Why I decided to start a Halloween, fall blog

CHICAGO — The rise of TikTok has videos constantly playing on our timelines, Instagram feeds and basically all over the internet. It’s no secret videos are necessary when you’re a content creator. Despite that, last year, I decided to create a blog versus the now more common YouTube/TikTok page. But why?

I started my blog for one main reason: I needed a safe space in the giant wasteland of social media. When I decided to start a blog, I 100% thought about whether it made more sense to do something like a YouTube page or dedicate more time to TikTok videos. But I’m a writer at heart. My Patrons know that I’m currently working on writing 12 pictures in 12 months. Writing is just what I do.

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So here are just a few of the reasons why I decided to launch Splash of Spooky:

I needed a place to escape the negativity of social media

I created the Splash of Spooky Instagram page during a time when social media was running rampant with negativity (right around the beginning of 2020). And because I work in the digital space in the real world, I was truly in need of a place where I could scroll in peace — without the fear of running into some political rant or some sort of misinformation. I just wanted to look at videos and photos that made me smile. I wanted an internet happy place. And that’s how Splash of Spooky came to be. Since I didn’t have the place to just relax and enjoy the internet, I decided to create it.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Halloween costumes and what I would be making for Thanksgiving dinner

I talk about my fall obsession all the time to anyone who will listen. Here’s the thing, though: None of my really-life friends care about fall. At least not in the same sense I do. Right before I started Splash of Spooky, I realized I had way too many fall photos saved onto my phone and had nothing to do with them. Sharing them online seemed like the natural next step.

I wanted a space that skewed more toward general fall/Thanksiving versus pure Halloween

If you take a good hard look at the spooky community, you’ll notice that the majority of content creators skew toward a love of Halloween/horror movies/actual spooky and creepy stuff. I love Halloween very much, but you all know that horror and scary stuff just isn’t for me. It’s a little known fact that Thanksgiving is actually my favorite autumn holiday. It’s true! I spend a lot more time preparing for the annual feast than I spend on organizing Halloween costumes. So I knew that when I created my website I wanted to create more fall inclusive content. You’ll notice my content is usually very kid/family friendly (minus the occasional Ghostface post). I skew more toward Pumpkin Spice and general autumn vibes than Halloween horror.

Old school blogs are still awesome

TikTok and Instagram Reels really have a lot of people believing that videos are the only way to consume and create content. I don’t think that’s the case. There is more longevity in owning your own website and having a space online that’s 100% your own. The era of “the blogger” may have technically passed (because everyone wants to be a TikTok star now) but I still see the value of blogging. So I’m here to stay.

It truly makes me happy

I get easily frustrated with every day life. Doctor’s appointments, grad school, parenting, work…general existence. It gets very formulaic and stressful. I’m someone who easily gets annoyed with the boring reality of regular life. I’m always looking for the next big thing. So that’s where my obsession comes in handy. The spooky community and my website are both just wholesome, fun ways to celebrate something that brings me so much joy. Splash of Spooky gives me something to look forward to every single day. Whether that’s scrolling through Insta, checking out everyone’s spooky posts or just working on a blog post. It’s fun.