Gift of the Gabberer: Rikki Burns
Rikki Burns is the ex-Creative Director of Meerkats in Perth and Head of AWARD School in WA. Here she talks all things future-related, including TikTok, happiness, and scary (or not so scary) new technology.
Interview by Oli Nicholson
Did you always know that you would get into a creative field when you were little?
I always took to creative hobbies; I loved art classes and making things ever since I was little. I did originally think I was probably going to get into something science-y or maths-y, because that’s what I was good at at school. And although being an astronaut does sound fun, I’m not sure how long I could last on Mars without my PlayStation.
Did you ever feel like you had a future planned out for you?
I never felt pressure to be successful in a specific field, but to be successful, yes. That was freeing, but also overwhelming. I was lost after school, so started a uni course that I hated. I had to stop and figure out who I really was and where I fit. I got there eventually, but that changes over time, so I’m still interrogating it.
If you weren’t in advertising, do you know what else you’d like to do?
It’s a cliché, but probably psychology. We’re currently in a situation where our behaviours and thought patterns are magnified and multiplied.
Like all the ads say now, connection has never been more important.
I like to figure out how people work, and how to help them get what makes them happy.
When you finished AWARD School, how did you imagine your future to look?
I've never really had goals. I don’t like them, I feel like they put you on a track where you either get to where you're going, or you veer off into failure. Where’s the creativity and flexibility in that? The room for something more than you could have planned? My philosophy is to find a general direction that appeals, then prepare as best you can for the opportunities that come your way, so that’s what I did. I got prepared, I worked hard, and I met as many people as I could, and when a job opportunity came up, I was ready.
Do you think that we in advertising are obligated to shape the future into a better place?
It’s a responsibility that we have for sure. When organisations give us their money, they give us power. We’re making the media, so we need to make sure that we’re not actively doing damage for one, and then where we can, try to make a bit of a difference and move things forward. We can’t always do that, but I like to think that even on the smallest job if you can make one tiny choice which helps somebody, or moves the discussion forward in a way, then you’ve succeeded.
It’s absolutely necessary too for younger people to be given a platform to speak up.
As younger people decide what is appropriate or acceptable for society moving forward, they need to inform older people, including their bosses, colleagues and clients. The Olds probably aren’t going to like it, but that’s the circle of life.
For me the definition of “getting old” is becoming scared of the new.
We’re wired to become more conservative as we age, so if we want to stay in touch we need to actively fight for it. Hating on or dismissing TikTok is a lot easier than admitting you don’t really get it. Technology, like culture, is in constant flux. The kids will likely get it faster than we do, but at least make an account and have a play. Figure out what it does, and why it’s important to people. You might even like it.
What do you think AWARD School will look like in the future?
Everything is changing so fast that it’s hard to predict next month, let alone any further. I mean, will there even be advertising next year? Will there be a next year, next year? AWARD School can either react as the world changes, or it can innovate to get ahead of the changes. Both have value. My guess is that it may become more about creative solutions to problems, perhaps business or world problems, rather than advertising problems.
Has COVID changed your perception of your own future?
Oh yes. Like many, going from an office of over 40 people, to sitting by myself in my house all day with a dog and a screen has been a challenge. It’s nothing that I ever expected to do, but it’s opened up a lot of opportunities and has been the crash course in remote working that I didn’t know I needed.
It’s also sparked a bit of an existential crisis, because part of the reason I love being a creative is getting to hang out with an awesome team all day, sitting in a room and coming up with ideas together, laughing, crying and solving problems.
What would you say to your future self?
Trust in my (our?) knowledge and experience, and be happy with the choices that I’ve made. I probably did the right thing most of the time.
What font is The Future to you?
It’s either Comic Sans, or Government Mandated Font™️. We’ll probably find out in the next few years.
