From Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark to creating with blood and hair

Send us Fan MailHorror fans don’t just consume stories.A lot of us create because of them.In this episode of Horror Heals, Corey sits down with horror-inspired artist Christian Baloga for a deeply personal conversation about fear, trauma, creativity, and why horror has always felt like home for outsiders and survivors.Before the interview, Kendall reflects on the unique emotional honesty found in horror-inspired art, from paintings and tattoos to sculptures, masks, and mixed media creations. Horror fans often take fear, grief, anxiety, loneliness, and trauma and transform them into something tangible, beautiful, disturbing, and healing all at once.And Christian embodies that completely.Known for his gothic, horror-inspired artwork, Christian creates intensely personal pieces using unconventional materials including human hair and his own blood. His work has even been featured by Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which acquired several of his intricate life-sized hair sculptures.But beneath the striking imagery is something deeply human.Christian opens up about growing up with a difficult childhood, finding comfort in horror films and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and how horror became a safe way to process emotions that otherwise felt impossible to face directly.There’s one quote from this episode that perfectly captures the spirit of Horror Heals:“Horror is that one genre that lets you metabolize anxiety instead of suppressing it.” Corey and Christian also talk about: Why horror endings felt comforting during childhood  Using creativity as survival and emotional release  Working with hair and blood as artistic mediums  Horror movies as a bonding experience in relationships  Tattoos, cemeteries, gothic aesthetics, and self-expression  Why horror fans are often some of the most emotionally expressive people This is a shorter episode, but it’s one of the most heartfelt conversations we’ve had about horror, art, and what it means to turn pain into creation.Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.ABOUT CHRISTIAN BALOGAChristian Baloga is a Pennsylvania-based artist whose work blends horror, gothic imagery, sculpture, photography, jewelry, tattoo experimentation, and mixed media art into deeply personal creations rooted in identity, emotion, and survival.Using unconventional materials including human hair and blood, Christian creates work that is both unsettling and intimate, exploring the connection between the body, memory, fear, and healing. His intricate sculptures have been acquired by Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and his art continues to resonate with horror fans drawn to deeply emotional and original work.Learn more at Christian Baloga’s WebsiteThank you for listening to Horror Heals. Share the show with someone who loves horror and someone who needs a little healing.If you want to support our guests, check the show notes for links to their work, conventions, and fundraising pages.You can also listen to our sister podcast Family Twist, a show about DNA surprises, identity, and the families we find along the way.Horror Heals is produced by Mosaic Multimedia LLC.Is horror good for mental wellness? Of corpse it is.