We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Eastman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Courtney, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Looking back, I’ve always had a natural gravitation towards the creative arts and found a safe-haven within them throughout my life, so finding myself going down this path, just makes sense, but it’s also something I never thought I’d actually do. So when the persistent thought of creating a space to showcase content, my macabre interests, and have a space for my creativity to roam free arose in 2020, I believed I owed it to myself to lean into this natural pull towards creative writing instead of dealing with the what if’s that would come if I didn’t.
Luckily for me, since that first post in October of 2020, everything with The Ghoul Guide has unfolded naturally and has become a weirdly beautiful journey of expressing myself authentically and allowing myself to grow in so many ways.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve had a natural curiosity for the macabre and forgotten history since my childhood years, but it wasn’t until October of 2020 when I had allowed myself to fully lean into this odd interest. I created the Instagram account, The Ghoul Guide, to become a storyteller of the urban legends and haunted locations that have been surrounding me since my youth, and ultimately became my escape during the year of lockdown. Not only that, I also wanted to connect with others who wanted to go on these adventures and dive a little deeper into the strange and unknown. Since taking that chance on myself, a weirdly wonderful journey had begun of becoming an unexpected content creator, a published author, and a voice to the weird and haunting stories that shouldn’t be forgotten!
Over the past three and a half years, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing my macabre travels around the Midwest and East coast as I highlight the dark history and peculiar side to life–and the afterlife! Bringing along my audience of over 100,000 followers collectively, I’ve had the chance to coexist and share the haunting tales or weird history that reside within some of the Nation’s notoriously known locations such as the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, the Lizzie Borden House, and Bobby Mackey’s Music World!
In-between all of that traveling and content creating, I’ve had the opportunities to have my writing on the occult and morbid history published in Haunted Magazine, issue 37, and The Feminine Macabre Volumes 1 & 3! I’ve also have been featured on several podcasts sharing my paranormal encounters, theories, and more! And while we may never truly know what the future may hold, there are some more exciting projects in the works for the year to come that could involve more of my works being published, and of course, more traveling cross state lines to find the weirdest of tales!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In the spirit of all things haunted and weird, why don’t I give you a few eerie spots around Western New York you can most definitely haunt during your next visit to the Queen City!
The Richardson Complex: Originally the Buffalo State Hospital for the Insane, this massive Kirkbride building that stands ominously over Forest Avenue has been converted into hotel, event space, and restaurant! While the ghost stories about this location are hushed, having the opportunity to spend a night inside this iconic piece of Buffalo history is one not worth passing up!
Forest Lawn Cemetery: Just down the road from The Richardson Complex is Buffalo, New York’s grand Forest Lawn Cemetery! These 269 acres of land date back to 1849 and were constructed with both the living and dead in mind. Housing stunning views and even a few celebrity graves, a walk through this cemetery should always be on your must-do list here!
Shea’s Theatre: The Shea’s Theatre is this city’s beloved theatre in the heart of downtown! While many have gone for their various events such as musicals, concerts, weddings, and more–there have been some that have left with a ghost story or two! Many who encounter the Theatre’s ghost have encountered the former owner, Mr. Shea. They’ve seen him wandering the balcony or even back stage, but crazy enough, some even say he’s escorted them to their seat before vanishing…
Fort Niagara: About an hour north of the city, along the Lake Ontario shore, you’ll find Old Fort Niagara. If you’re a fan of history, you’ll enjoy this stop as the tours take you around the grounds and inside the buildings, showing you what life was life inside. However, many guests get a few scares in during their visits as they often report seeing soldiers wandering the grounds, hearing the sounds of ammunition being fired, hearing footsteps, feeling cold breezes and more!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a shoutout to everyone who’s had a helping hand in this journey I’ve found myself on, and to those who’ve supported me along the way. Whether you’ve been with me from the start or are just joining along on the adventures into the unknown, every ounce of encouragement and enthusiasm you’ve shown me hasn’t gone unnoticed. Because of it, I’ve been able to grow not only as a person in my craft, but in life. This project and investigating the unknown has pushed me to take more chances on myself. It’s shown me that I’m capable of more than what I believe somedays. That I have a voice and others want to hear it and hear or see the way I view this world and the next. And probably most importantly, that it’s okay to be a little weird. And honestly, I will never be able to thank my supporters enough for that.
Website: https://beacons.ai/theghoulguide
Instagram: https://instagram.com/theghoulguide
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theghoulguide
Facebook: https://facebook.com/theghoulguide
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theghoulguide
Other: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@theghoulguide
Image Credits
Courtney Eastman, The Ghoul Guide