About Circus Living
We are a family of five composed of three morbid young children. Our kids have been exposed to the "unexplained" since birth. As a result, they regard the mysterious, the strange, and the bizarre with awe, wonder, and curiosity as opposed to the common fears brought on by them.
"To convey the unknown, the mystical, and various forms of dark artistic expressions and their potential to open parents' and childrens' minds and encourage critical discourse.”
Circus Living strives to take the 'danger' out of learning about and appreciating elements of the unknown. We aim to convey that what commonly can be classified as "macabre" themes can also be family-friendly.
We strive to show our readers that there is much to be learned from elements of the unknown and that topics commonly thought to be too frightful for children (and for some adults), such as the paranormal, cryptids, monsters, aliens, and the “macabre”, can instead be regarded as tools to encourage us and our children to exercise critical thought and discourse while at the same time opening our minds and awakening our sense of wonder.
Catherine of Circus Living is currently working on a 'Call for Artists' app. Upon surveying various artists and researching the numerous sites, apps, and social media groups currently listing art calls, it became apparent to Catherine that the vast array of information available for artists online was severely lacking in cohesion. Surveyed artists echoed the notion that it can get quite overwhelming to wade through the various artist opportunities available trying to find ones that were relevant to them. An app that would update artists on relevant upcoming call for entries or call for submissions would be a useful tool to efficiently connect artists, art industries and organizations worldwide. The app is currently in development and is scheduled to launch soon.
Catherine Velasco-Houlahan is the Founder and Senior Editor of Circus Living. Circus Living is an arts & lifestyle blog which specializes in strange art, monsters, the paranormal, and the unexplained. Before Catherine's family moved to Quebec in 2015, Catherine was the Marketing Director for a legal firm and as of 2018 has been in the marketing field for 14+ years. Her passion for researching the cultural significance of the 'unexplained' in pop culture stems from her upbringing in the Philippines where folklore surrounding monsters and mythical creatures form a significant part of the culture. Catherine's interest in popular culture eventually lead her to pursue and acquire a Master's in Popular Culture. Aware that new technological developments continue to pervade our surroundings and influence our development, Catherine also majored in Information Technology in an effort to learn how to utilize current technology to benefit society. Her recent efforts have been on keeping updated with recent technological developments in order to develop an app which will help artists connect with relevant art opportunities. At first, the mission for the app only encompassed connecting artists who create 'unconventional/strange/morbid' art. Due to demand, however, the 'Call For Artists' app project has grown to encompass all contemporary artists. Marketing helps propel this project forward and thus, Catherine has consistently stayed up to date with recent research surrounding SEO, social media marketing, and A.I. The app is currently in development and is scheduled to launch soon.