Engaged Liberation

Not too long ago I got to tell a story about what it means to be misnamed in America—and still be essential to it: how Latino, Brown, and bodies of Culture communities have built, powered, and continue to shape this country, while often being reduced, misunderstood, or erased. I explored the shift from being treated as passengers to claiming our place as architects of the future, and why naming ou...

I loved this chat, I know you will too. Veronica is a creative force. We get into being mirrors, journaling, living our parents dreams, being our parents dreams, and getting into the ugly - being our ugly and messy. Make sure to check out all things To Get To The Mango Tree and let us know what you think about all this genius and beauty and these gems. Engaged Liberation is a labor of love. But it...

“People can envision the end of the world, before they can envision the end of capitalism, why do you think that is!?” This was too short of a conversation. You are going to love every bit of this. You will be lit up by it. I promise you - a part II is coming soon. Make sure to check out How To Cure a ghost and all of Fariha’s beautiful work . And let us know what you think in the comments on all...

We all need a little help! And Mark Pagan is a great conduit to joyfully and lovely finding a community of people who are not shy to ask for help. I have known Mark and his beautiful work for years. Was so honored to sit down and chat all things from consumption, to good gift giving, to the wildfire of this country, to doing less and loving more. Check it out and enjoy! Engaged Liberation is reade...

Gabriela is a brilliant mind, think, journalist and creator who brought me so much joy during our convo this week. Together we chat optimization - speeding up to slow down, loneliness, enjoying the loneliness, coming back to self. Make sure to check out her Substack, Irregardless , also her Instagram , and her incredible youtube show . She’s a real one! If you find medicine here, buy me a coffee a...

This is the Unedited interview with Indya Moore from the Brown Enough podcast (season 2). It felt important to share this with the Substack community, as this is one of our most beloved and listened to episodes. With so so many gems! In this convo we chat Hollywood, being a revolutionary, mushrooms, joy, and more. The edited version can be found wherever you listen to podcasts. Indya Moore is an A...

This is the season premiere of Brown Enough, season 3! But I also had to share it with y’all, because it features Substacks finest, the incomparable Vico Ortiz — actor, activist, drag king, and joyful disruptor. From swashbuckling on screen to breaking binaries in life, Vico is redefining what it means to take up space with authenticity, be radically honest, have, courage, and play. In this chat,...

Today’s Engaged Liberation is absolutely incredible! I got to sit down with a friend, mentor, best selling author, the person I call when I need a ritual or limpia, and brilliant spark of life, Juliet Diaz, the author of The Altar Within , and other amazing reads . We chat communal liberation, solitude, how words are spells in your mouth , how our stories are our ancestors stories , reciprocity, f...

This is an unedited version of my original chat with the brilliant and hilarious Pooja Tripathi, for the Brown Enough Podcast. We chat comedy, violin, tugging on human heart strings, and taking risks. Pooja is the proud owner of the In My Culture Substack, where can find out about her latest existential crisis, what's been funny or inspirational to late… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Yara Travieso is a brilliant artist, film maker, big feeler, and wisdom sharer. Yara embodies so much love and power in this world. I have been healed and quoted Yara many times in this life ( “The more I heal, the less ambitious I become.” ) and I will continue too. This is one of my favorite and most powerful conversations I’ve had on here. And now I have the privilege to share it with y’all. En...

“My responsibility is not to the ordinary, or the timely. My loyalty is to the inner vision, whenever and howsoever it may arrive. There is no other way work of artistic worth can be done. And the occasional success, to the striver, is worth everything. The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave...

Kristen McGuiness is the founder of Rise Books , she’s a best-selling author, editor, and an integral part to helping me birth Brown Enough into the world. She coached me through my own book proposal process and then helped me publish the book through the publishing company that she helped create (RowHouse). Now, through her new publishing company Rise Books - she offers incredible resources and s...

I got to chat with the one and only, Samuél Lopez-Barrantes (from, if not, Paris) … The first person I ever heard talk about Substack, and likely the reason I hopped onto this platform. We chatted all things creativity, writing processes, liberation, joy, oppression, and how if you want community you just have to go get it. This is a beautiful one. Enjoy This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Kalah Hill is a freedom Doula, shame slayer, and pleasure activist! The founder of In Pleasure We Trust. On this wonderful chat we To find out more about Kalah and her services follow on Instagram @kalah.hill and check out her website www.inpleasurewetrust.com Engaged Liberation is free. If you love it, consider supporting it financially. For $5/mo , you’… This is a public episode. If you'd like t...

This week I get the pleasure of chatting with Candy Santana , a brilliant actress, author, and former lawyer! Enjoy this conversation on acceptance and hearing that call inside of us, the one that says whether to stay, go, stop or change directions…. As Lauryn Hill says beautifully, “God gave us a steering wheel for a reason.” Sometimes we have to turn l… This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

I hide my face when I cry. Or at least I turn my face away from anyone around. Doesn’t matter if it’s a best friend, my partner, family - I’ve been turning away and hiding my tears for almost my whole life. In one way, I’m glad I’m even crying. Crying in general, letting the salt water leak from my face was hard for me for about 28 years. You should have seen the internal crisis I had when watchin...

*I highly recommend you listen to this one. “Without art there is no modern world, just a barbaric one. If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?” - Ai Wei Wei PAST I don’t know the exact point, but I know it was early on. As early as the story, which is as early as us.  We crafted gifts, we called it art. It wasn’t about weightless viral messages, it was about...

If the continual looking outward at other people’s lives makes you feel inadequate, why not stop? If the reminders of what you don’t have hurt / are more than you can handle, why not disconnect? Why not give up the addiction to your own discontent. Disconnect from comparison (that their of joy). Disconnect. See the world that is here. The world as it is. Right here. Right now. See why you can’t le...

This is one of those Buddhist tenants that have always bugged me a little bit. The idea that reality is permeable, or fluctuating, or easily suggestible. As in, there is our reality, not a single reality. In simple terms - when you are in a rush, everyone is moving to slowly. When you just got great news, or are falling in love, everyone is moving at the perfect speed. One little thing can turn ou...

Mariana is a brilliant artist and astrologer based in Medellin, Colombia but nurturing wisdom and readings worldwide. Mariana blessed me this week. With a very inspiring convo but disciple as the way to liberation, as well as with a very on point and public Tarot card reading! That is now all of ours reading. Enjoy. Love & Liberation xo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...

I don’t know if I’ve ever truly arrived in my life. In moments of course. I think we all know these moments when we’re so completely present it almost feels unfair and completely like what life should always feel like all the time. Those moments when life hits us in the most beautiful way. It’s often simple things like an incredible meal with people you love. An incredible cup of coffee before the...

The majority of them are pointless, not true, and not even tangible. 40-60 thousand thoughts in a day, give or take. If we were to give equal weight to each one of those thoughts, we wouldn’t be able to function, and so, our brain focuses on the scariest ones to keep us “safe.” Now “safe” - for the most part, for most people in todays society, “safe” has evolved past the lion in the trees, or the...

Kevin and I chat the art of curation, art for art sakes, having a healthy relationship to dying, what ancestral wisdom can teach us about getting free, and the medicine of not editing your life, but living it. Kevin Becerra is a dear friend, an artistic genius, and a creative producer who I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with and learn from. Enjoy y’all. xo Engaged Liberation is a reade...

You know the story: Yesterday they were on a jet talking self-care, and also about what a bad b***h they were. They used a fun filter and everything. They told their fans to care about themselves and each other, but also to use goop sun screen (not a sponsored post, I swear). Today they found them unresponsive, ODed on… it doesn’t really matter what. All we know is that they finally had enough. An...

Odalys Jasmine is the creator / host of Hella Latina - a community for hella dope Latinas, Latinos, Latine, Latinx and beyond. We chat about this insane summer heat, the power of heat and building, amplifying and aligning with authentic and dope individuals (just like yourselves) - Enjoy! xo This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episo...