Makers & Mystics

The three strands of art, faith and culture encompass the ethos of Makers & Mystics and provide the guidelines for our topics and discussions. We believe that the path of the maker and the path of the mystic are one and the same. The creative life is inherently spiritual and healthy spirituality will always be expressed through creativity. Makers & Mystics is committed to asking the questions, honoring the mysteries and leaving room for our listeners to wrestle with what answers resonate in your own creative space. We are called to be the architects of hope and counter the harshness of life with the opposite spirit, in beauty and creativity. So let poetry be our protest. Let generosity, humility and kindness lead the revolution. This is who we are and this is what this podcast is committed to advocate. Listen to this short, season interlude from Stephen Roach as we prepare to go into Season 8 of the podcast! http://www.patreon.com/makersandmysticsJoin our creative collective! Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Elephant Heart is the husband and wife musical collaborative of Jason and Victoria Evigan.  Jason Evigan is an award-winning producer and songwriter responsible for some of today’s biggest hits from artists such as Maroon 5, Madonna, Ellie Goulding, and Rufus Du Sol. Victoria Evigan is a musician, visual artist, set designer and stylist known for using make up, hair, environments, and fashion to create contemporary expressions of the Elephant Heart ethos. Victoria is also the principal operator of Picture This, Elephant Heart’s not for profit organization. Patrons of the podcast can listen to additional interview segments with Jason and Victoria about Picture This, making their own instruments and Jason’s work as a music producer. In this season finale episode, Stephen talks with Jason and Victoria from their home studio in Los Angeles, California about the spiritual dynamics and creative processes within their music. Connect with Elephant Heart Picture This is Elephant Heart’s not for profit organization. Check out Elephant Heart’s music videos we discuss in this episode. Become a Patron and Join the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective for additional content, book club and connect with Makers & Mystics artists from around the world. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Marcel Duchamp was a visual artist, writer and avid chess player born July 28, 1887 near Blainville, France. His works are characterized by irony, movement and the dissolution of pre-conceived notions about art. Duchamp was an artist who defied categorization. He sent shock waves through the art world with the premiere of his line of found, manufactured objects called Readymades.In this episode, Stephen shares a brief glimpse into the life of this eccentric artist as well as a spiritual interpretation of Readymades and Duchamp’s piece, Fountain.http://www.patreon.com/makersandmysticsSend us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

A Boy & His Kite is the music project by Colorado singer-songwriter and producer, Dave Wilton. In this episode, Stephen talks with Dave about the silence of God, expressing joy and grief through art, and the creative process behind his latest release, The Path Became A Ghost. A Boy & His Kite Join The Makers & Mystics Creative Collective. Gain Access to our monthly book club, private group and additional content. **Since 2016, Makers and Mystics has produced over 150 free episodes of inspiring conversations and keynote talks that fuel the creative spirit.Your support really makes a difference. If you find inspiration and resonance in what I do, please consider becoming a monthly Patron with a recurring donation of your choosing.Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Ben Chung is a freestyle dancer, choreographer and one of the co-founders of the Kinjaz American dance crew in Los Angeles, California. He is a former member of the famous Jabbawockeez male dance troupe and is the winner of the first season of America's Best Dance Crew. In this episode Stephen talks with Ben about his creative process, collaboration and the art of finding flow. Connect with Ben ChungEpisode Sponsor: Move True Dance This episode is brought to you by Move True, a network of support for dance artists. Join Move True for a free online summit where dance-industry experts discuss how to advance further in your craft than ever before, despite a global pandemic. More at Movetruedance.comJoin The Makers & Mystics Creative Collective and gain access to our regular online book clubs, additional interview segments, (including a segment with Ben Chung on staying the course as a professional artist in the midst of a pandemic) and our private Facebook group for Patrons. CALLING ALL POETS! Submit to The Bright Wings Poetry contest for a chance to win $500. and appear on the Makers & Mystics podcast! Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Turtledoves is the musical project of husband and wife duo, Ashley and Alex McGrath. Their inventive sound explores the balance between lo-fi electronics and acoustic instruments to create harmonically rich soundscapes, labyrinthine melodies, ambient textures, and layered vocals. Turtledoves exist in the liminal spaces – as their biography tells us, they are messengers between the seen and the unseen - ambassadors to the now from the not quite yet. In this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ashley and Alex for a conversation about their creative collaboration as husband and wife and about their new EP, “ Pillars of The Earth.” Turtledoves Watch the video for Soft SpeakerJoin The Makers & Mystics Creative CollectiveSend us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Howard Washington Thurman was a poet, mystic, philosopher and spiritual activist. He authored more than twenty books in his lifetime and played a leading role in The Civil Rights Movement where he served as a spiritual mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Learn More About Howard ThurmanFollow Makers & Mystics on InstagramSupport the Podcast! Become a Monthly Patron and help us continue creating quality content on art, faith and culture. Music for this episode was provided by: LAE (end track)SEAN WILLIAMS (opening and middle track)Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

This episode is our third release from the Makers and Mystics LIVE series. This conversation comes to you from Denver, Colorado and highlights our panel discussion on Art As Incarnation. You’ll hear from a diverse panel of voices including Master Penman, Jake Weidmann, Graphic Novelist, R. Alan Brooks and Printmaker, Kim Morski.This live event was hosted by QRZ Denver and The Gallery at FDC. Additional contributing artists include Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement, Composer Matthew Langford and Visual Artist, Jeremy Grant of The Remnants Film Project. Music in this episode is provided by Adam Anglin. Connect with our hosts:QRZ Denver The Gallery at FDCConnect with our panel guests: R. Alan BrooksJake WeidmannKim MorskiMusic in this episode is provided by Adam Anglin.Connect with the contributing artists of the live event:Chadash Contemporary Dance MovementThe Remnants Film ProjectSupport the production of these podcasts by joining us on Patreon! Your generosity makes these conversations possible. Please consider becomes a monthly Patron and enjoy additional content, regular online book clubs and one on one creative coaching by Stephen Roach. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

The 27 Club is a cultural phenomenon that recognized how a large number of famous artists, actors and musicians all died at the age of 27. Although there is no scientific evidence to back up the connections, the tendency to rise to fame and die young is baked into the tropes of Western culture. In this live keynote talk, given at The Breath & the Clay 2020, Stephen Roach invites listeners to go beyond a pursuit of fame into the pursuit of greatness. Become a Patron!Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

This bonus Episode features a live performance and interview with spoken word artist La’Tasha Strother. La’Tasha threads her relationship with God throughout her life and work and creates poignant imagery about her life experiences. The poem performed in this episode is titled Love Is Not Blind and was performed live at our Art As Healing Podcast in Charlottesville Virginia. Become a Patron of the PodcastConnect with La’TashaSend us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.