Your Art Is A Spell

Edgar Fabián Frías
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Arts

Welcome to Your Art Is A Spell, the podcast that ignites inspiring and transformative conversations about art as a magical practice. I'm your host, Edgar Fabián Frías—a multi-passionate artist, witch, therapist, and proud mutant shape-shifter. My art spells have reached audiences through social media, billboards, and skyscrapers and have even been placed on the surface of the moon! Join us as we explore how reclaiming your unique artistic voice and embracing bold creativity can transform your life and the world around you. Subscribe to the podcast and sign up for our newsletter at www.yourartisaspell.com to stay connected!

  1. 4d ago

    Who Gets to Make Culture? They’re Making Art, Therapy, and Care a Luxury

    What happens when a society decides an education is only worth funding if it yields an immediate corporate paycheck? In this episode, we unpack the dangerous federal student loan policy direction tying student loan access to graduate earning thresholds, putting fields like fine art, music, therapy, social work, counseling, and early childhood education directly in the crosshairs. This isn’t just an abstract economic debate about debt; it is a structural move that determines who gets to tell stories, be a part of creative culture, who can afford to care for others, and who gets to dream beyond basic survival. We explore the reality behind these artistic education loan restrictions, why underpaid labor does not equal low-value work, how gatekeeping artistic expression degrees threatens marginalized voices, making art as luxury, and what we can do to build interdependence, mutual support, care systems, and cultural resistance. What We Cover The policy shift: Tying federal student student loan policy aid to post-grad salary thresholdsWhy equating market price with human value deepens societal inequalityHow cutting aid for creative and care fields gentrifies culture and silences working-class voicesMoving from survival mode into collective imaginationPractical ways to support creative culture, cultural workers, fight systemic gatekeeping, and build community alternativesIf this conversation resonated with you, share it with an artist, therapist, teacher, or friend who needs to hear it.Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The impact of education policies on society02:01 The importance of culture, art, and care work03:58 The implications of restricting access to creative fields06:02 The cultural role of art, music, and storytelling07:54 The economic undervaluation of care and creative labor10:00 The importance of advocacy and policy change11:52 Building community support and interdependence13:57 Dreaming of a more inclusive and creative future16:01 Conclusion: Valuing and supporting cultural and care work Community & LinksSupport the show on Patreon: patreon.com/yourartisaspell 💌 Join the Mutant Magic newsletter and membership space: https://mutant-magic.com 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Who Gets to Make Culture? They’re Making Art, Therapy, and Care a Luxury

  2. Sep 25

    Reclaiming Your Imagination When The World Is Falling Apart (A Guided Creative Ritual)

    We can still make art in the darkest of times, and that might be exactly when we need it most. When you feel depleted, scared, or overwhelmed by collective dread, play and sanctuary are deep, vital resources we still own. They don’t cost a dime, they require no permission, and no oppressive system can take them from your spirit. Reclaiming imagination one artwork at a time. In this episode of Your Art Is A Spell, we open a living creative sanctuary. We examine how media algorithms and authoritarian rhetoric weaponize fear to exhaust our nervous systems—and why reclaiming your imagination is an act of counter-insurgency. Then, we step directly into a 15-minute co-creation ritual using accessible, free digital tools to transmute heaviness into intuitive play. Whether you pull out paper and a ballpoint pen and have intentional image making, open up a digital art practice, hum a sound loop, or simply soak in the audio while resting, you are warmly invited into this circle. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Art as a Response to Darkness02:52 The Reality of Our Current Moment04:19 Imagining a Collective Future05:54 Art as a Sacred Boundary and Spell06:25 The Power of Joy and Play in Repressive Times07:30 Starting the Creative Practice08:10 Using Childhood Joy as Inspiration09:30 Expressing Emotions Through Art11:03 Layering and Building in Digital Art12:54 Drawing and Imagination14:20 Adding Depth and Contrast16:50 Narratives in Abstract Art18:50 Working with Shapes and Colors19:58 Using Tools for Depth and Dimension21:41 Knowing When to Pause22:50 The Body and Art as a Healing Practice23:35 Quick Creative Practices for Daily Life24:57 Your Art as a Sovereign Act25:12 Community and Sharing Your Art26:18 Join the Community and Final Thoughts Connect & Support the Magic Join the Patreon: Support the podcast and become part of the Spellcaster Circle at patreon.com/yourartisaspellNewsletter & Updates: Sign up at mutant-magic.com for event news and collaborations.Share What You Made: Post your piece—messy, digital, analog, or unfinished—and tag me on Instagram at @edgarfabianfrias !Listen on the Go: Your Art Is A Spell is streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.If this conversation brought a little more space into your ribs, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs sanctuary today. Every interaction is a spell that amplifies our collective web. 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Reclaiming Your Imagination When The World Is Falling Apart (A Guided Creative Ritual)

  3. Sep 18

    Why You Feel Burned Out (And How to Actually Protect Your Energy)

    Why do you feel burned out even when you're "doing everything right"? In this episode of Your Art Is a Spell, host Edgar Fabián Frías breaks down why burnout and exhaustion are often not personal failures, but signs of extraction: from your labor, your attention, your money, and your imagination. This episode reframes what it really means to protect your energy. Instead of another spiritual bypass about cutting cords or raising your vibration, Edgar grounds the conversation in material reality: rising gas prices, corporate profits, environmental racism, and the attention economy, and asks what genuine protection looks like when the thing draining you is systemic, not personal. You'll learn a five-part framework for reclaiming your energy — name, return, retrieve, redirect, and join — plus a guided meditative practice with journaling prompts you can return to anytime: What is mine? What is not mine? What do I return today? What comes back to me? This episode is for artists, multi-passionates, outsiders, working-class creatives, and anyone trying to build a life and a practice inside systems that were never designed to hold all of who they are. If this episode resonates, leave a comment with one thing you're calling back to yourself, subscribe for more episodes on art, magic, and empowerment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. 🔗 Join the private membership Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/yourartisaspell🔗 Sign up for the free newsletter: https://mutant-magic.com Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Rethinking Protection in a Systemic World02:22 Protection in Spiritual Practice and Its Limitations03:15 Protection Becomes Private Responsibility04:26 Material Reality of Systemic Oppression and Environmental Racism07:15 The Structural Wound and Personal Diagnosis08:17 Agency, Boundaries, and Locating the Problem09:26 Visible Arrangements of Power and Their Impact10:48 Environmental Racism and Disparities in Exposure11:36 Climate Catastrophe and Specific Industry Roles12:29 Communities as Sites of Resistance and Knowledge13:36 The Attention Economy and Catastrophe Fatigue14:47 Protection as Discernment: Setting Boundaries16:14 The Five Movements of a Protection Spell19:11 Collective Power and Mutual Aid22:37 Material Acts of Power and Closure23:56 Acknowledging Crisis Without Surrendering Imagination24:37 The Power of Relationships and Collective Action25:19 Supporting Art as a Spell and Community Engagement 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Rethinking Protection in a Systemic World02:22 Protection in Spiritual Practice and Its Limitations03:15 Protection Becomes Private Responsibility04:26 Material Reality of Systemic Oppression and Environmental Racism07:15 The Structural Wound and Personal Diagnosis08:17 Agency, Boundaries, and Locating the Problem09:26 Visible Arrangements of Power and Their Impact10:48 Environmental Racism and Disparities in Exposure11:36 Climate Catastrophe and Specific Industry Roles12:29 Communities as Sites of Resistance and Knowledge13:36 The Attention Economy and Catastrophe Fatigue14:47 Protection as Discernment: Setting Boundaries16:14 The Five Movements of a Protection Spell19:11 Collective Power and Mutual Aid22:37 Material Acts of Power and Closure23:56 Acknowledging Crisis Without Surrendering Imagination24:37 The Power of Relationships and Collective Action25:19 Supporting Art as a Spell and Community Engagement 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Why You Feel Burned Out (And How to Actually Protect Your Energy)

  4. Sep 4

    The Border is Haunted: Art, Aliens & the Power to Create Your Own Reality

    In this episode, Ed Gomez shares the inspiring story of the Mexicali Biennial, exploring how artists can create their own platforms and challenge borders, both physical and metaphorical, through art and activism. We delve into themes of border fence politics, collective trauma, creative expression, social commentary, hauntings, paranormal borders, and the power of artistic agency. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to the Mexicali Biennial and its significance02:25 Ed Gomez's background and artistic journey06:39 Themes of formal and conceptual art practices09:37 The paranormal borders project and its relevance10:36 History and origins of the Mexicali Biennial14:24 The role of biennials in art activism and critique16:54 Building a community and sustaining the project19:29 The publication 'Art Actions and Exchanges'22:18 The future of border art and cultural exchange28:55 The theme of this year's Paranormal Borders Biennial36:23 Artists' agency and creating their own opportunities43:44 The border as a haunted space and collective trauma52:02 Art as a spell and a tool for change53:10 Closing thoughts: What do you want to create? Learn more about the Mexicali Biennial by going to their website:http://mexicalibiennial.org/ Or follow them on Instagram  ⁨@mexicalibiennial⁩   Love this show? Support us by becoming a member on Patreon:patreon.com/yourartisaspell  💌 Join the Mutant Magic newsletter and membership space: https://mutant-magic.com 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    The Border is Haunted: Art, Aliens & the Power to Create Your Own Reality

  5. Aug 25

    Desire Over Dysphoria: Gender Rituals with Eli The Gender Doula

    In this episode of Your Art is a Spell, Eli, The Gender Doula, shares insights into his journey and the significance of gender exploration. He discusses the role of rituals in supporting individuals through gender transitions and the launch of his new book, 'Gender Rituals.'  Eli emphasizes the importance of community support and the concept of trans audacity in creating change. The conversation highlights the need for inclusive spaces for gender exploration and the impact of Eli's non-clinical support with transition care and transgender health for individuals and communities. Showing us how desire is more important than dysphoria when it comes to transgender medicine and guiding transitions for trans and gender nonconforming people.  Learn more about Eli at: https://www.thegenderdoula.com Get his new book Gender Rituals: Creating a Sacred Space for Your Body, Your Gender, and Your Becominghttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/817297/gender-rituals-by-eli-lawliet/ If you're in Portland and would like to attend Eli's event, get more info here: https://seagrapeapothecary.com/collections/events/products/09-18-2026-shedding-old-skins-a-name-and-pronoun-release-ritual Edgar mentions that they are an LMFT and are able to support folks with accessing gender affirming care in California via their telehealth therapy practice, learn more at: https://www.edgarfabianfrias.com/gender-affirming-care 00:00 - Desire Over Dysphoria: Intro to Eli The Gender Doula01:08 - What Is a Gender Doula? Non-Clinical Transition Support Explained02:56 - How a Gender Doula Works: Clients, Families & Community Rituals04:10 - Eli's Journey: From Transgender History PhD to Becoming The Gender Doula08:16 - The Genesis of The Gender Doula Practice (2020 & Going Virtual)11:47 - Beyond the Medical Model: A Holistic Approach to Gender Identity15:55 - Desire Over Dysphoria: Why Desire Is the North Star for Transition17:43 - Announcing Gender Rituals: Eli's New Book (Out August 25th)21:50 - What Are Gender Rituals? Rituals for HRT, Surgery & Life Thresholds26:00 - Solo vs Community Gender Rituals: Name & Pronoun Change Ceremony29:20 - Trans Audacity: How Ritual Helps Us SurTHRIVE31:29 - Gender Exploration Is For Everyone (Not Just Transgender Folks)33:03 - Connect with Eli: Website, Instagram & Ask The Gender Doula35:58 - Final Reflections: Your Art Is a Spell 💌 Join the Mutant Magic newsletter and membership space: https://mutant-magic.com 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Desire Over Dysphoria: Gender Rituals with Eli The Gender Doula

  6. Aug 18

    The Best Tool For Artist Block Isn't What You Think

    Feeling creatively stuck? In this episode of Your Art Is a Spell, I share how I use tarot not for prediction, but as a creative technology — a way to reignite your art practice when inspiration runs dry.  We'll walk through three simple practices: pulling a theme card to set the direction of your work, calling in a support card when a project feels heavy, and a two-card transition spread for when you're starting something new. Featuring the Liberation Tarot, Missing Witches, and Travel Tarot decks. This is for artists who want to make their practice a ritual — not another obligation. No divination experience needed. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to tarot as a creative tool02:04 Tarot as a collective artwork and energy03:05 Select Your Tarot or Oracle Deck(s)04:50 Using Tarot For A Creative Block With The Missing Witches Deck Of Oracles09:03 Asking For Creative Help From The Tarot Deck Using the Liberation Tarot 09:45 Showing The Mutant Card (featuring me!)11:25 Asking tarot for support featuring adrienne maree brown's Healer of Vessels15:45 Two Card Transition Tarot for Creativity With Travel Tarot by Jeff Hinshaw & Lonely Planet18:40 Two cards pulled for this reading with intuitive interpretation21: 05 Water is in both cards and is a symbol of transformation, life, healing, change22:39 Reading about the two cards from the Travel Tarot26:33 Conclusion for Video 💌 Join the Mutant Magic newsletter and membership space: https://mutant-magic.com 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org To watch the earlier episode of Your Art Is A Spell with Travel Tarot's Jeff Hinshaw aka Cosmic Cousinshttps://youtu.be/Wiwqxi7OwNI?si=AVSaG5d97Nh0xlZN

    The Best Tool For Artist Block Isn't What You Think

  7. Aug 11

    Who Profits From Artists' Pain?

    Someone is profiting off the idea that your pain makes better art, and it's not you. In this episode of Your Art As A Spell, Edgar breaks down who actually benefits when artists believe suffering is the price of being "real": the art market, institutions, and even the wellness industry that profits from healing the wounds artists were told they needed in the first place. We dig into how the "tortured genius" myth was built inside a white, Western, mostly male tradition, yet is still used to measure marginalized artists, who are often expected to turn their identity and suffering into content just to be taken seriously. Edgar also reframes the art block: not a crisis or a personal failure, but a normal, cyclical part of the creative process that sometimes just means you need rest. The takeaway: joy, play, and rest aren't the opposite of serious art, they're acts of resistance against a system that needs you depleted to keep producing. 💌Join the free community & newsletter: mutant-magic.com🔗 Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/yourartisaspell #ArtistWellness #CreativeProcess #ArtBlock #MutantMagic #ArtistsOnYouTube Chapters 00:00 Who profits from artists' pain?02:15 The art market's reliance on trauma narratives05:00 Navigating sensitivities and gifts as an artist06:36 Joy and rest as acts of resistance07:00 Refusing to participate in exploitative systems08:08 Reframing art blocks as cycles, not failures09:20 Healing enhances, it doesn't diminish art10:05 Building supportive artist communities11:00 Challenging pressure to perform pain12:06 Your art as a spell and a life changer 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Who Profits From Artists' Pain?

  8. Aug 4

    Why You Think You Can't Draw (It's Not What You Think)

    If you feel stuck because you think you can't draw, the truth is you don't have a skill problem, you have an artistic mindset problem. In this episode of Your Art Is A Spell, we dismantle the myth that technical perfection is required to be a "real" artist, and reveal what the contemporary art world actually values. Growing up, many of us were told we were "messy" or couldn't color within the lines. We internalized this conditioning, believing that high-level art requires flawless execution. But surviving UC Berkeley's MFA program and working as an art consultant taught me a different truth: institutional gatekeepers care far more about your intellectual curiosity, your personal archives, and your world-building than they do about your brushstrokes. We look at recent exhibitions from Guadalupe Maravilla, Sadie Barnette, and Lizzie Fitch & Ryan Trecartin to prove that the highest levels of the art world reward a powerful Art Vision over traditional drawing skills. Key Topics The difference between technical skill and art visionPersonal story of childhood art experiencesCritique of traditional art education and standardsExamples of contemporary artists redefining techniqueSteps to unlearn limiting beliefs about artThe importance of intuition and ideas over perfectionHow to develop and trust your own art visionThe role of experimentation and failure in art growth Timestamps 00:00 Why You Think You Can't Draw (The Skill vs. Mindset Myth)01:30 The Childhood Trauma of "Coloring Outside the Lines"03:47 How to Unlearn Conditioning & Build Your Art Vision05:10 The UC Berkeley MFA Secret: Technique vs. Concepts08:12 The Art Consultant Lens: World Building Over Technique09:00 Guadalupe Maravilla at the Hammer Museum10:19 Sadie Barnette’s "How to Fly" at CAAM11:50 Lizzie Fitch & Ryan Trecartin at Morán Morán Gallery13:05 You Are Allowed to Be Messy (Final Transformation) Read the full "10 Mindset Shifts for Artists" guide here: https://mutant-magic.com Check out the exact portfolio I used to get into UC Berkeley's MFA Art Practice Program: https://youtu.be/UhDdcQqWrS4?si=eebvwWxxvoM4ipo2 Want to see my cover letter & personal statement?  💌 Join the Mutant Magic newsletter and membership space: https://mutant-magic.com Join us over on Patreon & become a part of the Spellcasters Circlehttps://www.patreon.com/c/yourartisaspell 🌐 Follow me on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/edgarfabianfrias/ To Watch / Listen to More Episodes from Your Art Is A Spellhttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVN8TPFy9dYKoNr4LjNV9yDajN-ILKNR&si=1WF6GkfQh2pGfrzl To send me a voice notehttps://www.speakpipe.com/YouArtIsASpell To learn more about me and my artwww.yourartisaspell.com  To learn about my private practice Therapy With Edgar www.therapywithedgar.com 🕊️ Follow Me on BlueSkyhttps://bsky.app/profile/edgarfabianfrias.org

    Why You Think You Can't Draw (It's Not What You Think)
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Welcome to Your Art Is A Spell, the podcast that ignites inspiring and transformative conversations about art as a magical practice. I'm your host, Edgar Fabián Frías—a multi-passionate artist, witch, therapist, and proud mutant shape-shifter. My art spells have reached audiences through social media, billboards, and skyscrapers and have even been placed on the surface of the moon! Join us as we explore how reclaiming your unique artistic voice and embracing bold creativity can transform your life and the world around you. Subscribe to the podcast and sign up for our newsletter at www.yourartisaspell.com to stay connected!

Information

  • Creator
    Edgar Fabián Frías
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Edgar Fabián Frías
  • Show Website
    Your Art Is A Spell

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