event, 2020
NW10 Festival of Ten Minute Plays, Director, Chicken Burger with a Side of Awkward, 2020
NW10 Festival of Ten Minute Plays, Director, Dhebba, 2019
University of Oregon, Playwright, Summer SWAT Play, 2018
Operation Shadowbox, Playwright, Shedding the Antlers, 2018
NW10 Festival of Ten Minute Plays, Playwright, Dirty Dishes, 2018
Operation Shadowbox, Director, 36-Hour Play Project, 2018
University of Oregon, Story Coach & Director, Intertwined, 2017
University of Oregon, Assistant Director, Rehearsals for Life, 2014-2017
Rain Play Project installation, 2019
To Myself..., Oregon Fringe Festival, 2022 (photo credit: Marvin Walder)
Man and Moon, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 2023 (photo credit: Cameron Jackson)