I had the absolute pleasure of sending Harriet, the founder of Burnt Orange City, some questions about her website!

Check out the interview below!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is the person behind Burnt Orange City?

So, my name’s Harriet – I’m a lover of The Arts, culture and bringing people together through art and creativity. I have always enjoyed discovering new art and also creating it. I nearly went on to study Fine Art at University but changed my mind last minute and studied Event Management instead – but my passion for art has always stuck with me. I have always been intrigued to find out more about the artist or creator behind something; wanting to delve deeper into the meaning behind their work and what it means to them. I value connection and so, Burnt Orange City was born from my desire to connect the everyday person with art and promote artists and their work. 

2. Where did the idea for the website come from, how long have you been running it and what do you hope to achieve with it? 

Why did you choose the name Burnt Orange City?

I created Burnt Orange City about 3 years ago now (time flies!) because I felt like I wasn’t seeing enough content that featured emerging artists in a real and authentic light. I wanted to create a community where people can discover new art whilst also getting to know the artist behind it. There are so many talented artists out there who aren’t getting enough exposure, so I created Burnt Orange City as an art platform that invites artists to share their journeys through creative chats. 

The name Burnt Orange City derives from a few different concepts. Burnt Orange is my favourite colour, whenever I see it I’m literally drawn to it like a moth to a flame! It warms me up, inspires me to do what I love in life and be creative. ‘Burnt’ also represents the key concept of the platform: that we are all works in progress, and it’s about celebrating the “burnt” bits that make us unique. This links to how I want my chats to be: authentic and honest. ‘City’ represents collaboration and community.

Moving forward, I am keen to explore the link between well-being and art, and would like to integrate my background in Events to host art pop-ups with talks, workshops and more. Watch this space … 

3. Can you talk a bit about the process of running the website? What is the research process like and how much time do you spend working on it?

I try and work on it everyday – whether that’s finding new artists to feature, writing up questions, transcribing chats or preparing social media posts. I recently updated my website and I’m in the process of finalising my branding – there is more I want to do with the platform online, but that will come in time.

Do you typically reach out to artists or do they reach out to you and how do you decide which questions you’re going to ask each artist, whilst trying to extract information that will be useful to other artists?

I typically reach out to artists, but I’m always open to artists coming to me or getting recommendations from people. I usually find artists on Instagram; I look for artists who are actively practising art and have produced at least one body of work. I look through their content (Instagram captions on posts give a helpful glimpse into their work) and then send them a message. I have met artists in person for chats, done video calls and sent them emails with questions – I like to leave this up to the artist, depending on what they feel comfortable with. 

Additionally, do you typically ask everyone the same set of questions or does what you ask change with each interview? 

My questions come from my own intrigue mainly – I get this gut feeling that there is a deeper message behind the art and so, I frame my questions in a way that gets artists thinking deeply about their experiences and inspirations. The questions change in relation to the artist, but I do tend to include a few that are the same each time to bring consistency and give readers and other artists insight into their process; asking questions around what materials they use, and how they like to work.  

 

4. One of the things I like most about your website is that you interview and feature a diverse range of talent, from traditional artists to actors and musicians. How do you decide who to interview and are there any kind of creatives that you’d like to create more interviews with? 

At the moment, I am focusing more on the fine art and photography side of The Arts. This is because as much as I love the diversity of The Arts as a whole, I want to concentrate on building up this audience first. I am keen to start reintroducing other art disciplines back into the mix soon though! All creatives have a story to share. 

If you could interview anyone, who would it be?

Hmm good question … I’d love to ask Yayoi Kusama about her infinity rooms! I’d also love to interview actresses like Nicole Kidman and Reece Witherspoon and find out how they get into character, how they juggle different creative endeavours and how it all works on set (I’ve always been a fan of acting and theatre). 

5. Which has been your favourite interview to create and is there anything you’ve learnt from the artists you’ve interviewed that surprised you? 

It’s hard to say because they’re all so different! But I’ve definitely learnt more about the emotional process of art; some artists find it to be a cathartic experience which allows them to release emotion and find calm, others find it to be a draining experience where they can’t be disturbed and need certain things in place in order to focus. Also, at times I’ve found that my assumptions about their work have been completely wrong or in fact, there isn’t necessarily a deeper meaning. Sometimes, art is what it is – why complicate it?

6. We live in a world that is inundated with imagery, but do you think that people still value the time and effort is takes to create something? Is art still important?

I would like to think that art will always be important in this world. Creation is infinite and personal and that is what makes art in all its forms so special and unique. Art is a form of self-expression, and no matter how many times you hear people say, “that’s not art – I could do that” the fact is, they really couldn’t – that creation has come from someone’s mind and soul, it is a timestamp of a moment in time that can’t be recreated. 

7. Similarly, social media has had a huge impact upon the way that we interact and engage with art. What are your thoughts on social media, both in regards to the impact it has had on the creative industry and also how it helps you run your website? 

How much time do you spend on social media for the website, and is it something you enjoy?

I have asked artists this question and they have generally described it as a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that you can reach people from all around the world and promote your work more easily, and a curse in that there is a pressure to be constantly online and looking at a screen. I can see where they are coming from. 

For me, social media is a creative outlet – I love the curation aspect of it. It is a window into a brand and their personality and it’s a great way to connect with others and discover new things. Instagram is my favourite because it provides more tools for interaction like video, GIFs, stickers, polls etc and it is visual. But it is a full-time job! There are so many social media platforms now and it’s about creating content that’s engaging and in keeping with your brand’s message. 

8. You created a post at the end of last year talking a bit about the things that you had learnt in 2019. One of the interesting highlights was the fact that you spoke about your fear of getting personal, which I feel is very understandable. 

Can you expand a little more on this point here and talk a bit about the balance between running a website that is, ultimately, for a wider audience than yourself, yet trying to find a way to engage with people on a human level? How do you decide what is too personal or not personal enough for you to include?

I realised not long ago that I was asking people to be open in sharing their journeys, yet I wasn’t doing the same – and this seemed hypocritical. I want Burnt Orange City to promote authenticity in the form of ‘real talk with real artists’, so I decided to share some of my own experiences in the hope that people could relate – plus, writing ‘Getting Personal’ was also a cathartic experience for me and something I wanted to do for myself. I have found that people want to meet the “(wo)man behind the curtain” – people want to know who they can trust and who they are engaging with behind a screen. 

9. Do you think that we live in a society that curtails or cultivates creativity? Considering factors such as public scrutiny, prudish attitudes and social media guidelines, does artistic freedom truly exist?

I’d like to think it does, but I do feel like there are societal restraints that exist that make it hard for creative living to be sustainable. Especially within cities, which breed creativity but make it nearly impossible for people to pursue their artistic passions full-time as they face high living expenses. 

I think artistic freedom exists in that we are all able to express our creativity in the ways we want, and this doesn’t have to be in typical art forms like painting, acting, music etc you can be creative in all professions. We as humans  are innately creative and we will always look for community and connection with others – so I hope in this way, creativity will remain alive and cultivated in society. 

There are always going to be people that criticise and put down others – but this usually stems from their own insecurities. As long as art and creativity aren’t harming anyone or anything, people should feel free to express themselves artistically, always. 

10. In your opinion, what makes a good piece of art? What was the last image or piece of media that really captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?

Well, what is good or bad art? I think beauty is subjective to the viewer. For me, I like art which shows layering, depth and detail. I am always intrigued by why the artist has chosen to apply materials in a certain way. I recently interviewed Charlotte Keates and I was struck by the intricacy of her pieces. It took me back to America and Bali – when I look at her work I feel this urge to jump into the scene and make the interior space my own. Her work fills me with calm and makes me excited to go abroad again! (when we can again!)

11. If someone has never been to your website, do you have any particular interviews you’d recommend to them? Where should they start?

If they would like to read about what Burnt Orange City is all about, the About page is the best place to start. Creative Chats features the latest chats which can also be viewed in their different categories. Creative Discoveries is a new section which will feature hidden creative gems from my own travels around the world. My recent chat with Alessia Camoirana Bruges shows the emotional intensity of art and talks about mental health – I really appreciated Alessia’s honesty and openness and would recommend people read this. 

12. What’s next for Burnt Orange City and where can people find more about you and your website?

I have lots of creative chats coming up with a diverse bunch of artists, which I will continue to publish every Sunday. I will also be publishing articles for the Creative Discoveries section. You can read chats and articles on burntorangecity.com and follow me on Instagram @Burnt_Orange_City for artist inspiration, latest posts, behind the scenes – I’m also planning on doing an Instagram Live to talk about my creative process when discovering and interviewing artists. I am also keen to start doing events that integrate well-being and art in the form of talks, workshops and meet the artist pop-ups. Stay tuned and please don’t hesitate to get in touch 🙂