The October Spooktacular Origin Story

I am in the throws, busy updating my website while prepping for my favorite holiday and art show, The Annual October Spooktacular. This show is near and dear to my heart, and though I get stressed every year managing, it always is so thrilling to me. As an artist, I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my favorite time of the year.

This show started off as a one off. Back in 2016, I was kind of in a art slump. After graduating from AU, I found it hard to find my own voice. The years of project deadlines in undergrad really kept me motivated to keep making art (even if it was just for the grade). I had really bad imposter syndrome and was kind of dating an unsupportive jerk. So, when my friend asked me if I wanted to be in a Halloween art show at Tire City Potters (back when they hung art shows) I jumped at the chance. I finally felt the rush of inspiration and cranked out some really thoughtful pieces, only for that show to be canceled last minute.

But it got me creating again. I made a whole new show, my first solo show outside of AU, which evolved into a second solo show that I hung it at Sky City (my favorite dance floor). It was as this show was going up that Coco Rubio asked if I knew anyone who'd want to hang some work after my show came down for Halloween, and all I could say was "Yes, ME!" plus a few other art school friends who were in the same creative pit as me.

I did these pieces in charcoal and pencil inspired by the French term for orgasm, "la petite mort" based off some images I'd seen in a documentary of mummies - one where the woman was described as looking like she was in the throws of ecstasy (which I found an odd way for the male archeologist to describe a very very dead woman). It made me think of passion in a "beyond death" kind of way. Love and the way it can kill you, or at least stick with you, even in death.

Thus, the October Spooktacular was born. I hadn't thought of making it into an annual show at the time, but after the work came down I had other art friends asking if I'd do another one the next year. I thought, "well damn, I guess I can!"

It was a few months after this first Spooktacular that I got into Westobou's Seeds exhibition for the first time. A few months later I would no longer be dating a jerk who drained my creative energy, I'd get the chance to make new friends, explore new cities, and find inspiration to create several new bodies of new work and evolve artistically. That, if it wasn't for the Spooktacular, I would never have found.

This was my first Halloween after putting on the Spooktacular. I made my spooky art on that very floor.

Spring, with all its growth and new beginnings, can't hold a pumpkin scented candle to Fall and spooky season for me. This is the season you shed, cool down and reflect. I'm looking forward to all the introspection it brings for this year and I hope you are too.