Sarah Hempel Irani has been sculpting expressive figures in clay and stone for nearly twenty years. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Maryland to apprentice with Jay Hall Carpenter, former Artist-in-Residence at the Washington National Cathedral. Sarah has contributed sculptures to national shows and received several notable awards, including the Maryland Arts Council Individual Artist Award in 2009. Currently Sarah is sculpting a seven-and-a-half-foot statue of renowned fashion designer, C...
Dec 11, 2020•35 min•Season 8Ep. 9
One of the growing problems of our society that started long before but has been agitated by the COVID-19 pandemic is isolationism or the sense of loneliness and lack of meaningful social connections. Too much isolationism leads to individuals feeling a decreasing sense of responsibility or belonging to a group or a family. Therefore everything from littering to mass shootings could be rooted in the spiritual deficiency of belonging. In this episode, Stephen shares on the artist's need to belong...
Dec 04, 2020•22 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Thea Matthews is a San Francisco born poet, orator and activist whose work centers on the complexities of humanity, grief, and resiliency. In this episode, Stephen Roach to talks with Thea about her debut poetry collection published by Red Light Lit titled, Unearth [The Flowers] and about her journey of finding healing and resiliency through poetry. Thea's empowering poems provide a path to healing and illustrate how survivors can find a safe place within themselves to reclaim their own identity...
Nov 20, 2020•35 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Julian of Norwich was a Medieval English mystic born around year 1342 and who died around year 1420. Much of Julian’s life remains unknown to us but what we do know of Julian comes from biographical passages in her book Revelations of Divine Love. This book, now considered a classic of contemplative literature, is the first known book to have been written in the English language by a woman. The book recounts a series of mystical visions where she witnesses spiritual realities in beautiful and so...
Nov 11, 2020•15 min•Season 8Ep. 33
Rivers & Robots is an independent band from Manchester, UK whose sound explores acoustic and electronic elements beneath layers of devotional lyrics and worship themed motifs. In this episode, Stephen talks with founding members Jonathan Ogden and Nathan Stirling about the creative exploration within their music and how context influences the art we make. Rivers & Robots Set Sail (Rivers & Robots Non-Profit Arts Organization) Join the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective Episode ...
Oct 30, 2020•27 min•Season 8Ep. 6
In this live, keynote talk, Makers & Mystics host, Stephen Roach shares with The Well Collab in Frederick, Maryland. This talk discusses what sociologist, Max Weber coined as “disenchantment” and the human need for reverence. What does it mean to sit with the mystery and what is the artist’s role in bringing “re-enchantment” to a world devoid of ecstatic experience? Listen to this keynote for insights into these questions. The Well Collaborative The Metaphysics of Dirt & Breath - episode...
Oct 23, 2020•32 min•Season 8Ep. 5
JUURI is a Tokyo-born muralist currently working from Oklahoma City. Her vibrant, figure-driven work fuses traditional Japanese imagery with modern, pop motifs. Juuri’s large scale murals frequently serve in city-wide revitalization efforts and can be seen in cities across America and overseas in Israel. Her realistic watercolor faces surrounded by cultural elements, patterns or flora contain deep, personal symbolism and often represent a tenacious attitude of defiance in the face of defeat. Her...
Oct 16, 2020•36 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Jennifer Dasal is the curator of modern and contemporary art at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she is the host of the independent podcast ArtCurious, which she started in 2016 and was named one of the best podcasts by O, The Oprah Magazine and PC Magazine. Jennifer’s book ARTCURIOUS: Stories of the Unexpected, Slightly Odd, and Strangely Wonderful in Art History takes a colorful look at the world of art history, and reveals some of the strangest, funniest, and m...
Oct 09, 2020•31 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet and theologian whose work centers around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. His poetry and prose has been published widely across Ireland, the US and the UK. For Ó Tuama, religion, conflict, power and poetry all circle around language, that original sacrament. In the context of public theology, he takes the received form of biblical texts and explores the civic and artistic dynamics of language, narrative and impact in these stories. Pádraig is a v...
Oct 02, 2020•26 min•Season 8Ep. 2
This Season Premiere Episode features a conversation with writer and director, Ryan Daniel Dobson of the feature film HOSEA, along with the film’s music composer, Michael Gungor of Gungor music and The Liturgists podcast. After studying theology in college, Ryan turned his attention to the entertainment industry with a focus on marrying theological and philosophical concepts to powerful visual storytelling. The feature film HOSEA follows this trajectory with a modern adaptation of the biblical n...
Sep 23, 2020•26 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Visit Khalisa Rae’s Website Visit Co-host, Ashley Blake’s Website Read the Winning Poems Become a Patron of the Podcast, join our creative collective and enable us to continue lifting up the voices of makers and mystics across the globe.
Sep 16, 2020•22 min
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...
Sep 10, 2020•6 min
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 o...
Aug 28, 2020•31 min•Season 7Ep. 15
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 interpr...
Aug 16, 2020•14 min•Season 7Ep. 32
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 o...
Aug 07, 2020•29 min•Season 7Ep. 14
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 Chung Episode Sponsor: Move True Dance This episode is brought to you by Move True, a network of suppo...
Jul 31, 2020•29 min•Season 7Ep. 13
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 d...
Jul 17, 2020•30 min•Season 7Ep. 12
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 Thurman Follow Makers & Mystics on Instagram Support 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 trac...
Jul 10, 2020•16 min•Season 7Ep. 31
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 Langfo...
Jul 02, 2020•42 min•Season 7Ep. 11
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!...
Jun 26, 2020•36 min•Season 7Ep. 10
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 Podcast Connect with La’Tasha...
Jun 12, 2020•18 min
This episode is our second release from the Makers and Mystics LIVE series. This conversation comes to you from Charlottesville, Virginia and highlights excerpts from our discussion on Art As Healing. You’ll hear from a diverse panel of voices including Farm House community founder, Lauren Stonestreet, Philosopher, Bernard Hankins, Pastor and songwriter, Brendan Jamieson, Neuroscientist and Jazz musician, Nadine Michel and Doctor of Osteopathy, Dr. David MacDonald. In light of recent events, I f...
Jun 05, 2020•Season 7Ep. 9
Vàclav Havel was a Czech playwright, political dissident, and consistent moral voice on human rights who went on to be elected President of the newly democratic Czech Republic. His life is a shining example of what artists can achieve when they have a robust sense of the time in which they have been placed in the world. Guest host Vesper Stamper talks about Havel’s life, work and spiritual perspective. Read Havel’s collected plays here , and his book on freedom of conscience here . Follow Vesper...
May 30, 2020•14 min•Season 7Ep. 30
When it comes to spiritual formation, our individual temperament plays a large role in how we connect to God, one another and the world around us. There is not a one size fits all for how we approach the spiritual life. In fact, the same systems that bring us clarity and definition can also leave us frustrated or feeling confined to search for God in a manner contrary to our natural temperament. Best-selling author and speaker, Gary Thomas insists that it’s better to discover the path God design...
May 20, 2020•28 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist, scientist and inventor. His capacity to metaphorically dream while awake, through the use of his imagination, enabled him to perceive the natural world as a playground for investigation, exploration, discovery and invention. This mentality would lead him to creative innovations in various fields of study including painting, architecture, mathematics, engineering, anatomy, botany, cartography. and much more. Today, Leonardo da Vinci is historically recognized as a...
May 08, 2020•16 min•Season 7Ep. 29
Kimbra Lee Johnson is a singer, songwriter, producer + musician from New Zealand, now based in New York City. Her award-winning, debut album Vows was released in 2011. In 2012, she appeared on Gotye’s multi-platinum single, Somebody I Used To Know. Kimbra’s music pushes the boundaries of genre and style juxtaposing pop sensibilities with influences in Jazz, R & B, and electronic music. Lyrically, Kimbra expresses the deeper longings of the human heart. Her poetic verses draw from personal ex...
May 01, 2020•38 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Carey Wallace is the author of Stories of the Saints, The Blind Contessa’s New Machine, The Ghost in the Glass House, Choose, New Thing, and the forthcoming Discipline of Inspiration. Her work has appeared in Time, the Awl, The New Decameron, and Detroit’s Metro Times. She has spoken to students at Princeton, Yale, Julliard, Pratt, Emory’s Candler School of Theology, and the Festival of Faith and Writing, and taught at The Glen Workshop. She has released a dozen records with her brother as The W...
Apr 24, 2020•19 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Cynthia Newland is an artist, educator, speaker and wellness consultant. She is the founder of Alible3 – Nourishing the Body, Soul and Spirit, providing educational resources and equipping tools for holistic health. With her work in the area of wellness, she partners with the Health Made Simple community. Cynthia is the founding Director of Feet Speak Dance, a dance company whose mission aims to use dance to teach, inspire and bring a rich art filled experience to all whom they encounter. In thi...
Apr 15, 2020•28 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Social distancing can feel a bit destabilizing. All of our habits and routines and normal ways of functioning are suspended and we have to adopt new daily rhythms, ways of doing life and finding work. For the artist, this can lead to questions about the validity of our work and where art-making and creativity belong in a time of global crisis. But it is vital for our own mental and emotional health that we are formed by a clear narrative and see the true place of art as a needed response. Making...
Apr 07, 2020•18 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Heather Stringer is a therapist, artist, and ritual maker. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Seattle, WA and a Fellow with the Allender Center. She completed her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and the Externship Program at The Allender Center. Heather has a practice of creating narrative informed trauma therapy as well as creating rituals for people marking a significant event in their life. Heather believes that when we are intentiona...
Mar 27, 2020•36 min•Season 7Ep. 3
