We’re deskside with Holly Fraser, Editor-in-Chief/Senior Director of Content at WePresent, WeTransfer’s editorial platform, for our latest instalment of From The Desk Of….
‘Creating and commissioning unexpected stories of creativity from all over the world, across film, music, photography, art, and literature’, Fraser’s work is spurred by a love of storytelling and an enthusiasm for collaboration. Armed with a pen and notepad (which she considers workplace essentials), Fraser grew an impressive CV spanning stints at Crane.tv, Hunger, Soho House, Armani, CNN, et al.
An agile spirit, who’s aware that a propensity for change is perhaps an editor’s greatest asset, here, Fraser shares her career insights, daily routines, and what’s next for WePresent.
How do you start your days?
I’m one of the guilty people that wakes up and looks at my phone pretty much straight away. Terrible, I know. I check work messages, reply to a couple of WhatsApp’s, read the headlines, and quickly scroll through Instagram and Twitter. Then I get up, go outside to feed the birds in the garden (which gives me a bit of headspace) before coming in and having a piece of toast, or a smoothie if I can be bothered to dig the NutriBullet out of the cupboard.
What’s your go-to uniform?
Well, it’s changed a lot over the last year, as I’m sure everyone’s has. Usually I’m a big fan of dressing up and wear a lot of vintage as it fits me better but more recently, I’ve just been wearing a pair of old Levi’s, a cosy jumper, and a trusty pair of white GANNI boots with pretty much everything. I am looking forward to some days of making more of an effort soon though, I recently bought a pink Valentino blazer from the 70s that looks very sad just waiting on its hanger…
Describe your workspace/ workplace…
I’m working from home at the moment, so my workspace is a hastily bought desk in the spare bedroom of my flat that also doubles up as a dressing room. My laptop is propped up on shoe boxes (I never got around to buying a proper stand) surrounded by books, notepads, and magazines.
Identify something in your workspace that’s special to you (and why)…
I’m a big antiques fan and above my laptop I’ve hung two small Art-Deco prints that I bought just before we went into lockdown. One of them has a greyhound in it and it reminds me of our family dog that lives with my Dad back in Ireland.
What are your workplace essentials?
Definitely a pen and notepad. I’m not one of these people that can write their to-do lists on sticky notes on a laptop. I need to physically be able to cross something off my list for that sense of achievement. I’ve also become quite obsessed with Aveda Chakra sprays during lockdown. The one I have smells like geranium and sandalwood and I spray it all around the room to help calm me down if I’m feeling stressed.
What time of day are you at your most creative?
Honestly, it changes. Usually it’s in the mornings – especially if it’s a bright sunny day – but I also find myself waking up in the night quite often thinking about ideas or stories. I have been known to get out of bed to go and write something down. It’s a bit annoying, I’d rather have a good night’s sleep!
What’s your go-to lunch order?
These days, whatever is in the fridge. Probably just a sandwich or something left over from the night before.
What is the most rewarding part of the job?
Working with inspiring artists and collaborating to make their ideas come to life. There’s nothing better than the feeling you get after spending months on a project, watching it grow from a single idea in a meeting to finally being able to release it and see it take on a life of its own. We’ve been lucky enough to work on some incredible projects in the last year, from The Long Goodbye with Riz Ahmed to digitising the entire Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy for the first time ever.
And the most challenging?
The impact and true value of creativity can sometimes be hard to quantify in business terms and because of that I have had to get better at tracking the effect that our creative projects have. It can be challenging but actually rewarding when you can see how the work that we have created has supported communities or made a positive impact on our audience.
What did you study in school/ university?
I went to University of the Arts London and first did a foundation degree in Art at Camberwell and then a degree in Journalism at London College of Communication. Alongside my degree I did a lot of internships at various magazines around the city.
Where are you from originally?
I always find this kind of a weird question to answer actually. I was born in England but lived in France when I was two before moving to Ireland at three where I grew up and went to school. My dad is Scottish and Welsh but was born in Singapore and my mum is Irish and Jamaican. I think I feel more Irish than anything else, despite being back in London for over ten years now.
What was your first job?
I worked making sandwiches in the deli counter of the local supermarket when I was in school. My first job in journalism was writing the horoscopes in the now defunct More! magazine. (Yes, they were all fake!)
What first sparked your interest in journalism/content creation?
I guess I just always loved stories, whether constantly reading them as a kid or making up ones of my own. I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t interested in the story behind something. When I was a child in Ireland, we’d often go walking around ruined castles and houses in the woods and I was fascinated by who had lived there or what had happened. English and art were always my favourite subjects at school too. I originally thought I wanted to be a fashion designer but didn’t love my art course so switched to journalism after a year. Definitely the right decision.
Do you have a mentor or inspirational figure that has guided or influenced you?
Not personally, but I’ve always been inspired by Tina Brown and her attitude to journalism.
What were some hurdles you had to overcome in the early days as a journalist?
Probably being too quiet and not giving my opinion enough. I was quite intimidated by older colleagues when I first started out and would always think, ‘why would they want to hear what I have to say?’, but I think now it’s important to put your point across, even if just to further a conversation. I’ve had a few bosses over the years who actually really valued what I had to say and that helped to build my confidence.
How has the role of editor shifted in recent years?
I think you have to be far more aware of the constant changes happening in the industry and be able to react to them and pivot your strategy when needed. When I started working in journalism there wasn’t any social media and it wasn’t always common to have a digital presence, but obviously now that has completely changed. I think to be an editor now you have to be a bit of a jack of all trades and understand the different ways in which your audience interacts with you.
The best advice you’ve ever received…
Your best is good enough. My dad always says that. I can be a bit of a perfectionist and a control freak at times so when something goes wrong, I have a tendency to beat myself up over it, but if you only ever do your best then that should be enough.
What are you working on right now?
A lot! We’ve got some really exciting projects in the pipeline at WePresent, a handful of which I can talk about! Currently we’re getting ready to launch the second phase of our year-long partnership with Marina Abramovic, in which her famous Marina Abramovic Method will be translated to WeTransfer ‘wallpapers’ as an online experience. We’re hugely excited about that one! We also have an ongoing partnership with the Serpentine, who are about to launch an exhibition in collaboration with photographer Ronan Mckenzie and have some rather special film and music projects in the works for the next few months. Watch this space.
What’s next for WePresent?
Right now, we’re working on an exciting redesign of the WePresent site (that we hope to launch later this year) that will take into account the many ways in which people consume content these days. Not just on desktop and mobile, but also through audio, experience, and community. As well as launching more and more projects we’re continuing our mission to be the most representative creative platform on the internet (so far we’ve worked with over 1,000 artists from more than 100 countries), and, after being derailed a bit by COVID, we hope to have WePresent events coming to a city near you soon…
Any Questions or Tips to add?