The Importance Of Staying Spooky//October 170th, 2020

You may have noticed that I end most of my posts with the phrase, “Stay spooky, my friends”.

I have no real idea where I got that from. I said it once in an Instagram post and I liked the way it sounded, so I stuck with it. I’m probably not the first to say it, and probably won’t be the last. We all want to sound like the Halloween version of The Most Interesting Man in the World sometimes, right?

But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize just how important those words are, to me and to others like myself.

We are facing an uncertain time in the world right now. Trust me, I know how easy it is to get sucked up into all the panic. I deal with many anxiety issues on a daily basis. I work in a grocery store, which is basically ground zero in these times. I have a significant amount of loved ones that are at a higher risk for the virus. To say I haven’t been worried would be a lie.

It’s easy to shut out the things that make us happy when we’re afraid. It’s easy to say, “I have too much on my mind to think about ____ right now”. But I have learned that the key to getting through all the hardest times in my life has been, quite simply, to stay spooky.

About a year ago, I was in a very bad place mentally. My entire life had been upheaved, I was dealing with new situations and more stress and responsibilities than I had ever been used to before. I fell into a depression without even realizing that it was happening. I stopped engaging in my hobbies. My bedroom in my new home was a blah, disorganized, undecorated mess. I wouldn’t treat myself to anything. I basically stopped allowing myself any happiness, any life outside of my own warped mind.

One day I decided, I don’t remember how, to go and pull some things out of my storage unit. I spent a day decorating, and I realized, after I had surrounded myself with a little bit of Halloween, that I felt more myself, more at home, and happier than I thought I could ever be again. It was like a switch flipped inside my head and I thought, “Why didn’t I see it before?!”. Halloween has always been what has brought me life and joy. And keeping it near me, all year round, engaging in all sorts of things relating to it no matter what the calendar says, has been the key to beating the depression that came with a major life transition and getting back to my truest, best self.

I’ve seen around on social media that some neighborhoods have been putting their Christmas lights back up as a way to provide hope and light in these difficult circumstances. Obviously, Christmas isn’t my favorite, but I think it’s a wonderful idea. I know there are people out there who love Christmas, and other holidays too, the way that I love Halloween. It actually breaks my heart to think about the people who love St. Patrick’s Day or Easter who will be missing out this year. I lost Halloween in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy, and it made things seem so dark and desolate. But then, like now, I clung to the promise of a new autumn, and fought even harder to make it feel like Halloween every day.

I suppose the point I’m trying to make here is, no matter what happens in the world, don’t lose sight of the things that make you happiest. Celebrate your favorite things no matter what the calendar tells you, or what the circumstances of the outside world are. Take pictures. Write stories. Light a scented candle (or be like me and buy the leftover pumpkin scented Glade Plug-Ins that your job just pulled out of the back room) and watch a movie that makes you feel like it’s October. Escape into the things that make you happiest and you’ll be surprised what you can get through.

And, as always, stay spooky, my friends.

Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night//October 277th, 2024

I was recently given the opportunity to check out a new, independent Halloween short film called Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night. (Picture from IMDb) I first became aware of this film through the Instagram page , and to say I absolutely knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d love it, would be an understatement. I can always tell when a piece of media is truly going to radiate Halloween, in the way that will transport me through whatever month we’re currently in (in this case, probably the most disgusting July on record) and into Halloween night itself. When I was offered early access to this short film, I could not have been more honored. Even though I’ve built up somewhat of a following within the Halloween community, it still amazes me every day that people finally truly see and feel what I’m trying to create; that my love of Halloween finally means something and brings some joy and comfort to others like myself, and that anyone, especially a filmmaker, would trust me ...

Here’s Where The Story Ends//October 337th, 2020

Everyone has moments in their life when they feel like giving up. That feeling of “This is never going to happen, so why keep trying?” Sometimes it relates to a thing that would be trivial to anyone else, sometimes it’s about something more life-altering. But, we’ve all been there. I have moments of discouragement with this blog. Times I’ve told myself, “No one cares”, or “No one will read this”, etc., but I continue on, for the joy of it. And sometimes, something amazing happens. If you haven’t read my previous post, Have You Seen This Pumpkin? , I would strongly suggest doing so before continuing on with this story. The short version is, I saw a pumpkin in someone’s window when I was twelve years old, and have spent the last twenty-one years trying to find it for myself. When I published that post, I wasn’t expecting much of a response. I was really just hoping to hear someone say, “Yes, my family had this pumpkin when I was a kid!” Or “I once saw this in a neighbor’...

How The Halloween Community Saved My Life//October 226th, 2024

In 2018, I thought I was dying. It wasn't a health scare, at least not a physical one. I was losing myself. 2018 was a truly transitional time for me. At the time, I was living with my parents, along with my boyfriend at the time, who I'd been with for over a decade. They say you never know what the next day is going to bring, and April 2018 was proof of that. Around the middle of the month, I made the decision to end my relationship, for several reasons, one being complicated feelings I had for someone else. I was in the process of figuring all of that out, when, not more than a week later, my father abruptly decided it was time to retire, put the house up for sale, and move to Florida. I don't do well with change on a good day. But dealing with all of this at once was rough. I was facing a breakup, a possible new relationship, and suddenly potential homelessness, all at once. (If you know me at all, you'll understand that moving to Florida was never a con...

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