We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tori a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tori, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

In the summer of 2020, I was feeling lost creatively. During the time of isolation, I decided I wanted to dig into creative outlets to keep myself occupied. I tried painting for a while, and writing, but neither of those hobbies seemed to be the winner. For my birthday in August, my husband and I took a roadtrip to a new restaurant opening up in Cleveland, Ohio. On the way up to Ohio, I decided to download Instagram to my phone after staying off of my personal account for a few years. I always admired the art of photography, so I thought that maybe I could try that as a new creative outlet. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my account, but I knew I wanted it to be something different. Something big.

My husband and I finally made it to Ohio and before we went to The Haunted House Restaurant, we sat down at a bar and threw ideas around of what I could try on Instagram. Before I knew it, I was creating a Business Profile page to try my hand at content creation. Again, I still was unsure of exactly what I was going to do, but I thought about creating something different than my typical 9 to 5 day. I admired the work of so many influencers in the Halloween community on Instagram and I finally found the community where I would fit in. I wanted to find a space where I knew that I would fit in and where others new they were appreciated as well as their work. I’ve loved Halloween since I was a kid and I knew that it was something that I could commit to celebrating 365 days a year. I mean, I was celebrating my birthday in a Halloween themed restaurant after all! It all just seemed to click in that moment.

As we entered The Haunted House Restaurant, that’s where my Instagram content creation began. The restaurant had so many opportunities for photos and videos, it really helped me launch my new dream. On the car ride home, I began researching how to use Instagram as a business profile, and how to get others to discover you. I began following influencers that were dedicated to Halloween as a lifestyle, commenting on their posts, and sharing their posts. Eventually, I began to find my place within the Halloween community on Instagram.

For the first year, it was a lot of trial and error. However, when I start a project, I will always make sure to research day in and out to understand what I need to do to be successful. After more research, I began to change the style of my content as far as filters, aesthetic and captions. From there, things started to settle in and my following began to grow. When you see your following grow, it keeps you motivated to continue on. The biggest highlights of first starting in content creation is when some of your favorite, famous influencers notice you and share your work. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know where I would be. Those instances gave me the push that I needed. I’m nowhere near where I’d like to be as far as a creator goes, but I know it will happen eventually.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I consider myself to be a “Halloween enthusiast” on the Internet. I’ve always admired the dark, mysterious, yet cute and fun things that come with the holiday. I wanted a platform to find others like myself and Instagram was the answer. If you find yourself in the Halloween community on Instagram, you’ll see how supportive of a place it is. We all love the same thing and just love to spread the magic of the holiday and the months leading up to it, the ‘ber months. On my profile, I love to promote Halloween products for companies, alternative fashion from small businesses, and my travel destinations. Once a year, my followers can find me in Salem, Massachusetts. The Witch City was a place I knew I always wanted to visit, and it is so adored and cherished on Instagram.

I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days where I felt like quitting content creation. Unlike some influencers you may come across, I have a full time job that keeps me from creating content that I wish I had the time to do. My full time work is mentally exhausting as I work in the mental health field. So, some days, I don’t want to continue with my account. You can get discouraged seeing others take off while your account is still stagnant. It can be disheartening when you know you work incredibly hard with what you have, but you cannot always post what you want because of your profession. I feel like that sometimes gets overlooked in the world of influencers. We all have our own stories, and we’re all trying to make it work to the best of our abilities. I know I have the drive to get myself where I have always dreamed. I dream of my account taking off one day, but until that happens, I have to be modest with what I post and I have to be kind to myself in the process. It’s incredibly easy to compare yourself to others and doubt in your abilities. Without the support of my friends and family, I’m not sure if spookyintheburgh would still be an active account.

I am proud of myself for continuing with my account when I have had many days of tears, defeat and self-doubt creep in. Social media and content creation can be a toxic environment if you don’t take appropriate measures to protect yourself in the process.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing others connect with what you have to say and admiring your hard work. I’m a creator that doesn’t necessarily have the resources that others do to create such incredible content, so when you see someone applauding you, it gives you validation. It’s also rewarding knowing that when I go on Instagram, I’m always going to have an entire community supporting whatever I decide to do.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think non-creatives might struggle to understand why I’m trying to “make it” as a content creator if I have a full time job. I am so thankful and grateful to have the job that I do. However, we all need something in our lives that keeps us creative, keeps us on our toes, and keeps pushing us to do better.

I work in the mental health field, and for me, I need something to help occupy my mind in a different way when my workday is done. I love coming home to know I can dive into a creative headspace and create things that others will enjoy. We all need hobbies, and content creation became mine.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spookyintheburgh/