TEDxConcordiaUPortland – Dee Williams – Dream big, live small

How much stuff does a person really need? It's a question Dee Williams has asked herself for years, and after a pivotal trip to Guatemala seven years ago, her conclusion was: not much. Dee sold her house, got rid of most of her possessions and began to limit herself to about 300 possessions: heels and a toothbrush, a few plates and a two-ton jack. She then built a tiny house on wheels, parked it in a friend's backyard, and began redefining her understanding of the basics: community wellness, gratitude, happiness, and composting toilets.

Dee has been featured in media including Yes! Magazine, NBC Evening News, NPR, Good Morning America and TIME Magazine. His small business, Boxcar Woodcraft, won the Washington Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices in 2008, and in 2010 his company, Portland Alternative Dwellings, began rolling out tiny homes designed by his customers and offering workshops for future builders.

You can learn more at www.portlandalternativedwellings.com and see a video of Dee's home at www.nau.com/collective/stories/.

About TEDx, x independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection within a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded as TEDx, where x independently organized TED events. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.