Rising Stars: Meet Kelsee Thomas

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Kelsee Thomas again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Kelsee, thanks for joining us again. Just to level set a bit for folks who may have missed our last interview together, can you briefly introduce yourself?
Hi! My name’s Kelsee also known as Kelssweetie across a lot of my platforms. I’m a creative and book influencer based in Los Angeles, originally from Dayton, Ohio. My work focuses on color and illustration, while my book content makes a point of uplifting diverse voices in horror, thriller, and “weird” literary fiction spaces!
How my work looks may seem at odds with the community celebrates at first, but it speaks to the conversation that those who take part in a “darker” community, don’t have a stereotypical look. I “look” nothing like the content I speak on, but horror, thriller, and “weird” lit are genres that are as radical and diverse as possible. You don’t have to be brooding to be able or wanting to learn and reflect!
While I now work as a freelance artist and a book designer at Simon and Schuster, I actually spent the last 6 years in marketing in music so my story is a pretty non-traditional one. Many different turns in the last couple of years with my work and interests have brought me to where I am now, and its just proof that you can make anything a possibility!

Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
So the last time we spoke, I’m pretty sure I was freelancing on the side while working in the music industry, trying to find a way to combine them both. Well, after the last few years in the music industry just not fulfilling me creatively, I decided to take the leap and leave! Afterwards, I worked with Reese’s Book Club/Hello Sunshine on some freelance work for an activation as well as some book influencer opportunities, started a channel on YouTube that focused on creativity and books, became a booksta-grammer who recommends horror and “weird” lit with diverse voices, co-created a horror zine publication with another book influencer, and after all that, became a book designer at Simon and Schuster Publishing! You could say there’s been a huge shift in my life to say the least, but I’m excited for all the new possibilities!

We have now arrived at one of our favorite parts of the interview – the lightning round. We’ll ask you a few quick questions to give us all some fun insights about you.

• Favorite Movie: “Scream” (I love a meta horror film)
• Favorite Book: “The Women Could Fly” by Megan Giddings (Made me cry and I still think of its story today!)
• Favorite TV Show: “X-Files” (The truth is out there!)
• Favorite Band or Artist: Doechii (That’s just this week, who knows who it’ll be next time I’m asked!)
• Sweet or Savory: SWEET
• Mountains or Beach: Mountains! (But especially in the fall, I’m a Midwest girl to the core and need some leaves to change!)
• Favorite Sport (to watch): uh. . . I don’t fall asleep when basketball is on. lol.
• Favorite Sport (to play): I don’t necessarily play sports, but I LOVE lifting at the gym and boxing!
• Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): Definitely was the art kid and book nerd my whole life!
• As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: I always wanted to make art. It might’ve changed in what profession that was, but it was always to create.
• French Fries or Onion Rings: French Fries!
• Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: sorry, who?
• Favorite Cartoon growing up: Courage the Cowardly Dog? Totally Spies? Ed, Edd, and Eddy? Each one is a part of my personality somehow. lol.
• Favorite Childhood movie: “School of Rock” (“There used be a way to stick it to the Man, but no. The Man had to ruin that too with a thing called MTV!”)
• Favorite Breakfast Food: Not a fan of breakfast! BUT the french toast from Jacks n’ Joe is UNMATCHED.

Life is often about tough choices – can you talk to us about your thought process, strategy or philosophy when it comes to making difficult choices or tradeoffs.
You’re absolutely correct, life is hard and full of tough choices, but it also has the possibility to be amazing if you break through those rough spots. My aunt taught me a philosophy when I was a teenager that has become a mantra for me and helped me work through every process, life change, and rough time.
People are a lot like plants. They need some water, some sunlight, and if they start to grow, they’ll need to be transferred to bigger pots. If they don’t, they become root bound and start to die off or just won’t grow. People are also like that. They start to notice that life is getting harder, things don’t seem to work like they used to, and that’s your sign that you’re ready for your bigger “pot,” your bigger opportunity. Some people recognize it and they grow through it by putting themselves in that bigger “pot,” whatever that may be. Others don’t, and they’re success starts to die off or continue to feel uncomfortable/stuck. Life is about being uncomfortable because that’s when the growth happens.
If I can teach anybody anything, I’m not lucky. I’ve just learned that when those hard times come that I need to start looking for my bigger “pot” because it’s time for it. I just need to figure out what it’s time for and how to make it happen. Anyone else can do the same. Knowing this won’t necessarily make it easier for you when it’s time for the change, but it’ll at least give you context to keep pushing because the big change will be on the other side.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kelssweetie.com
• Instagram: @kelssweetie
• Youtube: @kelssweetie
• Other: STORE – kelssweetie.etsy.com ZINE – www.nightterrormagazine.com