José Reyes - Life, Work and the Third Place
We are having lunch with José Reyes at Thai Fusion following his recent Portfolio Center presentation when the soup arrives. The hammered steel tureen forms a coconut, tofu and mushroom moat around a tall cylinder. From the top of this thing shoots an open flame burning yellow and blue. José 's long, dark hair is in some peril so he shifts in his seat. I ask him about his first ad agency gig.
José relives the story he tells about the first time he was fired. Up all night tweaking his work from his first ninety days at a large agency, he sits squirming in the creative director's office, having rehearsed his lines most of the morning. The C.D. walks in and, before he sits, tells José there is no room in the budget for his continued employment.
José tells us that losing that first job made him realize he didn't know what he needed to know to be successful. So he found mentors. Plenty of them. And he thinks you should too. Today, as principal and creative director at Metaleap, José is looking for creative candidates with vision, craft and personal skills, but also "people who are willing to be mentored." He believes "there are creative people who are teachable and those who are not."
His client base is likewise carefully culled. With clients as diverse as the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Aflac, and the James Madison Salon, his firm works with those it can serve well. MetaLeap even shares workspace with one of its clients, Paste Magazine. This proximity promotes a closeness José enjoys. José controls the size of his firm by "not taking work that does not fit who we are." This often means not taking clients. He prefers to work with people who share his ethos in a collaborative style.
José says he looks for clients he’d want as friends. Keeping a reasonably sized client base, says José, helps Metaleap "strive for excellence in every project." This value focus allows his firm to stay nimble and ready for the next great project; it also gives his life balance in an inherently demanding field. Of his approach to his work, José says, "When you do something… that you love and are unwilling to compromise or sell, people become endeared to it even more."
José discusses a new concept that is gathering momentum, the notion called Third Place, which was proffered by Ray Oldenburg in his 1999 book, The Great, Good Place. Third Place refers to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments such as home and work. Third Place is where community happens. In our increasingly high-paced demanding world, making time for community events can be a challenge. As he strives for excellence in both his professional and personal life, José says the creation of a rewarding Third Place is a driving force. "I'm a designer, but I want to do more with what I do," he says.
Enter Fringe. José discovered that Atlanta was desperately lacking a concert series that merged multiple art forms into a single event: chamber music with short film. DJ-spun electronica mixed with classical. With Fringe, José seeks to give back to the community in a way that brings it to life. As he talks, José becomes more and more animated, talking not only with his hands but also with his feet. He hints, "I can talk all day long about Fringe, but until you go..."
Performances are scheduled quarterly for the rest of the year. Already it has received rave reviews: “One of the most radical classical music groups in the country...” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The next performance is March 1, 2008. More information and ticket reservations can be found at fringeatlanta.org.
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
