Makers & Mystics

John Hendrix is a New York Times Bestselling illustrator and author of many children's books, including Shooting at the Stars, Drawing is Magic, John Brown: His Fight for Freedom, Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus, The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler. His illustrations have appeared on book jackets, newspapers and magazines all over the country. John is a Professor of Art, teaching illustration at the Sam Fox School of Art and Design at Washington University in St. Louis. He is Chair of the MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture, teaching with fellow professor D.B. Dowd.In this final episode of the Summer ‘21 Series, guest-host Vesper Stamper talks with John about the creative process behind his work, the importance of authenticity and creating from a posture of sincerity. John Hendrix Website Vesper Stamper mid-roll soundscape provided by Sean WilliamsJoin our Creative Collective!InstagramSend us a textSupport the show

Silicone Boone is an Ex-Amish artist from the hills of Kentucky.  With minimal exposure to contemporary music throughout his childhood and teen years, his songwriting and music are refreshingly original.  In 2019 he released “The Reaches,” a space opera of sorts, a concept album spanning big bang to universal death  – a project he thinks of as a “love song to humanity.”  In this episode, guest-host John Mark McMillan talks with Silicone Boone about growing up Amish, the influence of Carl Sagan’s optimistic view of the future, the importance of murder ballads to American music and the deeper motivations behind his music. Silicone Boone: Official Website InstagramSign up for our September book club featuring Art & Faith by Makoto Fujimura. Follow Makers & Mystics on Instagram! Visit our website for over 200 artist conversations and episodes.Guest-host John Mark McMillanSend us a textSupport the show

Vanessa Brantley Newton was born during the Civil Rights movement and attended school in Newark, New Jersey. She was part of a diverse, tight-knit community and learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment at early age.  As an illustrator, Vanessa includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. In this episode, guest-host Vesper Stamper talks with Vanessa about her background as an illustrator as well as topics such as synesthesia, prayer and the significance of our names.  Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Vanessa on diversity and race in our current cultural climate. Visit http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics to learn more.Connect with VanessaFacebookInstagram WebsiteConnect with VesperBecome a Patron of the Podcast! Support the production of these conversations.Send us a textSupport the show

Have you ever wondered what distinguishes art from non-art? What are the distinctions and who gets to decide? What makes something a work of art? Is it the result of a conscious act? Does it require skill and originality? What about memes and propaganda? Can these be considered works of art as well?  These are some of the questions we discuss on today’s show.  This episode is Part Two of our round table discussions with author/illustrator Vesper Stamper, visual artist and designer Brandon Willett and guest host, singer/songwriter, John Mark McMillan. Become a patron. Join our Creative CollectiveSend us a textSupport the show

Does commerce feed or take away from your artwork? Does getting paid to do it validate your work? How do you make the leap from hobby to vocation in your work and more importantly, should you?These are among the questions our Summer Series round table guests songwriter, John Mark McMillan, author/illustrator, Vesper Stamper & visual artist Brandon Willett discuss in this episode. Find out more about today’s guest hosts.John Mark McMillanVesper Stamper Brandon WillettBecome a patron of the podcast. Support the work of exploring art, faith and culture. Patrons of the podcast receive exclusive patron-only content and resources.Send us a textSupport the show

Jason “Jay” King is the founder and owner of World Citizen Media and a twenty-year veteran of the music industry. He manages Los Angeles based duo JOHNNYSWIM, Propaganda, and Pop writer/artist TRELLA. World Citizen’s core mission is to help BUILD, LAUNCH, and ACCELERATE meaningful projects, with strong foundations, that contribute good back into the world. Jay’s background includes working with renowned artists including Platinum selling hip-hop group GRITS, 4th Avenue Jones, Hillsong United, Grammy award winner Israel Houghton, All Sons & Daughters, Fonzworth Bentley, Daniel Bashta, John Mark McMillan, Rhett Walker Band, and more. He has also worked along side brands such as Tumi Luggage, Macy’s, Fiat, General Motors, Southwest Airlines, St. Jude, and more in order to bring campaigns for his clients to life. He held the title of VP of A&R positions for both Gotee Records (Universal Music Group) and Integrity Music (Sony BMG) before establishing World Citizen Media. In this bonus episode, guest-host, JOHN MARK MCMILLAN, interviews Jay King about the role of artist management and navigating the “business” of art making. Connect with John Mark McMillanSupport the podcast! Become a patron and access exclusive content! Send us a textSupport the show

David Chang is an NYC based artist merging the traditions of Western calligraphy and Eastern philosophy that is shaped by immediacy of his urban environment. Chang’s art is a sustained exploration into the significance and meaning of words and texts as embodied through physical gestures. Centuries-old eastern techniques in calligraphy find new form in the western alphabet as the artist shapes his own hermeneutics of the hand. The artist's brushwork, vacillating between traditional scripts and contemporary abstraction, issues statements of personal, cultural, and spiritual awareness, while it also retains an autonomous formal beauty full of urgency and grace.www.davidchangstudio.comDavid Chang InstagramAnd online framed prints can be purchased here:www.fourcorners.artBecome a patron of the podcast!Vesper’s WebsiteSend us a textSupport the show

Shara Nova is a classically trained vocalist and self-taught multi-instrumentalist. She records dazzling, shapeshifting music under the moniker My Brightest Diamond.Her music resists the conventions of genre, blending elements of rock, art pop, and chamber music into a sound totally her own. Over the span of her career, Shara has released multiple ground breaking albums, as well as composed a baroque chamber opera titled, "You Us We All.” She has recorded as a guest vocalist with notable artists such as David Byrne, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, and many others. Her extensive collaborations with visual artists include contributions to the works of Matthew Ritchie, Matthew Barney and more recently, performance artist and vocalist Helga Davis on a collaborative film project titled Ocean Body.In today’s episode, I talk with Shara about her background as an artist and some of the motivations informing her work.If you are a patron of the podcast you can enjoy an additional episode segment with Shara on her experience as a working artist navigating our current cultural landscape.Visit patreon.com/makersandmystics or see the show notes of this episode to sign up as a patron today.Join the Makers & Mystics Creative CollectiveMy Brightest Diamond Official Website Ocean Body KINDTAPP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gskvj9ofGxcTratar: https://lnk.to/TRY_Tratar_de_Transformar Send us a textSupport the show

We may not care to be famous or even desire to make art as a full time vocation, but we each carry a need for our work to matter.  We want to know that what means something to us may also mean something to others or that what we give our time, attention and resources to may serve to beautify or to better the lives of those around us.In this episode, I discuss what it means to make a significant contribution through our creative work. I invite the listener to reframe the narratives we believe about ourselves and our art.  What if our art isn’t about us? What if we learned to care less about what we have to lose and more about what we have to give?In my work as a creative coach, I’ve encountered many artists who trip over concerns about self-promotion or what others may think about their intentions. But what if rather than being concerned over self-promotion or of having selfish motivations, we were more concerned over the loss of not offering the world our creative gifts? This episode explores these concerns and offers a new way of seeing our relationship to our art. ORDER STEPHEN’S NEW BOOK: NAMING THE ANIMALSJOIN OUR CREATIVE COLLECTIVEMusic in this episode provide by Glassea and C’est LisSupport The Podcast. Become a monthly PatronSend us a textSupport the show

Temi Coker is a Multidisciplinary artist based in Dallas, Texas. He creates visually compelling artwork for campaigns, products, activations & more. Temi’s use of vibrant colors and textures come from his upbringing in Nigeria as well as his love for the colors, patterns and storytelling of the African Diaspora. He has worked with clients such as: Adobe, HBO, Apple, and Facebook. In today’s episode, Temi and I discuss color as a means of storytelling along with themes such as the business side of art-making, how to avoid burnout and the challenges of overcoming people pleasing to follow a sense of calling. Temi Coker Join The Makers & Mystics Creative CollectiveMusic by: Layirid MusicSongs of Water Support The PodcastSend us a textSupport the show