As someone who creates written content and short form video/photo content, I wanted to share some long-form content creators on YouTube that I enjoy every spooky season.
Whether it is merch searches, decorating ideas, boo-basket ideas, merch hauls or going to haunts that I am, I must admit, that I am too afraid to attend myself. Here are my recommendations, so happy watching!
MERCH/DECOR
Starting with one of the most popular creators and so enjoyable to watch, Jade the Libra.
She goes on merch searches and then decorates her home beautifully. She is a joy to watch.
She also merch searches and decorates beautifully with a sense of fun and comradery.
GHOST HUNTING CONTENT
Sometimes you just want to go on an old-fashioned ghost hunt! Here are some great paranormal investigators to watch:
First one is Kelsi Davies. She is a medium and investigator that has ALL to tools and searches for the paranormal with a sense of respect for those departed.
Next up is “Ghost Files” on Watcher. Since they gained fame on Buzzfeed “Unsolved”, they have evolved into well-versed ghost hunters, and Shane’s skepticism always adds some fun to the videos.
FUN SPOOKY OUTTINGS
To kick us off, we have Kevin Heimbach, who is an absolute expert on all things Halloween Horror Nights. He attends as many haunts as possible, does fantastic walk-thru’s for chickens like me 😉
Next is Ghoul Host. She really does it all, haunts, shopping, decor for spooky season. She also has a fantastic sense of style.
Next is Pinup Palmer. In addition to being a co-host on “Svengoolie” on MeTV, she goes to spooky events, shops at fun spooky-themed places and loves to hit up spooky-themed events in the LA area. In addition, if you love pinup style, she’s your gal!
Last, but not least, is whimsy-goth, Ashleigh Olson. She is a master at hitting the thrift shops for whimsy, gothic, a little of both. In addition, she is another fashionista!
I hope that you will try these channels out, give them a like and a subscribe if you want as well.
As of today, August 20, 2026, I will not be using any AI to create content.
Some of my past content, I toyed with photo apps and wardrobe archive apps, but upon doing some research realized that this content is AI generated and the apps themselves aren’t created with artists or to the benefit of artists. So, I deleted these apps. I want to help people create and express themselves. I do NOT want to use apps like those to assist me, as they are not helping anyone.
AI can be a great tool. I ironically used AI to research the above-mentioned apps! But, I will not be using anything that puts artists out of a job.
Example, I created the notice below using Canva. Canva has AI options, but I opted out of them. The fonts, graphics and other elements were created by graphic artists, and I pay Canva a license annually to use them. That keeps artists employed and my website looking good.
I will be retroactively removing old content that used AI. Please know I had no idea that it was putting people on the unemployment line when I used it. I believed these apps to be employing artists, like Canva and WordPress do.
I don’t make any real income creating content. I do it for fun and to inspire confidence and spread positivity. That being said, income or not, I want my content to be beautifully human.
So, I’ve been playing this this idea for a while. Also, I wanted to do something special for the 10th anniversary. While I did see that I could have actual physical cards made, I also realized they are expensive, and ain’t nobody got money for that right now! So Hey, less waste, and I created all these from CanvaPro and did NOT use AI.
I tried a couple of cards with some stylized AI at the beginning to make them look like they were paintings or a comic book page, but two things: they didn’t add anything to the look, and I was using AI, and I felt icky about it. I removed those posts from Instagram and TikTok, but they might still be “out there”. Internet is forever. But, if you see them, know that I was just toying with an idea, and I won’t be doing that anymore.
So, to the cards! I love posting OOTDs. They are my main style of content, and, I think, the most helpful to people. I have these Goddess Oracle cards I use daily. They are Tarot-adjacent, but a great way to get a quick look at/inspiration for the day ahead. I thought, “This could be a great way to give someone outfit inspiration!” I made three “suits” of cards that align with the name NerdySparkleGoth.com, as each represents a little bit of me and what I’m about.
I’ve posted a few short-form TikToks and Reels with a selection of cards and the OOTD pops up at the end. You can also tap “pause” and pick your OOTD that way. The videos have not been doing great, but I think they might catch on. I just need to figure out the best music to add, hashtags, etc. These algorithms make me crazy!
I’ve put up a few cards in this article to peruse. The pieces are listed in a generic fashion (ex. tall boot or comic print skirt). I will continue to post specific OOTD’s with shopping links in separate posts. Also, reminder, I do make a small commission on Amazon as an Affiliate (I made $11.50 last year total, so lunch is on me!).
Please let me know here or on socials how you like the cards. If you get inspo, or don’t. I’d love to know. I want to always be an inspiration to people of all sizes, ages and gender-identification with special attention paid to how much these things cost.
In addition to the cards, I wanted to write about some fashion topics people are talking about, one being budget-friendly fashion. I have done a lot of research on what companies I buy from. One in particular has really cleaned up its act in the last couple years. Using recycled fibers to create new garments from old fabric. They do smaller runs to prevent dead stock issues. They screen print designs on denim instead of using water and chemicals to “distress” the jeans. This information came from independent sources, not propaganda, btw. I have also come to learn that almost all of our clothes/accessories are made in the same place and in the same way. While not perfect, they pay their tailors and seamstresses more per piece than other factories in the area. When you convert it to US dollars, it is above our minimum wage. They listened to us and made big changes. I am going to keep encouraging those steps in the right direction. One note, I do wish “they” would get better social media creators to do their videos. So cringe, but I think I’m just salty because they pay me no mind because I am too old I guess. Oh well, this is my hobby and not my job anyways. Womp, womp.
Further, I recommend only pieces I myself own and keep. I keep things for years too. I do not do “hauls” where I toss a pile of junky clothes into a trash heap. I do twice yearly donations of clean, and in good condition clothes (they either no longer fit me as my weight fluctuates, or I have moved on from a particular style) to a local shelter that is LGBTQ-friendly, and their thrift stores do not over-price what they sell (you know who I’m talking about). I do NOT donate to two certain charities, one that does not support LGBTQ persons and the other over-prices out the whazoo! Not cool.
So, that’s it for me over here. It is FINALLY spooky season, so Huzzah!!!
Hope all is well with you all. I’m good, kid is good, pets are good, job is good, house is good and car is also good! So, good! I appreciate all the love and support from you guys!
I started a GLP1 (aka Ozympic, Wegovy, Mountjaro) to treat my obesity about a year and a half ago. Between job changes and changes to insurance coverage, I would get started, have to stop and get started on a different medication, rinse, repeat. So, between that, menopause and just life, I noticed the changes, but didn’t really “see” the changes. Let me explain.
I felt the changes almost immediately. My inflammation was reduced. My arthritis didn’t bother me as much. My appetite was diminshed, as were things like instrusive thoughts, stress and anxiety. I don’t have a scale at home and don’t plan on ever going down that “diet culture” path again. I would get weighed at the doctor’s office, so I knew I lost 30, 45, 55 and now about 85 pounds down. The medication makes my body burn food as fuel like it was always supposed to. GLP1s are undoing the damage of repeat dieting, trying extreme exercise, or both, having them fail me, so I would gain the weight back and then some. Also, rinse, repeat. My metabolism and those of many obese people are just completely screwed at this point (watch the “Biggest Loser” documentary on Netflix to see what I mean). In short, the medication is a life saver for me. It is expensive, but worth it. I’m lucky to have a good job that has good insurance. For the first time since my late teens, I feel like my body is “running” correctly.
So, this medication has meant a lot to me personally. I feel better. But, I already had entered my 40s and 50s and had gained self-confidence and body-positivity. If GLP1s didn’t exist, I’d still be doing what I’m doing. Blogging and making short-form videos on budget-friendly, size-inclusive clothing for nerdy people of all ages. But, I did start noticing a change in the past couple months, and could not figure out what was going on. Turns out, this is something a lot of people on GLP1s experience.
I noticed that my outfits weren’t “hitting” like they used to. My style has never really fundamentally changed my whole life. I like a dose of 80’s new wave, goth, nerdy/geeky things, sparkly things and some vintage mid-century thrown in for good measure. The only “new” thing I was doing was looking at street snaps from Japan, specifically, Harajuku street fashions. After visiting Japan, my style and fashion game changed a bit, wherein I would add doses and inspiration from those looks, but my overall aesthetic remained the same. Nerdy sparkle goth. So, why did I not feel like I was nailing my outfits all of the sudden?
I knew that my size had changed, but repeated dieting over the years, I was used to my body changing, and then changing back. Rinse. Repeat. My weight loss was in my mid-section, followed by face and unfortunately, my chest would take a hit and get smaller. But, a pair of knee-high boots told me to take a critical look at my “looks” as of late and see what I don’t like about them.
I had ordered these boots because they were a “grail” for me. I had been looking for a platformed, but not heeled, goth knee-high boot with lots of hardware and not lace-up. The lady on TikTok said they were “wide calf friendly”. I thought, “She hasn’t met these calves, but they are supposed to stretch, so WTF, go for it.” I assumed I’d get them, they wouldn’t zip up, and hey, free returns, so no harm. I put them on and they zipped up without effort. OK, time to measure my body cause that NEVER happens! So, I grabbed a tape measure and sure enough, all my losses were in my arms and legs and face/neck. My mid-section hadn’t shrunk like it used to. I needed to rethink how I was dressing to my new shape.
Here are a couple of examples: one that works, and one that doesn’t quite work…
These photos are from the same week. But, you can see on the left, it is coming off a little “dumpy”. I used Face App for my make-up only, fyi, so the body hasn’t been filtered in any way. The left was inspired by Simone Rocha/Japan street fashion type looks. The fancy tulle mixed with athelesiure, and it looks “fine”. The look on the right though is really serving, in my humble opinion. I remember actually hesitating to wear this because of the length. One of the things that never changed on me were my larger “thunder thighs” and big booty. No shade to me, just how I look. These pictures opened my eyes. My weight loss was different this time.
It is very common to not really notice how different you look because you live with yourself everyday. It happens so gradually, that you continue to see yourself as you were and always were.
So, I went through some more of my looks that were posted around the same time as each other and noted what worked and what didn’t in them. Like these:
This difference is a bit more subtle as both have big-ass tulle skirts (I like to twirl), but the cerulean one on the right is better. Why? The one on the left isn’t bad, but the blue shirt is giving me a waist, something that I need to give myself since my waistline has not begun to shrink on the medication yet. It also shows more leg, which is something I need to do more of because my former tree trunk legs are no more.
So, if you find yourself on a GLP1, first, hope it is going well for you. It’s nice to finally treat your obesity like the disease it is, isn’t it? It’s not a personal failing after all. You might need to do what I did, which is take a look at your wardrobe and do some restructuring. This can be tricky though. Because like most everyone, you are going to criticize your body and not the outfit. I make little jokes about my “tree trunk legs”, but I mean these things in a lighthearted way. At the end of the day, big or small legs, big or small booty, I still like what I see in the mirror. I just want to style it the best I can!
So, compare the outfits and not the body in them. Make sure that you are making sure that the clothes work for you and not against you. There’s nothing wrong with your body. I have posted all the outfits above. I won’t be taking any of them down either. The leopard print tulle skirt will have to be wrestled out of my cold, dead hands! I love it! But next time I wear it, I will style it differently by pairing it with a different shirt/shoe or both. If something doesn’t feel great on your body, then find the thing that does. Dress for the person you are right this second. Today. Don’t wait. You deserve to adorn yourself in clothes that make you feel great, because we are all deserving of great art that we live our lives in.
