Makers & Mystics

"Technology does a really good job of floating us past all of these inconvenient blessings." - John Mark McMillan Today on the show, singer-songwriter John Mark Mcmillan joins me to talk about his new music, technology's impact on the arts, confessing to an AI Jesus, and recovering a sense of meaning in our disenchanted world. If you've listened to the Makers and Mystics podcast or have been to any of our Breath and Clay events, then you'll know that John Mark is no stranger to our community. He's been a part of the Breath and Clay and Makers and Mystics world since the beginning. We love keeping up with his creative work and appreciate his voice to this community. John Mark will be bringing his full band to perform some of the new songs for the first time ever in public at The Breath and The Clay March 21-23, 2025. Topics:The Impact of Technology on The ArtsAI JesusHow we experience music togetherLinks/Resources: Connect with John MarkBook Mention: I'll Take You There: Pop Music and The Urge for Transcendence by Bill Friskics-WarrenAI Jesus ArticleKosuke Koyama BookThe Breath and The Clay

This episode offers a preview of the types of panels we'll be hosting at The Breath and The Clay 2025. It includes a live conversation with Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Victory Boyd, gospel recording artist Leeland Mooring, visual artist and curator Corey Frey, and podcast host Stephen Roach.This conversation was recorded live at the Resound Creative Arts event in Boulder, Colorado.Reserve Your Spot at The Breath and The Clay March 21-23 in Winston Salem, NC.

In this series of conversations, Makers and Mystics will highlight several of the presenters and themes for the BC25 creative arts gathering, March 21-23, in Winston Salem, NC. Today's guest is Theo-poet and mystic Dr. de'Angelo DIA. The conversation explores the intersections of poetry, theology, and personal experience. DIA discusses how his early exposure to literature and comic book mythology shaped his understanding of sacredness and black charismatic spirituality. Stephen Roach highlights BC25 themes of fragmentation and wholeness, the search for the divine in secular spaces, and the influence of neo-Appalachian art on DIA's work.Learn more about Dr. de'Angelo DIAGet Tickets to BC25Join the Makers and Mystics Creative Collective Treat us to a cup of coffee for our work on the podcast.

In the season 14 finale of Makers and Mystics, Stephen Roach reflects on the theme of reclaiming wonder. Drawing from personal stories, spiritual insights, and the wisdom shared by this season's guests, Stephen examines how we can rediscover awe and beauty in our everyday lives, even in a world that often feels disconnected from the miraculous.Stephen closes the episode with a thought-provoking insight: Wonder is not just an experience; it's an invitation. It's the residue of the divine, a call to transformation, and a reminder that we are made for more than survival. When we open ourselves to wonder, we become what we behold and begin to see the possibility for beauty and meaning in every corner of life.Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay Join the Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveHelp us continue our work with a one-time donation.

Myths and storytelling have been a part of human culture since ancient times. From the oral traditions of indigenous peoples to the epic tales of gods and heroes, stories have shaped our understanding of the world, our place in it, and our deepest desires.For artists, these narratives offer more than a glimpse into the past—they are a source of guidance, inspiration, and meaning. In this final conversation of our ‘Reclaiming Wonder' series, I am joined by renowned storyteller, mythologist and Christian thinker Martin Shaw.In our conversation, Martin and I discuss the profound relationship between storytelling and the arts. Martin shares the importance of allowing stories to remain wild, to breathe, and not become domesticated by rushing to interpretation. We discuss the concept of being 'wedded to the wild' and the role of artists in re-wilding faith.You can learn more about Martin's work hereYou can explore our library of over 300 episodes with artists, mystics, theologians, and creative thinkers at http://www.makersandmystics.comThank you to everyone who has followed along in this series of conversations. I'd love to hear from you. Which conversations inspired you most? Which ones did you wrestle with or skip over? Send me a line, and if you want to go deeper into these conversations, please consider joining our creative collective at http://www.patreon.com/makersandmysticsWe'd love to have you with us. I hope to meet you all at The Breath and The Clay event March 21-23, in Winston Salem, NC.When you see me, come say hi. You'll be in good company with other artists and creative seekers such as John Mark McMillan, Amanda Cook, Sho Baraka, Joshua Luke Smith, Kendra Apache, Elissa Weichbrodt and many others.

The new year is a time of reflecting, looking back over the lengths I've come, evaluating what has transpired in my life and in my inner life, and then looking ahead, seeking clarity and direction for where I will place my time, resources and attention for the months to come. I find that a large part of transitioning from one moment in time to another involves letting go of the past, often grieving our losses, and making peace with the life we have rather than pining after the life we thought we would have or wanted to have. Then, through the mystery of the process, finding wonder even in grief, and in the midst of ordinary life. My guest today is someone who has seen grief and loss in her own life and who also helps others on their journey through grief. She is one who has learned to recognize wonder in the most unexpected places, like grief and in letting go of the past. Her journey has led her through many different faith practices as well as her creative life has taken on many shapes and forms. Today, I'm speaking with Award-winning author, contemporary translator of sacred literature, international speaker, and world-renowned teacher of contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog, Mirabai Starr. This conversation was recorded earlier in 2024, but I think as we move into this new year, the conversation offers a timely invitation to find beauty even amidst our losses and to hold space for the every day to become a place of spiritual and creative transformation. Much of our conversation centers on grief as an unexpected doorway to wonder. Mirabai shares about her most recent book, Ordinary Mysticism, which Ann Lamont calls a gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful, and aware of the holiness of daily life.Patrons of the podcast can enjoy a longer unedited version of this conversation which includes several additional stories of my own and several from Mirabai. Visit Patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more.GET TICKETS TO THE BREATH AND THE CLAY MARCH 21-23 2025.

Wesley Vander Lugt is a pastor, theologian, writer, and arts advocate. He teaches theology and directs the Leighton Ford Center for Theology, the Arts and Gospel Witness at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte North Carolina. Wes holds a PhD in Theology, Imagination and the Arts from the University of St Andrews, and his latest books are Beauty is Oxygen: Finding a Faith that Breathes and the forthcoming A Prophet in the Darkness: Exploring Theology in the Art of Georges Rouault.In my conversation with Wes, we discuss his latest book Beauty Is Oxygen and the role beauty plays in our experiences of wonder. This episode is sponsored by The Breath and The Clay Creative Arts Organization, exploring the intersections of art, faith and culture. Our next gathering is March 21-23 in Winston Salem, NC. and features a diverse roster of presenters and performers, including Sho Baraka, Amanda Cook, John Mark McMillan, and many others. Tickets are on sale now at thebreathandtheclay.com

The Breath and The Clay is returning to Winston Salem, NC!! Join us March 21-23rd, 2025, for our annual creative arts gathering!This event will feature musical performances, an immersive art gallery, keynote talks, various workshops, and community discussions. Participating artists include Sho Baraka, Kendra Adachi, John Mark McMillan, Molly Parden, Justin McRoberts, and many, many others. You can find out more about the event and reserve your spot today at thebreathandtheclay.com. Visual Artists and Film-makers! Submit your works for inclusion in our immersive art gallery here. Follow the event on Instagram for regular updates @thebreathandtheclay

Rob Bell is the New York Times Best-Selling author of fourteen books and plays, which have been translated into 25 languages. His visual art can be seen on Instagram @realrobbell. His band is HUMANS ON THE FLOOR, and his podcast is The RobCast. Today on Makers and Mystics, Rob and I are talking about his Interplanetary tale of love, loss, and bread, his sci-fi fantasy novel Where'd You Park Your Spaceship. In our conversation, we discuss following creative tangents and the long curiosity that keeps inviting us to follow them. This episode is sponsored by The Breath and The Clay Creative Arts Organization. Our next gathering is March 21-23 in Winston Salem NC. Tickets are on sale now.

Katherine May is an internationally renowned writer, podcaster and speaker whose work touches on nature, spirituality, slow living and neurodivergence.Her hybrid memoir Wintering was a global bestseller, adapted as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week, and shortlisted for the Porchlight and Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. Her most recent title, Enchantment became an instant New York Times bestseller. In our conversation Katherine and I discuss the common need for rediscovering pathways into enchantment and wonder. We discuss her concept of wintering and how even our most difficult times can become sources of creative and spiritual nourishment. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an exclusive segment of our conversation where Katherine and I unpack the phrase “secular mystic” as she's described in the inner sleeve of Wintering. I'd like to personally invite you to join us at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering March 21-23 2025 in Winston Salem, NC. Get Tickets here.

The question of when it is time to let go of a dream haunts most creatives at one time or another. Living out our sense of fidelity to a creative vision shifts and changes over time, just as the demands of life shift and change over time. But finding a way forward can be challenging, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Film producer Thomas Torrey has tackled this question in his recent musical drama Long December. Thomas Torrey is a writer/director/producer based in the Southeast. His production company, Bad Theology, has produced three feature films, including the 2017 ride-share thriller FARE, which the Los Angeles Times called “stunning” and Bloody Flicks named as one of the Ten Best Films of the Year; the 2020 mind-bender MINOR PREMISE, which Forbes called “one of the best sci-fi thrillers of the past decade”; and the newly released musical drama LONG DECEMBER, winner of the 2024 One In A Million Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival. Thomas continues to produce films under Bad Theology and also founded a company called Protagonist, with a mission to help entrepreneurs and business leaders communicate and craft their stories through documentaries and social media content. You can follow Long December @longdecember.movie, Bad Theology @badtheology, and Protagonist @protagonist.company. I caught up with Thomas in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, to discuss the new film and the creative process behind its making. Many of our listeners will be familiar with several members of the cast, including long-time friends of the podcast, John Mark McMillan and Stephen Williams of Jude Moses. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Thomas on the power of community in the creative process. Visit patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more. Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationEarly Bird Tix to The Breath and The Clay March 21-23, 2025!!!

Makers and Mystics has teamed up with New Zealand's Sunday Sanctuary Podcast for a special collaborative episode.For the November 10th episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Stephen Roach joins host Petra Bagust for a chat about poetry, creativity, and the different ways that noticing the small wonders of the world can reopen, restore, and change our lives.In this segment of the conversation, Petra and Stephen discuss the wonder found in Maori culture, storytelling, and the gift of our elders.Petra Bagust is a multi-talented Aotearoa, New Zealand media personality, writer, and advocate. Her passion for creativity and ethical living resonates with a wildly diverse audience, making her one of New Zealand's most sought-after radio and television hosts since the nineties.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationAttend our Advent Book Club!

For many people, and perhaps even for some of our listeners, the Bible elicits a very different response from one person to another. For some, it is a source of comfort and spiritual nourishment, even a great source of creative inspiration, while for others, it brings up difficult questions or even negative emotions and uncomfortable associations. But as we've talked this season about disenchantment and reclaiming wonder, I'm curious if taking a second look at this collection of stories, songs, and spiritual directives may be yet another unexpected doorway into wonder. My guest today is author and scholar Cheryl Bridges Johns. Cheryl is the author of four books including Re-enchanting The Text: Rediscovering the Bible As Sacred, Dangerous and Mysterious. In our conversation, we discuss the impact of looking at scripture solely from a didactic viewpoint and what may occur in the reader who instead approaches the Bible as a mystical text with the uncanny ability to change and transform, even re-enchant its reader with a renewed spiritual vitality and understanding of God and the human condition. Cheryl and I also discuss the importance of nature as God's second book and the role of imagination in creating the world around us. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Cheryl offering several practices to unlock a renewed vision on your creative and spiritual life. Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationMusic in this episode by: Some Were At Sea

Lacey Sturm is a Grammy-nominated queen of hard rock who secured a place in rock history as the first solo woman to top the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart with her debut album Life Screams. With a career spanning songs like “All Around Me,” “I'm So Sick,” “Again,” “Impossible,” “State of Me'' and most recently “Awaken Love,”Lacey Sturm has proven herself as one of the most powerful and enduring voices in hard rock. She is also a sought-after speaker and author, penning the autobiographical books The Reason, The Mystery and The Return. Also a dedicated wife and mother, Lacey tours with her family, supported on stage by her guitarist husband Josh Sturm. You can connect with Lacey at www.laceysturm.comIn this episode, Lacey shares openly about walking through devastating experiences early in life and the role music played in helping her find healing. She shares about her life now and how changing seasons bring out unexpected encounters with beauty and hope.*Also, just a heads up, our talk today includes sensitive subject matter, including mental health, abuse, and domestic violence.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationName Drops:Mr. Rogers, Nirvana, Tim Burton, SpidermanTopics: Art and Identity, Looking for the Helpers, Hope, Hurricane Katrina, Multiverse, MusicTrigger Warnings: Domestic Violence, Abuse, Addiction, Death

Russ Ramsey is an author and pastor with a passion for uniting art and faith. He has been in vocational ministry for more than twenty years and currently serves as the lead pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church's Cool Springs location. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Covenant Theological Seminary, and is the author of six books, including Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith (Zondervan 2022), and Behold the King of Glory, recipient of the 2016 Christian Book Award for New Author. Russ was also a founding contributor and member of The Rabbit Room and is a featured speaker each year at The Rabbit Room's annual conference, Hutchmoot. In today's episode Russ discusses his new book, Van Gogh has a Broken Heart. The conversation explores how Van Gogh's life and art reveal universal themes of struggle and wonder and what Van Gogh reveals about the human condition.Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment on why the arts are important to communities of faith. Visit Patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more. Name Drops: Van Gogh, Norman Rockwell, Paul Simon, Rembrandt, Books: The Sunflowers Are Mine, Van Gogh Has A Broken Heart Topics: Suffering, Van Gogh, Wonder, Faith, Honesty in art, mental health, emotional well-beingVan Gogh LettersJoin our creative collectiveGive a one-time donation

Nick Leng is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer known for his abstract blend of electronica, classical piano and ambient soundscapes. Nick's music is hard to categorize but evokes a sense of musical synesthesia, which he describes as a kaleidoscope of emotions turned into sounds. Nick's musical journey began in his early years growing up in South Africa, where he was classically trained on the piano. His formal education provided a strong foundation for his later experimental approach, as he learned to seamlessly blend technical skill with a passion for experimentation. In today's episode, Nick talks with me about his musical development and the nuances of his ever-evolving creative process. In a world where artists are often pressured to keep up with the demands of producing new content, Nick openly shares his struggles with the industry's relentless pace. He talks with me about the importance of resisting this pressure and taking time to sit with the muse, allowing his songs to develop naturally.In keeping with our Season theme of Reclaiming Wonder, Nick contributes a fascinating perspective on discovering wonder within new sounds and new ways of approaching music.Name Drops: Chopin Maurice Ravel Scriabin Dawn of Midi Portsmouth SinfoniaTopics: Minimal TechnoRominimal Music Subconscious Classical Music Experimental Music Creative Process Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationWatch Nick Leng's Insanely cool Beetle Bugs music video

Edward Knippers is a visual artist whose large-scale body of work spans 50 years of practice and explores various genres, including figurative, expressionism, abstraction, and cubism. His work has been displayed in museums, galleries, and private collections worldwide and centers on the human body. His paintings often depict scenes from biblical narratives and invite us to consider the goodness, brokenness, mystery, and glory of embodiment, urging us to grapple with the temptation to avoid, sexualize, downplay, or disparage the human form. Image Journal said of Edward Knippers that he is "without a doubt, one of the founding fathers of contemporary efforts to explore the relationship between Christian faith and the creation of outstanding new visual art.”Alongside garnering numerous awards and accolades, Ed's work has been the subject of much controversy. It has been banned, defaced, and even mutilated. The nudity, sometimes violent or disfigured forms within his paintings, have left some viewers offended at his imaginative handling of the biblical narratives. I had the honor of interviewing Edward live at Gordon Conwell's Embodied Faith Symposium in Charlotte NC. In our talk, I ask Ed about the role of embodiment within his work, how he has handled his critics and what advice he would give to this generation of emerging artists. Support The Podcast. Give A One Time Thank You Gift

Melbourne-based visual artist and electronic musician Mike Lane creates under the name Chalom, a name spoken to him in a dream. His practice consists of visually expressing dreams and meditations, with mostly found materials, embedded bible pages, penciled notes, and spray paint. Beyond the haphazard backgrounds of his paintings, brushes or tools are rarely used in the making, just hands and fingers employing scrawly texts, scribbles, and vaguely figurative forms.CHALOM's prolific work is a deeply spiritual practice, and he loves to write blessings and prophecies, hidden under the paintings for the viewer to experience as mysteries and positive energetic flow, intended to shift the atmosphere in the spaces where the works are hung.In this episode, Chalom talks with Stephen Roach about his creative process and the deeply-felt spiritual underpinnings behind his visual art.Topics: Dreams and VisionsAbstract ArtRisk in ArtSurprise in Art Experiencing the Now Name Drops: Ludwig Von Zinzendorf Henri Nouwen Rivertribe Become a Patron! Help us continue our work!

In this episode, podcast host Stephen Roach takes listeners on a journey into the world of ecstatic poetry. Drawing from the wisdom of Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton and author/scholar Michael Edwards, Stephen highlights poetry as mankind's first language. He tells us, the meaning of a poem is not found in what a poem is about, but rather what effect the poem has on it's hearer. Through reciting several of his own poems, Stephen reveals poetry and the poetic encounter as a doorway to wonder.THE BREATH AND THE CLAY WRITER'S RETREAT Oct. 25-27 in Moravian Falls, NC. APPLY NOW.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationPurchase A Collection of Stephen's Poetry

Our voice is one of the most uniquely defining qualities of our person. For artists and writers, finding our voice is a foundational and often painstaking process of search and discovery. For many, finding the courage to acknowledge, I am an artist. I am a writer. I am a musician, takes a lot of courage. Speaking it out for the first time can be an act of bravery and overcoming self doubt, imposter syndrome and fear. In her book, The Mystics Would Like A Word, author Shannon K. Evans says, “Claiming your own voice - your own perspective, your own experience, your own intuition, your own prophetic call to the world - is essential for artmaking.” In this episode, Shannon talks about her journey of overcoming imposter syndrome, embracing her whole experience of balancing artistry and motherhood and how six revolutionary women mystics helped her reclaim her authentic voice.Patrons of the podcast can enjoy exclusive interview segments at http://patreon.,com/makersandmystics Apply to attend The Breath and The Clay Writer's Retreat. Oct. 25-27, 2024 in Moravian Falls, NC.

Stephanie J. Spencer is a visual artist, author, nature-lover and an Enneagram coach who is not afraid of hard questions. She loves moving towards the struggles of the human experience to help people find new ways forward. Stephanie has spent years coaching individuals and teams from around the country, from major universities to local churches, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. Time and again, she has seen the power of the Enneagram, imagery, and questions to open pathways for growth and transformation. In our conversation, Stephanie and I discuss the Enneagram as a tool to help artists become more self aware and understand their own temperaments and motivations. Drawing from her book, Out of The Box and Into the Wild, Stephanie and I talk about discovering wonder in nature and how the natural world can serve as a metaphor for our own internal landscapes. You can find links to Stephanie's work as well as an unedited version of this conversation in the show notes and at patreon.com/makersandmystics Name Drops: 
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererSleeping At Last (Ryan O'Neal)Topics: 

Enneagram and Nature Natural imagery Routine and RitualJoin us at our Writer's Retreat! Oct.25-27, 2024!Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram @makersandmystics

When we think of wonder or beauty, we might be inclined to think in terms of an external appearance, a scene of nature or an attractive person. But what if wonder is something that grows from the inside out? What if wonder is way of seeing? And what if wonder is an interior force, one that begins in the hidden recesses of our perceptions? Today, on the show I'm talking with Oregon based, poet, writer and critic, Paul J Pastor. Paul serves HarperCollins as senior acquisitions editor for their Zondervan imprint, and also serves as a contributing editor for Ekstasis magazine. He's the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, and two forthcoming titles: The Locust Years and The Fire Cantos. In our conversation, Paul and I discuss the importance of learning to see as a means of engaging wonder. Drawing from the work of William Blake, Flannery O' Connor and stories from the Gospels, this episode takes us on a journey into our perceptions and invites us to reconsider beauty as more than an aesthetic experience. Topics: Perception, beauty, wonder as an interior experience.Art Forms: Literature, PhilosophyName Drops: William Blake, Flannery O'Connor, Herbert, Donne, Horace, Sappho, Wallace Stevens, Dante, Byung Chul HanMusic: Some Were At SeaTHE BREATH AND THE CLAY WRITER'S RETREAT Oct. 25-27 in Moravian Falls, NC. APPLY NOW.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donation

This fall we have several opportunities to gather together, get inspired and build community. I'd love to see you at one or all of these happenings! Just click the links below to find out the specific event details.If you'd like to stay in the know on our regular happenings and inspirations, sign up for our bi-weekly email list here. The Embodied Faith symposium - Sept.21-22 Charlotte NC Resound Creative Arts Conference - Sept 27=28, Boulder, COKarios Arts Event - Oct. 11-12, Charleston, SCThe Breath and The Clay Writer's Retreat - Oct. 25-27, Moravian Falls, NC

Philosopher, Simone Weil said that attentiveness is the heart of prayer. In this episode, we discuss postures of attentiveness as gateways to wonder.Guests: Dr. Mary McCampbell is an author, educator, and speaker whose publications span the worlds of literature, film, and popular music. She is the author of Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy.Dr. Joe Kickasola is a Professor of Film and Digital Media at Baylor University. He is the author of The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski: The Liminal Image, and has published in numerous academic venues and anthologies, including Film Quarterly, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film. _____Topics: Attentiveness, cynicism, receptivity, humility, consumerism, experiencing wonder during times of upheaval, Art Forms: filmmaking, photography, literature. Name Drops: Douglas Copeland, G.K. Chesterton, Jim Jarmusch, Terrence Malick, T.S.Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrey Rublev, Rothko, Stan Brakhage, Virginia Wolfe, David Foster Wallace, Movie References: Patterson, Tree of Life, Zabriskie Point Support The Podcast! We need your help to continue our work of advocating for the arts.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donation

Cleo Rinkest is a South-African actor who has worked with the likes of Samuel L Jackson, The Walking Dead's Callan McCauliff, and Game of Thrones, Charlotte Hope. Through her acting, she seeks to perform stories that go beyond entertainment and enlighten her audiences to values of human flourishing. Her current film projects follow themes of justice and mercy, capital punishment laws in Southern Africa, the supernatural realm, and the impact of AI on humanity. In our conversation, Cleo shares about the sacred service of the actor, the role of empathy in her art form and how she embodies the personas of the characters she portrays. In keeping with our season theme Reclaiming Wonder, I asked Cleo what reclaiming wonder looks like in her life. Be sure to listen to the end for her answer. If you're a patron of podcast, we reserved a special segment of our conversation exclusively for you. In that segment, Cleo shares about the aspect of collaboration and the challenges of being a working actor in South Africa. Help us continue our work! We can't do this without your support. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, show the love.You can give a one-time donation here or join our monthly creative collective here.Thank you, friends!Poema: An Online Course by Stephen Roach

One of the more powerful aspects of visual art, is when a single image encapsulates an entire narrative, or when viewing a painting or illustration, the viewer's imagination is invited to fill in the gaps and finish the tale. I recently came across an artist whose work embodies this narrative quality. I found myself going back to his images and studying what story was being told through the characters and gestures in each frame. I was moved to create in response. Which, for me is always a sure sign of a living work of art, when I am compelled to respond or when creativity is awakened and I am transported to an experience of wonder. Today, I have the honor of introducing this artist to you. Cody F. Miller is a printmaker, illustrator, and mixed media artist whose illustrations often depict people on a journey, navigating the interplay between light and darkness, as they try to find their way home. Cody's work has been included in numerous exhibitions and publications such as the “Arts Beacon of Light” at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, and the current front cover of Comment magazine. He received an Individual Excellence award in 2002 and 2018 from the Ohio Arts Council and is represented by the Sharon Weiss Gallery.In our conversation, Cody shares about his own incredible journey of searching to find home and how discipline and everyday experiences become unlikely doorways to wonder. If you have found yourself lacking wonder, I encourage you to spend some time with Cody's work and also to listen to this episode in full for some practical wisdom on how to get unstuck. You can find images of Cody's work on our Instagram and on his website. Help us continue our work! We can't do this without your support. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, show the love. You can give a one-time donation here or join our monthly creative collective here. Thank you, friends!

Donna Matthews is a musician and creative artist. In the 1990's she played lead guitar in Elastica and lo-fi, DIY band Klang, and in subsequent years devised and facilitated creative workshops for people in recovery from addiction. She is currently in her final year of a practice-based PhD in Music at the university of Glasgow. Interested in issues such as poetic intuition, inspiration, and gift, her work explores how the intuitive state might be conveyed through aesthetic form, whilst also exploring improvisation as a means of 'undoing form' to experience the inspired state.In this episode, Donna shares about her winding journey through music, addiction and fusing her deeply felt spiritual practice with her artistic discipline. Donna discusses the role of improvisation, speaking in tongues and what Lewis Hyde terms as the Gifted State or that posture of heart which readies the creative artist to receive inspiration and experience wonder.Patrons of the podcast can enjoy a full, unedited version of this conversation at http://www.patreon.com./makersandmysticsHere is a link to the Lewis Hyde interview mentioned in this episode.

When we lack wonder, we settle for the evening news. When we lack spectacle, we settle for shock art. When we can't see the burning bush, we set the dumpster on fire. By this point, the Olympics' opening performance has been discussed ad nauseum. Most of us have grown weary of the vitriol and moved on. Therefore, I hesitate to add another voice to the fire, but as one who leads a community of mostly faith-based artists, the performance has held a particular interest to me. I have felt a measure of responsibility to weigh in but more importantly, I have felt a responsibility to ensure my response is not reactionary or regurgitating secondhand information. This bonus episode highlights a few of my thoughts.

Wonder is all around us. In every moment, in every mundane or grand occasion. The earth and all that is in within it, is an unfolding poem spoken from divine lips in search of an audience. In this introductory episode, Stephen Roach shares the groundwork for this season's exploration of Reclaiming Wonder. He says, “It is the artist whose work bridges the realm of everyday life with the realm of mystery and deeper meaning. It is the artist who again re-enchants the world and helps us to reclaim our sense of wonder.” Join the creative collective!

Around the turn of the century, German Sociologist, Max Weber coined the phrase ‘disenchantment' as a way of describing society's transition from a mythical or religious understanding of the world to a rationalistic, scientific view. Advancements in science and technology alongside a perceived decline of religious devotion rendered the world demystified or void of magic. Religious opponents celebrated this transition as a liberation from old superstitions and worn-out beliefs, to a world formed purely of empirical fact. But after a hundred years or more since this shift in the social conscience, the human heart continues to yearn for meaning beyond the material world. It is the artist whose work bridges the realm of everyday life with the realm of mystery and deeper meaning. It is the artist who again re-enchants the world and calls us to reclaim our sense of wonder.In this upcoming season of the podcast, we are going to explore what it means to reclaim wonder. We are going to talk with a number of guests from artists and theologians to Enneagram experts and actors. We want to invite you to take the journey alongside of us. If you're looking to reconnect to a sense of deeper meaning both in your creative life and your spiritual life, this season is designed to help. Starting Tuesday, July 30th, and running every week following, the Makers and Mystics podcast begins our series to reclaim wonder. Join us for deeper discussions on Patreon.Make a one-time donation to support our work.

In this live talk, recorded at the Audiofeed Festival in Urbana, Illinois, Stephen Roach encourages listeners that the value of a dream is not contingent upon its coming to pass. The value of a dream, he says, is in the dreaming. For anyone, who has grappled with the death of a dream or the pain of letting go, this talk will encourage you that a dream can take many shapes and forms and that nothing is wasted. Join the Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveTake Stephen's FREE course on Creativity & FearSupport the podcast with a one-time donation.

In this Season Finale round table, founder of Ekstasis magazine, Conor Sweetman and essayist, Yi Ning Chiu discuss expressive individualism, various frameworks of community and why physical community remains essential in our modern, digitized culture. Alongside of Ekstasis, Conor serves as the director of innovation for Christianity today while Yi Ning writes Please Don't Go, a newsletter about life in community—why it's terrible, why it's essential, and why we shouldn't give up on cultivating it. Help us keep our show alive! Become a monthly patron.

If you're a regular listener to the podcast then you know that we haven't produced our regular episodes for the past few weeks. And if you follow us on Instagram or get our email newsletters then you know the reason why. On May 27th, my studio laptop was stolen. In light of this event and feeling disoriented, I began to study the word 'orient.'I discovered that ‘orient' means to arrange something as to face east. The implication is to look in the direction of the sunrise. To be disoriented then means a time of darkness. And to be reoriented means looking past the darkness to a rising sun. ⁣ ⁣This short update is an encouragement for anyone who has felt themselves disoriented or interrupted.You can contribute to the cause here.You can become a monthly patron here.

Hospitality is more than the generous treatment of guests or strangers, but is a way of peeling back the layers of separation and getting closer to the heart of a group or individual. In this way, hospitality is the heartbeat of community and true friendship. The word hospitality comes from the Latin hospes, meaning "host", "guest", or "stranger". Hospes is formed from hostis, which means "stranger" or "enemy" (where we get terms like "hostile.”) So hospitality or coming to a shared table can be a place where strangers transform into friends and enemies can be re-humanized. In this episode, fellow podcaster, community builder and co-founder of the First Things First Foundation, John Heers shares about how the Art of Hospitality has become a revolutionary act. He shares about a Georgian feast - called a Supra - where he plays the role of a Tamada and invites guests to share in this counter-cultural revolution by coming to the table.By joining the Makers and Mystics Creative Collective, you can help us continue our work of advocating for the arts and connect with a tribe of creatives from around the world.

Kimberly Phinney is a professor, counselor, poet and writer. She's been published in Ekstasis Magazine, Fathom, Humana Obscura, and many other publications. She is the editor and founder of the literary community The Way Back To Ourselves. Earlier this year, Kimberly's poem “An Ode to Hard, Dark Nights” won the Audience Choice Award in our Bright Wings Poetry Contest in partnership with Ekstasis magazine. In this episode, Kimberly shares how the vision for her creative community and her recent book of poems, Of Wings and Dirt were born out of her journey through an intense season of illness. As a community leader, Kimberly shares her thoughts on how artists and creatives can move against the modern bent toward isolation and disembodiment. Join The Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveSupport The PodcastMusic in this episode by Some Were At Sea

Andi Marie Tillman is an Appalachian comedian, musician, and self-proclaimed “recovering Pentecostal.” Her roots in performance began at the early age of 8 when she sang in churches across the Southeast. It was here Andi gathered much of the inspiration for what would later become her well-known cast of original characters. Andi has acted in numerous shorts, feature films, commercials, and music videos including Come and Save Me by Danielson. But it was Andi's series of TikTok sketches that elevated her platform and struck a chord with folks both native and new to Appalachian culture. In this episode, Andi shares about the roots of her acting, her winding journey through Appalachian spirituality, and the healing power of laughter. Join the Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveAndi's advice to those who left the church

What does it mean to be a culture maker in a world of hurt and wondrous possibility? And what does it mean to mend the world, to bring healing and hospitality through our art and the details of our everyday lives? Today's episode features multi-Grammy winner Charlie Peacock and his wife and author, Andi Ashworth. Charlie and Andi have recently published a wonderful book together titled, Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt The book draws from their 50 years of marriage and lifelong experience working with artists in community. In this conversation, Charlie and Andi share from their book on what it means to mend the world through honest, meaningful relationships and a hopeful imagination.Patrons of the podcast can hear additional interview segments with Charlie and Andi on the power of writing letters and keeping a consistent practice of journaling. Visit patreon.com/makersandmystics to gain access. p5EhJRJmEpIuK2Zr8jWN

Film director Chris White and songwriter Daniel Smith of The Danielson Family have crafted an 8-minute short film/music video titled "Come and Save Me," a poignant exploration of acceptance and community as a cure to the loneliness epidemic of our post-pandemic world.In this episode, Daniel and Chris share about the film's inception, working with lead actor and comedian Fred Armisen, and why the arts play a central role in addressing social concerns.Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveListen to our previous episode wtih director Chris White on the film Electric Jesus.

Christen Lien is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates an innovative brand of musical storytelling. She disrupts the classical genre by integrating innovative technology and collaborating with artists and musicians from many mediums. Christen has performed for a diverse network of audiences around the globe, from the Dalai Lama to the Burning Man festival.Through her lifelong devotion to the viola and her innovative use of guitar pedals, loops and electronic soundscapes, Christen's compositions and performances create a multi-faceted musical landscape that bridges worlds and ideas.In this conversation, Christen shares about her pursuit of mastery, the role of discipline and spontaneity in her work and how she experiences the flow state in her performances.Christen Lien Official Website Join The Makers & Mystics Creative CollectiveMastery by Robert Greene (Referenced in the conversation.)

I recently traveled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where I participated in the 2024 Square Halo Conference: Return To Narnia: Creativity, Collaboration and Community. As part of the event, I hosted a live podcast recording on the topic of creativity and community. Joining me for this conversation is graphic designer, children's book illustrator, author, and printmaker, Ned Bustard. Ned is the creative director at Square Halo Books and co-author of my book Naming The Animals. Joining us alongside of Ned, is author and community leader, Brian Brown. Brian is the founder and director of the Anselm Society, a Colorado-based organization dedicated to a renaissance of the Christian imagination. In our conversation, we address the questions, why does community matter to the artist and what are its challenges? How can we foster healthier relationships between artists and communities of faith and how can we move beyond the impact of social disruption into new experiences of communal life. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy my live discussion from Square Halo on The Mischief of God In Art—Exploring Subversive Themes in Scripture and Creative Practice:Visit Patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more.

This week's episode is a collaboration with Lisa Smith of the Be. Make. Do. Podcast! We are flipping the mic around for this one and inviting fellow podcaster, Lisa Smith to ask MM host, Stephen Roach a few questions about the importance of community in the life of the artist and why gathering together now is such an important part of our creative work and the process of healing from social isolation. You can learn more about Lisa's community of artists at soulmakers.org or see the show notes of this episode. In just a few weeks Lisa and several of the artists from her community will be joining us at The Breath and The Clay creative arts gathering to host a workshop on Curating Wholeness: Building A purposeful world through Art. Join the Makers and Mystics Creative Collective

Amanda Held Opelt is an author, speaker, and songwriter. She writes about faith, grief, and creativity, and believes in the power of community, ritual, shared worship, and storytelling to heal even our deepest wounds.In today's episode Amanda discusses the art of lament and how deep-rooted communal practices of shared grief can help us heal and grow through the difficult experiences of our lives. Drawing from her book Holy Unhappiness: God, Grief and the Myth of the Blessed Life, Amanda shares her journey of grappling with experiences of disillusionment when life with God didn't feel the way she expected it to feel. *On March 22-24, 2024, you can join Amanda live at The Breath and the Clay creative arts gathering where she will be conducting a workshop called “Let There Be Grief: Rituals and Remembrances As a Path to Healing”Support the podcastAs a member of our Patreon community, you can join other artists and creatives from around the world as we support one another along this journey of art and faith. We host regular book clubs, artist check-ins where we share our wins, challenges, inspirations and knowledge.We're eager to connect with you! Join today!

As we prepare for The Breath & The Clay creative arts gathering, I'm going to be highlighting several of the speakers and performers who'll be joining us at the event. For today's episode I reached into the archives and pulled a segment of my conversation with BC24 headliners, Elephant Heart. Elephant Heart is the Los Angeles-based electronic duo Jason and Victoria Evigan. Elephant Heart's music Is Rooted in their shared passion for international travels, world beats and global cultures Elephant Heart creates genre-bending music that pulls multicultural influences from far and wide.This segment of Season 7's conversation carries a meaningful contribution to our current season's theme of community and culture. In this clip, Victoria and Jason share about the healing power of music and its ability to bring people together, the beauty of cultural diversity as well as a candid look into Victoria's own process of moving past fear into the fullness of her creative expression. You can listen back to the full episode here.

Relationships form the heartbeat of community life. The way we interact, the way we understand one another and hold space for the differences between us determines the quality and depth of our societies. Our guest today is relationship expert and author Christa Hardin. Christa is host of the popular Enneagram and Marriage podcast. She has been working with and researching marriage for two decades, providing hope for couples who are struggling to find their light, love, and mission together in any season of relationship. In this conversation, Christa unpacks some of the ways she has helped couples foster a deeper understanding of one another through utilizing the Enneagram and her years of research and practice. She shares about our social instinct and how we can move toward finding common ground with those who may see life a bit differently than ourselves. Christa offers ways to cultivate health in our most intimate relationships and how these same dynamics can translate to a larger, cultural level.Join us at The Breath and The ClayBecome A Patron! More About Christa: Christa Hardin, MA is a relationship expert, author, as well as host of the popular Enneagram & Marriage Podcast. Christa has been working with and researching marriage for two decades, providing hope for couples who are struggling to find their light, love, and mission together in any season of relationship. Her most recent Amazon best-selling title, "The Enneagram in Marriage: Your Guide to Thriving Together in Your Unique Pairing," is now available wherever you buy books. You can catch up with her at @enneagramandmarriage on Instagram, Substack at "Of Light and Joy". You can find her website, blog, and Enneagram & Marriage podcast links at www.enneagramandmarriage.com,

Kaleb Moten is a singer, songwriter, composer, music producer, and musician, dedicated to revealing beauty and meaning, and liberating other artists to do the same. Kaleb has released four studio albums to date and is currently producing two more. In addition to his solo work, Kaleb also works as a music producer, with credits for artists such as Victory Boyd and Abbie Gamboa. In this episode, Kaleb shares one of the foundational encounters that shaped him as an experimental, musician, as well as his journey of developing a vocabulary to encapsulate some of the deeper experiences of his music and life. In keeping with this season's theme of community and culture, Kaleb shares about the impact of leaning into particular expressions of art not only as an individual but what happens when an entire movement of people collectively express the same heart. Kaleb will be joining us along with Victory Boyd at The Breath and the Clay creative arts event, March 22-24, 2024.

This cultural moment may be one of history's most interesting times to find home among a community of likeminded people with whom we identify. On the one hand we are more connected than we ever have been (thank you internet) and yet at the same time, people feel more disconnected than ever before. Isolation and loneliness have become an epidemic. So much so, in May of 2023, the surgeon general put out a statement calling isolation and loneliness a public health crisis. In this introductory episode, podcast host Stephen Roach sets the stage for this season's conversations and discusses how the artist can respond to the need for community and become an agent of healing for our culture.Build community with us at The Breath and The Clay March 22-24 in Winston Salem, NCGo deeper into these conversations with our online community Music by: Some Were At Sea

Community is a vital component to our mental, emotional and spiritual health as well as a formative influence on our creative work.Throughout history, artists have gathered together with other artists for mutual support, inspiration and the sharing of ideas. Despite the overarching digital landscape of our present day, the need for gathering together is no less important. In fact, it could be argued that it is all the more important so we do not lose touch with what it means to be human, to look another person in the eyes and share our stories around a common table. Community creates an ecosystem of trusted voices who can appreciate and critique our work, contribute to our artistic growth and create a sense of belonging. And it is within the womb of creative community where seeds of culture begin to germinate. Creative community contributes to and challenges the larger cultural values, upholds traditions or gives a platform to needed voices of change. Establishing creative/spiritual community facilitates shared experiences and creates a safe place to explore new concepts in art and deeper explorations of theology. The artist's role in shaping culture cannot be overstated. Percy Shelley wrote that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Therefore as artists of faith or those responsible for leading faith communities, if we care about where our culture is headed, we need to take seriously our responsibility to nurture the artist's voice in our midst. Starting Tuesday January 30th, we'll begin a short series of conversations on how creativity, community and culture give shape to the life of the artist. We'll be featuring many of the voices who will be performing or presenting with us at The Breath and the Clay gathering.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to follow along and if you want to take a deeper dive into these topics, you can sign up at Patreon.com/makersandmystics and participate in our regular online community discussions. The Breath & the Clay Join our Patreon. Show some love. Help keep the lights on.

Each year as part of our annual creative arts gathering, The Breath and The Clay hosts an interactive art gallery for artists of all backgrounds and mediums. We believe that your art contains the ability to change lives, inspire generations and foster deep, spiritual encounters. See the details below and submit your works for consideration for this year's event.-Entry Deadline: Friday, February 16, 2024 by 11:59 PM. -Notification of Juror Results: Monday, February 26, no later than 7 p.m.-Exhibition dates (Conference Dates): March 22-24, 2024-Entry Fee: $25 (Entry fee includes submission of 3 pieces)Submit Your WorkAll media are eligible, including but not limited to: painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, drawing, fiber, installation, and sculpture. Video and sound work will require the artist to send/bring their own equipment for display. Work that includes sound will be displayed at a volume appropriate for the gallery, as decided by The Breath and The Clay staff. There are no size restrictions for this exhibition. This exhibition will be held physically and will also be represented as an online gallery at https://www.thebreathandtheclay.com

In this season finale episode, podcast host, Stephen Roach shares how desire informs our sense of self and how the practice of detachment can help us navigate the journey from a false self to embracing our true identity as the beloved of God.Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is offering a Doctor of Ministry degree in The Arts, Ministry, and Mission as a part of a new initiative in theology, the arts, and gospel witness. Follow this link to learn more and apply.Get Tickets to The Breath and the Clay Join the Makers & Mystics Creative collective

One of the core markers of a person's identity are the beliefs they hold to be true. A person's faith becomes a fixed point from which they view and understand the world. But what happens when those beliefs are shaken? Or what happens when a person is confronted with a difficult truth that collides with or even contradicts their view of the world?Our guest today is storyteller and best-selling author of Returning to Eden: A Field Guide for the Spiritual Journey, Heather Hamilton. In this episode, Heather shares what it was like to undergo a nervous breakdown and a subsequent mystical experience that re-ordered her understanding of the universe.GET TICKETS TO THE BREATH AND THE CLAYSUPPORT THE PODCAST

Ours is a fast-paced digital world where technology has become such a personalized part of our daily lives, it's hard to imagine who we are without it. Social media, augmented reality, and AI-driven personalization each contribute to the formation of a digital identity which impacts the way we connect with others and how we present ourselves online. We've grown accustomed to how our smartphones and smartwatches intertwine physical and digital experiences. We've become accustomed to the ways technology influences the way we perceive ourselves and others but what happens when these technologies progress toward a seeming agency of their own? Or what about when our likeness is replicable in a virtual rendering or when the creative works we make are easily emulated by AI? For many artists, these capabilities bring up real concerns about intellectual property and the ethics of what constitutes our identity. Joining us for this discussion today is someone whose creative work intersects the worlds of art, technology and the future in ways that offer a positive look into the influence of emerging technologies on the artist's life. Sam Rad is a lifelong student of humanity, storyteller, performer, and musician. She was trained in anthropology, theatre, and movement/embodiment at New York University, British American Drama Academy at Oxford University, and Lee Strasberg Institute in NYC. She started her career as a theater director -- before founding 4 technology companies. Today, Sam Rad is considered a futurist, one who looks into emerging technologies and helps us understand the coming impacts these tools will have on our lives. She is a published author and highly sought after motivational speaker who merges spirit and science through consciousness, connection, and creativity.Join the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective Get Tickets to The Breath and the Clay 2024!