The Alchemist Diaries

“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?” ― Tim Burton

Even though I find it obnoxious that Corporate America loves to showcase their Halloween goods around July 31^st, I do adore Spooky Season. I can never devour enough autumnal colors, eat enough squash, corn, and beans, and drink enough apple cider. And, although winter is not my least favorite season, once the end of November nears, the trees in my neck of the woods lose their entire golden valor and remain as skeletal and colorless as mummies buried in dust.

And thus, I live for the golden season that is fall, for you only get as many as the years that you are alive.

Spooky Season officially begins in September, so Hubby and I lined up our tickets for local (and local-ish) horror conventions, events, and Halloween parties. This late summer, we traveled over an hour to attend an annual horror convention.

Despite many conventions being hubs for consumerism, what I truly love about this one near us is the abundance of local artists, crafters, and collectors. In addition to lovely art, the vibe is far friendlier. In fact, Horror Conventions (despite what people might assume) tend to have some of the most down to earth, friendly, empathetic, and open-minded people. It is more than a vibe. It is genuine connection.

One of my favorite things to do at conventions is chat up the artists, who vary in their preferred medium from pen and ink, to fabric and yarn, to book binding, to cosmetics. Many are more than happy to share with you their creative process, how they source their materials, and what motivates them. Surprisingly, most appear to be creating and selling for fun, and not for the grandeur of wealth, social media fame, and validation. If anything, it is for the love of the craft, science, and appreciation for the collective community. This is a culture I can get behind.

The sentiment is endearing, and inspired me to worry less about algorithms and success as it relates to numbers, and more about joining in on something greater: community.

Some of my favorite finds…

Last time I attended the convention, I racked up mostly on horror literature from independent writers. Even though I intended to do that this year, I ended up finding some incredible art pieces and decided to swing in a different direction: racking up on art.

Luna 2 The Moon Art Glass. The first piece of art I purchased was a steampunk skeleton with gear details and chains. It was made by Denise Henock, who owns Luna 2 The Moon Art Glass. The steampunk skeleton was part of her Steampunk Collection, which also included a clockwork owl and starfish. I fell in love with this gentleman instantly, and it was a splurge well worth every penny. The glass bone is iridescent like the inside of an oyster shell. I just adore the found metal objects on his eyes and hats. It is a brilliant combination of metal (gears and chains) and nature (butterflies, flora, and bone). A wonderful addition to my Velvet Room.

The Kitchen Witch Handbook. Unfortunately, I misplaced the card for this vendor, but I purchased from her The Kitchen Witch Handbook by Aurora Kane. I first want to appreciate the incredible spread of beautiful things she had, from almanacs to spell books to calendars and wallets. While I am secular in nature, I do have an appreciation for spiritual movements that inspire positive relationships between people and nature.  This is a really fun cookbook that includes a pantheon of ancient goddesses who play a major role in the importance of the kitchen. Woven within are recommendations for herbs, garden essentials, and seasonal pantries. Some dishes I cannot wait to make are the Otherworldly Pumpkin Soup, Hot Buttered Rum, and Celebration of Spring Soup. She also sold a delicious Wednesday inspired tea, which I am sad to say that I only have five tea bags left…

Last, but not least, I had a motivating conversation with artist Tom Agnetti of Fridge Worthy Art. He is an incredibly versatile artist who does bold and impactful sketches in pen and ink. I could not leave without his Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and his sketch of Okurun from Dandadan. He had me inspired to draw and paint more after he asked to see some of my work (which I hesitated to share). It means a lot when an artist you see as vastly superior to you acknowledges your own work. I have not quite found my own drawing and painting style yet, but it is time to dust off the easel in my room.