INTERVIEW – CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS

*Chit enters a dark room covered in Saran Wrap like an episode of Dexter, a floor lamp turns on, unveiling the individual who goes by “Carnival of Darkness”*

CHIT: Good evening, Carnival of Darkness! I want to thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for the website and for being a fan of CHATTER.

CHIT: First, I want to ask, how did you get started on doing pieces such as the Chatter piece?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: After discovering Chatter and listening to their music and hearing the story, it inspired me to create this character because Chatter is like me behind the mask

CHIT: How did Chatter inspire you to do this art piece?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I can relate to it because I was school bullied as a kid. Then at home, I had my evil stepfather, who was an alcoholic and hated me and made my life a living hell for the next ten years.

CHIT: Did you come across any roadblocks or brain farts, which I call them, while doing this piece? If so, what did you do to overcome them?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: Of course, every artist has those before the inspiration hits. How to overcome them is just to let it go and have fun with it. Experimenting with different styles, pens, and color palettes. Drawing is a passion and for me, a stress relief, and battling with anxiety and depression for years, drawing was my escape from all the darkness inside my head.

CHIT: What was the most challenging part about this piece for you to try and perfect?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: For me, any design is challenging; that’s what makes it fun. I always like to challenge myself with every design and make it unique. But pleasing to the eye. Playing around with colors and brushes and seeing what fits the design. Mixing the colors on the jacket was fun because if one thing looked out of place, I erased it and started all over again.

CHIT: How long did this piece take you to finish?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: Around eight hours drawing non-stop.

CHIT: How did you come across the talent that you have shown in this piece? Do you do this as a hobby? Work?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I’m a self-taught artist; art school was too expensive, so I started to learn on my own. I have been drawing for 20+ years and switched to digital in 2018. -I started my digital art journey with a 5 EUR drawing tablet that my grandma got me from the drift shop. I started to draw with it and upgraded the tablets as my talents go. Ended up having an iPad and still use the same one to this day. -Yes, I do this as a hobby and as work. I design custom tattoos for clients worldwide. I work with bands on their merch for their tour, like t-shirts and posters.

CHIT: As an artist, what do you do to get in the “mood” to design a piece such as this?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I love watching horror movies and listening to music. With the Chatter piece, I was listening to Panic, and it got me hyped to make my own design. The music video brought me back to my school era of bullying. All that loneliness, being laughed at for being different.

CHIT: What is your go-to music or podcast to listen to while doing designs such as this?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I like to listen to Reel Rejects and Nick and Cory’s movie reactions. With the Chatter piece, I was listening to my mix playlist, which contains nu metal, heavy metal, rock, and 90s hits. Mainly, hinder heartless, lips of an angel, Seether broken, 3 doors down here without you, Adema the way you like it, TRUST company downfall, Static X only, Simple plan perfect, System of a down Lonely day, Linkin park new divide, Shinedown second chance

CHIT: If you could only do one type of design or style of art from now till the end of time, what would it be? (i.e., Black & Gray, Watercolor, realism, trash polka, new school neo traditional, etc.)

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I crafted and created my own style of artwork, and yes, I would do that for the rest of my life.

CHIT: What is your Current favorite CHATTER track or lyric, and why?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: For me, it’s a Fake a Smile 😁

I honestly love this song. I connect to the lyrics a lot – especially lately, I feel like I’ve had to put on a fake cover of happiness when I feel like I’m drowning inside. The beat/tempo makes the song really interesting to sing; it’s been stuck in my head. Overall, it’s fire.

CHIT: What is your all-time favorite movie?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: Horror movies have been my life since I was six years old. My first movie was Halloween 20 years later. But overall favorite is Scream 96, I just always loved Ghostface as a slasher. I even dressed up as Ghostface every Halloween, haha! Now we have our own horror community where I can share my love and passion for horror movies and art.

CHIT: What is your all-time favorite NON-Chatter song or band?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: When I need stress relief, I listen to Linkin Park. The songs feel personal; they hit deep like they were written for moments I couldn’t explain. No matter how your taste in music changes, they always find a way back into your playlist. Mental health is a real thing… money or fame doesn’t mean anything if you’re not happy inside.

CHIT: Other than the Chatter piece.. because we can’t be biased, I suppose, what was your all-time favorite piece you have done in your portfolio?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: That’s a hard question because there’s a story behind all of them. I can’t have just one favorite, but if I had to say, then it would be Scream 7 x INK design. It has the most amount of likes and views. I was shocked after seeing it explode after one night. I designed it for this art competition, but felt bummed after realizing that the competition wasn’t open in my area, so I just made it for my horror fans to enjoy.

CHIT: You definitely caught Chatter’s eye with this piece. Were you expecting it to be seen or loved this much already?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: That feeling is always awesome and feels unreal that the band likes your art and reacts to it. As an artist, that’s the biggest respect you can get. It makes me humble and appreciate all the little things have a bigger meaning to someone who can relate to it as much as I do. No matter what, it is the same trauma, or a bad childhood, or surviving your abusive stepfather. You’re not alone, and we can support each other through art.

CHIT: To any other artist out there of any kind, what advice would you give them?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I have been doing this since I was 7 years old. It takes time, but enjoy what you do. Find out what inspires you to make art, support and follow artists that fit your style. For me, art is not a job, it’s a passion.

CHIT: If you could meet Chatter, what would you ask or do for him?

CARNIVAL OF DARKNESS: I would thank him for letting me know someone understands the pain inside and what I’m going through. Their music is my escape from the darkness, and I can express myself through my art to help others. Thank you so much for this interview, it was my pleasure to be a part of it

CHIT: Again, I want to thank you, Carnival of Darkness, for taking the time with me and answering the questions for fellow family members of CHATTER. Thank you again, and keep rocking!

If you wish to visit CARNIVAL OF DARKNESSES’ Instagram, please visit it by CLICKING HERE. Please help support the artist and give them a Follow!