We sat down virtually with the Reeva Ann Walker, true-crime podcaster and streamer, to discuss their love of true crime, how to balance streaming with other endeavors, and why they prefer slashers to gore-porn horror movies!
Monster Thoughts: In regards to true crime, what got you into the genre, and in particular, what true crime-based movies got your attention?
GrimReeva: Being a victim of a School Shooting, like most people, I found myself intrigued as to why someone would want to kill. I think any 90’s thriller movies are my jam – Ashley Judd reminds me how bisexual I am. (lol) If I had to choose a movie that was lightly based on a True Crime case, it would be Jennifer’s Body which was inspired by the 1995 murder of Elyse Pahler.
MT: I’m sorry you were a victim of that, and I see how it would foster an interest in why someone would do that. I also see you do a true-crime podcast and have episodes up on YouTube, how was this process for you choosing what case to discuss? Easy? Difficult? If either, what made it so?
GR: I’m currently working out the wrinkles with GrimTales, but I put out my first episode last month. I am actually converting this “visual podcast” into shorts for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok but I will be finishing this case on YouTube and will be putting it on Spotify.
I have already chosen all the cases I wanted to cover, I wrote them all down after researching Canadian cases first. I feel that a lot of Canadian True Crime cases are left forgotten and the majority of our cases involve Indigenous Women, which is how I chose my first case. My first case – as I am still working on the content for it is, is about Canada’s “Highway of Tears” – a remote highway that stretches along 3 provinces where there have been about 70 cases of missing and murdered persons.
I love slashers – but not gore-porn.
MT: I know you do tarot card readings on stream, do you participate in any other forms of divination such as pendulums, pyromancer, geomancy, or cyromancy? How bonding to your community are these tarot card sessions and how do you manage those that may not feel as connected to the drawn card/cards?
GR: Hmmm, this is a great question. My focus is more on intuitive work. I don’t necessarily see Tarot as divination, I guess, I use it more so as a tool to reflect. I am a secular, eclectic witch – this means, I don’t believe in the religious practices of witchcraft (Think of me as an “Atheist” Witch,) but I believe in energy, lifestyle design, and spiritual psychology. Physical – what you do/routine. Mental – what you believe. Emotional – what you feel. Being your Authentic Self – ability for joy, acceptance, and self-compassion.
MT: That’s a lovely way to look at it. What’s your preferred horror genre to watch in general or specifically in October, if any? Why that genre?
GR: I love slashers – but not gore-porn. So like Scream – yay! Saw – No. Why? Well, I think it just ties in for my “love” of true-crime. It has a whodunit feel and some give us insight as to why the killer did it. An unpopular opinion I guess, I love origin stories.
MT: That makes sense. I’ve recently realized I’m more of a slasher, less of a gore-porn person, myself. As a streamer and creator, what are some of the most difficult things you’ve faced in regards to planning/creating streams or podcast episodes? What are some of the most rewarding?
GR: For me it’s a mix of balancing working full time, how my mental health is that day (anxiety/depression) and chronic pain – sometimes, I am just too fucking exhausted. My marketing brain yells at me because I know consistency is key for algorithms and holding the interest of people in such a fast paced world. I think the most rewarding thing about content creation is when people show up. I’ve met so many cool people and “in real life”, I’ve never met this many cool people because of my social anxiety.
MT: I’ve seen tweets from you that you’re working on a book? Can we know a bit about that?
GR: Right now I am just focused on practicing my writing a little more. I use my everyday surroundings as prompts, even if it’s just to write a paragraph to help me really get my thoughts rolling.
I do have a book idea, I’ve outlined it and my goal is to start actually writing past the beginning this year. The insight I can give you though is that: it’s witchy, culturally diverse (lots of research has been going into this story, so I don’t wanna rush it), and will definitely offer a dark, mysterious feel.
MT: I can’t wait to read it! What would you recommend to someone that was attempting to start streaming yet had other obligations? Do you think it’s a good thing to add to someone who’s plate is already full? Or can it be managed?
GR: It’s time-consuming no matter which way you look at it, because being a “Streamer” is not just something you do – it’s a business venture. I already hear some people saying “I stream for fun” – but let’s be honest, most people don’t stream as just a “hobby,” most wish to one day become a full-time creator, or at least be able to make this a viable part-time income.
If you’re doing this on the side of a full-time commitment and you have some spare time, I’d say heck yeah, I think you can.
If you’re doing this on the side of a full-time commitment, already running a side-business – I’ll never say no one can, but I couldn’t do it. BUT, there is a cheat code, which is the code I use. Streaming is a great tool to connect to your community and use it as a catapult for your other ventures. So if you don’t make it a whole new business venture and just use it as another tool to connect, it can work.
I spend an average of 3 hours daily on content creation and community engagement – excluding my actual streaming days.
So to sum up my thoughts, you can make it work, you just have to dedicate time to invest in your path, just like any other venture.
MT: I want to thank you for sharing your insight with us today and we’ll be following your projects closely!
Grim Reeva (Reeva Ann Proctor) is a witchy, Non-Binary, Storyteller & Content Creator. Her content is focused on managing her anxiety, ADHD, and Chronic Illness using witchcraft and spirituality, also highlighting her love for horror and true crime.
You can find Reeva at any of her links below!