10 Questions: Blogger and Etsy Artist Erin Kelly

Erin Kelly is a whimsical writer with a delightful dark side. She spins stories about mysterious creatures with words and paint and then sells them in her Etsy shop, Somnambulent. My favorite is that of Sigmund, a square-headed green lad from tiny Carbunkletown who only wants people to listen to his new favorite band:

'Sigmund would excitedly run through the town square when he found a new band that made his heart quake. He'd try to implore the Widow Crotchbiter to listen, he'd tug on Jake the Smut Peddlar's sleeve, tap Susie Chibbles on the back.

"Please, you have to listen to this band! They're so good and full of emotion and they're from Smugglesville and there's this one song and and–"

"You're so dumb, Sigmund," they'd laugh.

"Grow up, Sigmund," his co-workers would say.

"But, this record saved my life, seriously!" Sigmund would cry in defense.'

I think it's because Sigmund reminds me of me.

In her own words:

Erin Kelly has been hyperbole’s bitch since 1979. She bides her time constructing festive holiday poems about serial killers, she drinks lots of coffee, and she once considered changing her name to “Saffron” for at least an entire month. She can be found doing sit-ups in cemeteries, acting like a sixteen-year-old at Warped Tour, and developing unrealistic crushes on haunted house inhabitants every October. Her motto is "If life gives you lemons, get real drunk and chuck them in the eye of your best friend."

Erin resides in Pittsburgh with her man-slave of eight years and their three-year-old trucker-mouthed son. A blogger since 2001, her current time-guzzler is www.ohhonestlyerin.com, where she lays down obscenity-laced drivel about cupcakes, concerts, and culinary mishaps. She is also the (oft-contorted) face behind Somnambulant Art and once kept a pet orange named Marcus Aurelius for an entire week.

So, hi. Take us through a day in the life of Erin.


Erin's day consists of trying not to accumulate too many battle wounds from her bully of a three-year-old son. Given the day, one can find her either fashioning a nylon noose to be slung from the light fixtures, having impromptu dance parties with her son, hiding from the religious solicitors, and somehow squeezing in some painting and writing during forced nap-time. She usually unwinds with a glass of wine and some quality MTV reality programming. She's an out-of-the-closet Real World/Road Rules Challenge fanatic. There is also some jump-rope action taking place.

You're really into music, right? What's on your playlist?

I love music! In another life, I might come equipped with the ability to actually sing a note or two without felling a small village. I fluctuate across a very broad scope of genres, from post-hardcore, goth, synthpop, art rock, indie rock, twee, and even Top 40. (Did I mention that I'm also a fan of MTV's Making the Band? Because I am.)

Ten bands I last listened to:

1. Feeding Fingers
2. Emarosa
3. Minus the Bear
4. Grinderman
5. The Cure (note: my all-time favorite band, ever.)
6. Circa Survive
7. Xiu Xiu
8. Cursive
9. Chiodos
10. Bat for Lashes

What is your favorite city, and your favorite thing to do in that city?

My favorite city is Tangier, in Morocco and I am very grateful to have had one opportunity to visit. I love how it smelled, like mint, couscous and dry earth. I bought a rug when I was there and for years it retained an exotic essense. Then one of my cats pissed on it. I keep it in the basement now.

My favorite thing to do there was to not get bit by a camel. (Which actually happened to me two summers ago and I am completey averse to them now.)

Where do you live now? What makes your city special?

I was born and raised here in Pittsburgh. Mostly I like it, but it can be stifling. Especially when the majority of the bands I like skip over Pittsburgh and this is a horrible thing because my favorite past-time is going to shows.

I think we do have some cool things going, a smattering of indie boutiques and grassroots art galleries have been springing up in the past decade, and we have a super swell vegetarian restaurant which doubles as an antique shop, called The Zenith. (It's also home to the best waiter ever.)

And you will never find sports fans as passionate as here, oh my Lord. The whole city practically shut down for the Superbowl. Which is not awesome for a non-football-fan like myself.(Hockey and tennis up in here.)

Please note that I was raised just far enough on the outskirts on the city to avoid the dreaded Pittsburghese dialect.

What are three of your favorite things, and why?

1. My son, Riley. He is a constant source of entertainment and hands down the best thing I've ever made. (I take 90% of the credit.)
2. Cemeteries. They are my favorite places to walk/jog/escape. Some of my best ideas were born there, and I have a picnic at one every Christmas with my boyfriend and our son.
3. HALLOWEEN. I love every last detail about it. The history, the movies, the smell in the air, the trick-or-treating, haunted houses. I love it. I love scary things. In fact, I love being scary in general.

When did you start painting? What prompted you to start?

I used to paint when I was a kid, but stopped sometime after high school. I had wanted to go to the Academy of Art College in San Fran but my grandma completely wigged out and was all, "That's where all the gays live!" Yeah, I know, it was a stimulating conversation. I didn't start again until the summer of 2007, when I was trying to give people incentive to sponsor me for Blogathon (an event where one blogs every 30 minutes for 24 hours, in an effort to raise money for a charity of their choice). I promised small paintings to those who donated a certain amount, and quickly remembered how cathartic it was. Plus, I was at odds with my boyfriend at that time and it provided a much necessary emotional release for me. So after I fulfilled my obligations, I decided to keep going.

Artistically speaking, what inspires you? Who are your influences?

I am inspired by music. Certain lyrics, especially from Chiodos and Pierce the Veil, literally form shapes in my head.

You pair your paintings with stories. How did that start, and why do you do it?

Writing is actually my main focus, I've always written short stories. I never shared them until recently. So there I was, posting stories on my blog, and listing paintings on Etsy, and I thought, "Why not mash them." It actually makes it more fun and challenging for me, knowing that a painting isn't finished until it has a story. I think it gives them originality and character, helps them stand apart from everything else out there, because it really can be hard to stay original in a field crowded with so many talented artists.

I like that sometimes a painting will look cheery and colorful, but then the story is actually quite dark and disturbing. I'm really a big fan of dichotomy.

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops and blogs?

I'm a member of the EtsyDarkSide street team, and their shops can be found by searching for "etsydarkteam." They are seriously an amazing group! For starters, try TheTinyTragedies.etsy.com.

Also:

itsdipoe.blogspot.com — they made me a painting of Craig Owens from Chiodos and it's immaculate, really.
laurenurban.etsy.com — beautiful glass jewelry
aminyitray.etsy.com — chockful of oddities

Any words of advice for other artists who are pursuing their creative goals?

Just do it. I let my family's negativity prevent from doing my thing for years and it makes me sad to think of all that time I lost. If you're new to Etsy, don't get discouraged if you don't reach a hundred sales right off the bat. Keep realistic goals and make sure it stays fun for you, because that's the most important thing!

[Visit Erin's Esty shop, Somnambulant, and collect some mysterious creatures of your own.]