Tinasha LaRayé is a poet, actress, and filmmaker who has an intense passion to see nations transformed through storytelling. As a spoken word artist, she incorporates her theatrical world of acting to elevate poetry from the page to an encounter. From working with inner city kids, to young women, to budding creatives, she loves empowering individuals to move in their God-given voice, purpose, and power. Tinasha also desires to see the wound of racism healed in the United States and uses her creativity and teachings to equip this generation to walk out healing, justice, and unity. She currently serves as a pastor in Creative Arts at Bethel Church in Redding.
In today’s episode Stephen talks with Tinasha about her work as a poet and actress standing at the intersections of spiritual encounter and social justice. The two also talk about her film, Hope Song which explores the historical experience of Black people in America, and paints a poetic and prophetic vision for racial healing.
David Kinnaman is president of Barna Group, a leading research company based in Atlanta, Georgia. David’s work as a researcher and as a “professional listener” has led him and his team to interview nearly 1.5 million individuals since he began working for Barna in 1995.
In this episode, Stephen is joined by Storybrand consultant and pastor, Luke Humbrecht of Boulder, Colorado. Stephen and Luke talk with David about his latest book, Faith For Exiles and the importance of cultivating healthy habits of attentiveness in a distracted age.
2019 has been an incredible year for the Makers and Mystics podcast and for The Breath & the Clay creative community. The conversations and live events we have hosted have been some of the most creative and insightful ones to date.
Take a look at our top 12 podcast episodes of 2019 and reflect back on these brilliant conversations as we prepare to move into 2020.
Thank you so much to our Patrons and friends who made these conversations possible! If you are not currently supporting the podcast, please consider joining our creative collective at this link and help promote these conversations on creativity and the spiritual life.
In this bonus episode, Stephen highlights several of the presenters for the 2020 The Breath & the Clay creative arts gathering, who have appeared on the podcast. Listen in for conversation segments with Jeremy Cowart, Lanecia Rouse Tinsely, Matthew Perryman Jones and Lauren Midgley. **This episode offers a Christmas gift from us to you, our listeners! Listen in for a discount registration code to The Breath & the Clay creative arts gathering, March 20-22, 2020 in Winston-Salem, NC.
Aimee Semple McPherson was a celebrity personality and pioneering religious figure active during the 1920’s and 30’s. She is perhaps most remembered for her larger than life theatrical presentations of the gospel and for establishing one of the world’s first recognized mega churches. At the height of her fame, Aimee’s services filled 5300 seats three times every Sunday. She appointed two massive choirs and a fifty-piece orchestra to perform musical compositions and sacred operas which she composed. In her services, Aimee preached what she called “illustrated sermons,” accompanied by elaborate set designs and costumes created by Hollywood designers and performed by professional actors.
Matthew Perryman Jones is performing songwriter by trade, though at heart, he is actually a seeker. With each entry into his discography, his musical and moral compass points toward an artistic horizon he has yet to explore. Sometimes, he turns his gaze to examine his own inner world. Other times, he looks to the inspirations found in the letters Vincent Van Gogh penned to his brother Theo, or in the idea of duende as proffered by Federico García Lorca, and in the poetic verses of Sufi poets Hafiz and Rumi.
In this episode, Stephen Roach talks with Matthew about the inspirations behind his songs, the nuances within his art and the signposts along the way which give meaning and direction to his creative path.
John Fluevog is a celebrated Canadian shoe designer known for his witty and unconventional style. Colourful, Art Deco-inspired and inscribed with uplifting messages, his distinctive footwear has graced dance floors and boardrooms alike and are worn by everyone from Alice Cooper to Lady Gaga to nurses, teachers, lawyers, bikers, baristas and someone down your street.
Today, John Fluevog owns 27 stores across North America, Australia and Europe. He lives in Vancouver, sketches new designs every day and he knows he's weird.
In this episode, Stephen travels to Tribeca, New York City to talk with John about his fifty-year legacy of shoemaking and the inspirations behind his work.
William Blake was an English poet, printmaker and painter born November 28, 1757 in London, England. Today, he is considered one of the most important figures in English poetry and art, although during his lifetime, his work remained largely overlooked. His writings were spiritually and politically lethal and publishers shunned his works for fear of being accused of inciting insurrection.
Contemporary poet and musician, Patti Smith heralded William Blake as the spiritual ancestor of generations of poets. William Blake fueled the creative fires of Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsburg, Jack Kerouac, John Lennon, Bono and Jim Morrison who named the Doors after Blake’s verse, “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite.”
Ashley Mary is a Minnesota-based muralist and abstract artist whose paintings tap into concepts of youth and playfulness and curiosity through the use of thick textures, vibrant colors, and organic and familiar shapes.
Her process is influenced heavily by her collage work, patterns, vintage ephemera, and her background in graphic design. Ashley’s work pays attention to the unintentional and leaves space to be surprised.
Her murals and product designs can be seen nationwide in large scale collaborations with brands such as Google, Starbucks, and Anthropologie.
Outside of her work as an artist, Ashley is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Curiosity Studios. A creative learning space for those stuck and blocked.
Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Ashley on book recommendations for sparking curiosity.
Jeremy Cowart is an award-winning photographer, artist, and entrepreneur whose mission in life is to "explore the intersection of creativity and empathy." He was named the “Most Influential Photographer on the Internet” by Huffington Post, Forbes and Yahoo in 2014. Jeremy has published four books including his latest release titled I’m possible: Jumping into fear and discovering a life of purpose.
His latest endeavor is The Purpose Hotel, a planned global for-profit hotel chain designed to fuel the work of not-for-profit organizations. He’s also the founder of a global photography movement, called Help-Portrait, which connects photographers, hairstylists and makeup artists all around the world with people in need to take their picture, print their picture and then deliver it—free of charge.
In this episode, Stephen Roach talks with Jeremy about his work as a photographer and visual artist and how empathy and hope inform the art he makes.
Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Jeremy on his advice to artists seeking to turn their work into a full time vocation. You can find this segment and the ticket link to The Breath and The Clay in the show notes of this episode.
Rebekah Lyons is a national speaker and bestselling author of You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are and Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning. Rebekah has been described as an old soul with a contemporary, honest voice, revealing her own battles to overcome anxiety and depression— Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, Huffington Post, Publisher’s Weekly, and more.
In this episode, Stephen talks with Rebekah about her latest book titled, Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose. Through transparent personal stories and in-depth research, Rhythms of Renewal invites the reader to establish daily habits of creating and sustaining emotional, relational and spiritual health. Rhythms of Renewal offers four mindful rhythms of rest, restore, connect and create.
Many artists and creatives wrestle with stress and anxiety in their personal lives and in the creative processes. The wisdom Rebekah lives on the pages of her book offers not only a sense of hope but a practical pathway to get there.
Andrew Petersonis an award-winning singer-songwriter and author. The second book in his Wingfeather Saga, North! Or Be Eaten won the Christy Award for Young Adult Fiction, and the fourth, The Warden and the Wolf King won World Magazine’s Children’s Book of the Year in 2015.
In 2008, Andrew founded a creative arts community called The Rabbit Room, which led to a yearly conference, countless concerts and symposiums, and Rabbit Room Press, which has published thirty books to date.
In this episode, Stephen sits down with Andrew to talk about his latest book, Adorning The Dark which is a collection of personal stories from his journey through the intersections of songwriting, storytelling, and vocation, along with offering a nuts-and-bolts exploration of the great mystery of creativity.
The artist known as Propaganda, is a Los Angeles based poet, political activist, academic & emcee. His body of work challenges listeners with difficult and sometimes controversial topics such as systemic injustice and racism. With musical roots ranging from aggressive battle raps to smooth introspective rhythms, Propaganda’s music crosses cultural spectrums while his deep lyrical prowess appeals to both the heart and intellect alike.
In this episode, Stephen talks with Propaganda about the motivations behind his poetry, music and social conscience.
Flannery O’ Connor was a Southern, fiction writer and essayist born March 25th 1925 in Savannah, Georgia. She was a devout Roman Catholic with a penchant for satire, dark humor and wild, religious imagination. Today, O’Connor is considered to be one of America’s greatest fiction writers and an apologist for the Catholic faith.
Her stories are far from what you might imagine coming from a Southern Christian writer in the 1950’s. They are full of shocking scenes of violence, depravity and shady, sometimes comic Christian characters such as a bible salesman who steals a prosthetic leg or a pseudo-prophet who steals mummified dwarfs. Her character’s twisted views of reality warps the basic tenets of the faith they profess. Their situations often end in bloodshed.
Lewis Hyde is a scholar, essayist, translator, cultural critic and writer whose scholarly work focuses on the nature of imagination, creativity, and property. His book, THE GIFT: Creativity and the Artist in the modern world is now considered a classic. Written over twenty-five years ago, this book is even more necessary today than when it first appeared. The Gift brilliantly orchestrates a defense of the value of creativity and of its importance in a culture increasingly governed by money and overrun with commodities.
In this episode, Stephen talks with Lewis Hyde about his books The Gift, Trickster Makes This World and how the artist makes his way through today’s world.
Nadine Ellsworth-Moran is the winner of our first annual Bright Wings poetry contest. Nadine is a Georgia resident where she works in full-time ministry while pursuing her love of writing. Her essays and poems have appeared in Interpretation, The Presbyterian Outlook, Structo, Kakalak, and Saint Katherine Review, among others.
In this episode, Stephen is joined by contest panel judge and poet, Amy Orazio and features a reading of Nadine’s winning poem by the author.
Topics in this episode include resilience, tenacity and constructive ways of handling rejections.
Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist, author and speaker whose process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of the New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.”
In a culture driven by speed and instant gratification, the idea of slow art runs counter to our normal modes of living.
Mako’s approach to art challenges our relationship to time and invites us into a more reflective approach to life, creating and viewing art.
In this episode Stephen speaks with Mako as he worked in his Princeton New Jersey studio. The two discuss his process of art-making, culture care and the importance of slowing down not only in art but in our relationships and in life.
Music for this episode is provided by jazz artist, Alfred Sergel four with compositions from his latest release, Sleepless Journey.
Patrons access additional interview segments with Mako on the importance of mentoring emerging artists, beauty, a glimpse into his daily practices and advice for artists of faith working in the world of art.
Teresa of Avila was a Spanish, Carmelite nun born on March 28th, 1515. She was an avid writer, social reformer and mystic known for her wit, charm and intense spiritual ecstasies. In this Artist Profile, Stephen Roach offers a glimpse into the life of this eccentric and accessible mystic whose life remains applicable for us today.
Lauren Midgley is a conceptual fine art photographer based in Oklahoma. Her photography stretches beyond the historical use of the camera and invites the viewer into a world of surrealism and visual storytelling. In a world saturated with digital imagery, Lauren employs illustrative, advanced digital manipulation to paint virtual narratives that speak to the heart of our collective human experience.
In this episode, Stephen and Lauren discuss her aims and motivations as an artist as well as the inception behind several specific portraits. To make it easier to you to follow along (with the visual nature of our discussion), we have posted the images mentioned in this episode on Instagram @makersandmystics.
Pop Artist and cultural icon, Andy Warhol started his career as a commercial artist working as a successful illustrator for magazines and advertising agencies but eventually made the leap to become an independent, exhibiting artist in New York City. Andy’s unique style of portraying screen-printed images of his lifelong obsession with celebrities and mundane objects propelled him into the spotlight as a leading voice of the Pop-Art movement.
What isn’t widely recognized about Andy’s life was his secretive devotion to the Catholic faith. Underneath his silver wigs and flamboyant costumes was a man who regularly attended mass, served at a homeless shelter and financed his nephew’s study for the priesthood. How these two irreconcilable personas found home in this one man’s life is a question both interested religious figures and art critics alike have been asking.
In this Artist Profile, Stephen takes a brief look into the religious life of this enigmatic and complex artist’s hidden life.
In this opening episode, Stephen talks with singer-songwriter Josh Garrels about his latest release, Chrysaline. The two discuss the personally transformative experiences that informed the making of these songs and how collaboration and environment impacted Josh’s creative process. Josh shares openly about his experience of personal frustration that led him to place his music on the altar.
*Be sure to listen to the end as Josh addresses the latest trend of what feels like a mass exodus from the faith by so many people in our generation.
“This may be one of the more timely and important conversations we have had on the podcast. I look forward to discussing this further with our creative collective over the next few weeks.” – Stephen
Hello beautiful friends! Season Six is about to kick off this week! We just finished edits for the opening episode. You are going to love it!
Before we launch this first episode, I wanted to let you know about a few things coming down the pike.
First, we are hosting several Makers & Mystics live events in select cities across the U.S. We will be in Phoenix, Denver, New York City, Frederick, Maryland and Durham, NC. Tickets for these events can be found here.
***Denver and Phoenix events have calls for artists to submit works for our gallery.
We will be adding excerpts from these live events to our roster of episodes. So cool! We just hosted a live recording in Charlottesville with The Farmhouse Community on "Art As Healing." It was an incredible time. Can't wait to share the audio!
The winners of our first annual Bright Wings poetry contest are listed here. The Grand Prize winner will be featured on the podcast coming up in Season Six to share her poem!
News for the 2020 Breath & Clay event will be coming very soon as well!
HINT: We are going to have some special ticket offers to our patrons only before the tickets go live.
Our Book Club will resume this fall as well. Details to come on that.
What an incredible summer it has been! I've enjoyed getting to know many of you and interacting with you. I look forward to continuing to build our creative community.
This LIVE Season Finale episode features the perspectives of diverse voices you’ve heard on the podcast; Amena Brown, Josh Garrels, Vesper Stamper, Cole NeSmith and CJ Casciotta. In today’s panel discussion, these five discuss the tension between the soul and the business of creativity.
In the realm of art-making, there can seem to be a tension between our desire to create authentic works, works which remain true to the artist’s creative vision, while at the same time creating works which are either commercially viable or which resonate with the communities where we have influence.
John O’ Donohue was a modern-day mystic, philosopher, theologian and poet. He spent his life along the West Coast of Ireland where the solitude and beauty of the land shaped him as an artist and thinker.
