Meet Autumn Hart | Performer, Musician, Writer, & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Autumn Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Autumn, why did you pursue a creative career?
My mom gave me a career book my senior year of college and we talked about me pursuing arts VERY heavily. I scanned through that book so many times trying to find something that I could make work for me as a career but yet I realized really quickly. If my art, music, and performances are all I can think about when I think about a career-isn’t that what I should spend my time doing? I have always had such a passion for making people smile via my creations so why would I stop when it can to earning a living?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I create anything that inspires me in the moment and once it’s complete, I run quickly to share it with others. Whether it’s making films to share online, painting on any sort of canvas I can find, or just singing my heart out for everyone on my block to hear, I just want people to enjoy the joy I feel in creating everything in the spur of the moment. I’ve definitely had to climb a lot of hills to continue being the artist I am today-I could even begin to count the awful things people have said to try instilling doubt into me. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with abusive educators and directors doing what I do and have had to pave my way through systems in various artistic industries I didn’t agree with. But I have learned to keep in touch with my passions and apply the good I see in the world around me. For example, I often sing a lot of jazz tunes when I warm up-not only because they are affective, but it was an area of singing that holds a lot of sentimental value as the first time in my artistic career I stood up for myself and my talent. Applying that into my warmups helps remind me how far I’ve come. I’m also a disabled artist – I have essential tremors and very recently I have come to learn to embrace it when I draw and paint specifically since it affects how I can do so with my hands constantly being so shaky. A lot of my more recent pieces are very jagged and chaotic for a reason, I let my hands get tired and feel what they need to feel as they make the piece. Throughout art school I would be constantly critiqued for line work on my pieces, trying to cover up that it was something out of my control. Now that I’m embracing it, I feel a lot more like my art is more a part of me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I just moved to Brooklyn and my oh my what a hay day we would have! I actually have a document saved on my phone for when my best friend comes to visit one day, so I am SO ready for this question. I would prioritize stops at one of my favorite jazz clubs, the New York Public Library, a queer art market or two, and Rupert Jee’s Hello Deli is a MUST stop by in my opinion. I also think the tram that goes over the city to Roosevelt Island is one of my favorite stops-it really shows how versatile the city can be as a place of hustle and bustle but also peace in the right locations. The nuance of quiet locations in loud cities is my favorite places in the world, they’re like beautiful oxymorons. End the week with off with a picnic

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think I would honestly contribute where I am today to the resources and media my parents showed me as a child. I latched onto putting such high value in strength as an individual quickly when I was young thanks to the movies, books, and television shows my parents showed me. I even had toys and shows help me launch into my education quickly and show me from a very early age the kind of art that I would continue today. I owe a LOT to Ariel in the Little Mermaid, Barbie, and Peter Pan for helping me find myself at such a young age.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnharts/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumnhart

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/CherryBerryAvenue