It’s the spookiest time of the year and while people may have different opinions on Halloween and horror, I think everyone should be able to appreciate the fun that comes with creativity.
Let me be honest — I’m not a fan of scary things. Ever since I watched the 1977 animated Hobbit film when I was about five and got scared out of my mind by Gollum, I grew up being very sensitive to things that were creepy, ugly, disturbing and so on. Even as I got older and could handle scary things a little better, I’ve still never been a fan of the horror genre in general. Maybe I’ve always had an overactive imagination, but I’m pretty good at psyching myself out. So I don’t need anything to put the idea in my head that I’m going to glance in the mirror and see a monster behind me.
Since I’m not a lover of spooky things, it would be reasonable to assume that Halloween doesn’t top my list of favorite holidays. And while I can’t say it takes the number one spot, I will say that it’s still up there. I actually do love Halloween.
There are several things I enjoy about the holiday, but the main thing I love is the opportunity for people to showcase what they love in a creative way.
During Halloween, opportunities for creativity abound. The biggest and most obvious is the costumes people make. While it’s often easier to buy pre-made costumes from a manufacturer, the best costumes I’ve seen are the ones people put together themselves, whether by making them or hunting down all the pieces they need.
I have so much fun every year figuring out how I can represent some of my favorite characters, either taking things I already own or buying new outfits or accessories that I will be able to wear again, then putting them together in a new way. I also love seeing what other people who are far more creative than me when it comes to clothing, crafting and makeup are able to do.
One thing I personally love about Halloween costumes is that these days most of them come from specific fictional stories, whether movies, books or series.
I remember most costumes when I was a kid often being fairly generic — vampire, cat, zombie, firefighter, etc. But even then, costumes were starting to move toward being more specific. The last time I went trick-or-treating as a child was my favorite, because my brother and I dressed up as characters from “The Lord of the Rings.” (I came full circle after my early Gollum scare and eventually loved all the films and books.) I still have pieces of the Arwen costume we put together for me.
Now as adults, my brother and I are back to dressing up as our favorite characters together. He and his family pick a theme for Halloween every year and all come up with costumes based on it.
They’ve done themes like “Alice in Wonderland,” “Star Wars” and “Wizard of Oz.” As the crazy aunt, I join in on the fun when I can. Last year I spent Halloween with them in Idaho and we all dressed as music icons. This year I’ll be with them again, and we’ll be taking on Harry Potter.
I’m a self-proclaimed nerd who loves stories. So having an opportunity every year to represent and show off my favorite stories and characters, and to see others show off theirs, is exciting and fun.
Halloween is full of other opportunities for creativity as well, whether through decorations, pumpkin carving, music or baking. However people display their creativity, Halloween is a perfect time for it.
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