Makers & Mystics

Andrew Peterson is 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.Adorning The Dark BookAndrew Peterson Support The Podcast! Join our creative collective for additional content, access to our private creative collective and live interactions with the Makers and Mystics online community! Send us a textSupport the show

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.Support The Podcast. Keep These Conversations alive!PropagandaSend us a textSupport the show

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. Join Our Creative Collective!Music in this episode by Songs of WaterSend us a textSupport the show

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. If you’d like to go deeper into the conversation, we have a short interview segment with Lewis Hyde for our patrons on his most recent book, A Primer for forgetting: Getting Past The PastLewis HydeIf you have been inspired by this or other conversations on the Makers and Mystics podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon. We have lots of additional content and a thriving creative collective where we share ideas, regular, live interactions and works in progress. Send us a textSupport the show

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. Did you know your support of the Makers and Mystics podcast not only enables us to produce these weekly episodes but also invests in a generation of emerging artists? Your support of this podcast tangibly brings positive change to the world. Please consider becoming a patron today. For as little as $1 per month you contribute to creating a culture of beauty, wonder and truth. Send us a textSupport the show

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.Makoto Fujimura Official WebsiteSupport The Podcast and get additional interview segments with Mako and other guests!Featured Music: Alfred Sergel IVSend us a textSupport the show

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. Join the Creative Collective and get additional content, access to our private online group, participate in live discussions and help the production of these conversations! Send us a textSupport the show

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. Join the Creative Collective Connect with Lauren Midgley Sponsor Link: Ekstasis MagazineMusic in this episode: Paper Lights C’est LisFollow us on Instagram!Send us a textSupport the show

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. Join Our Creative Collective!Music By: Apache TomcatSend us a textSupport the show

In this opening episode, Stephen Roach 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. Josh Garrels Official websitePatron Only Interview segment with Josh about the deeply personal encounter with God that led him to name the album Chrysaline. Join our creative collective!Send us a textSupport the show