Makers & Mystics

Melbourne-based visual artist and electronic musician Mike Lane creates under the name Chalom, a name spoken to him in a dream. His practice consists of visually expressing dreams and meditations, with mostly found materials, embedded bible pages, penciled notes, and spray paint. Beyond the haphazard backgrounds of his paintings, brushes or tools are rarely used in the making, just hands and fingers employing scrawly texts, scribbles, and vaguely figurative forms.CHALOM’s prolific work is a deeply spiritual practice, and he loves to write blessings and prophecies hidden under the paintings for the viewer to experience as mysteries and positive, energetic flow intended to shift the atmosphere in the spaces where the works are hung.In this episode, Chalom talks with Stephen Roach about his creative process and the deeply-felt spiritual underpinnings behind his visual art.Topics: Dreams and Visions, Abstract Art, Risk in Art, Surprise in Art, Experiencing the Now Name Drops: Ludwig Von Zinzendorf, Henri Nouwen, RivertribeResources: Become a Patron! Help us continue our work!Send us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

In this episode, podcast host Stephen Roach takes listeners on a journey into the world of ecstatic poetry. Drawing from the wisdom of Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton and author/scholar Michael Edwards, Stephen highlights poetry as mankind’s first language. He tells us, the meaning of a poem is not found in what a poem is about, but rather what effect the poem has on it’s hearer. Through reciting several of his own poems, Stephen reveals poetry and the poetic encounter as a doorway to wonder.Resources:Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationPurchase A Collection of Stephen's PoetrySend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

Our voice is one of the most uniquely defining qualities of our person.  For artists and writers, finding our voice is a foundational and often painstaking process of search and discovery. For many, finding the courage to acknowledge, I am an artist. I am a writer. I am a musician, takes a lot of courage. Speaking it out for the first time can be an act of bravery and overcoming self doubt, imposter syndrome and fear. In her book, The Mystics Would Like A Word, author Shannon K. Evans says, “Claiming your own voice - your own perspective, your own experience, your own intuition, your own prophetic call to the world - is essential for artmaking.” In this episode, Shannon talks about her journey of overcoming imposter syndrome, embracing her whole experience of balancing artistry and motherhood and how six revolutionary women mystics helped her reclaim her authentic voice.Name Drops: Margery Kempe, Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Stephen King, Rollo MayTopics:Imposter syndrome, motherhood, finding wonder in the mundane, unconventional lifestyles of women mystics, the writer’s lifeResources:Patrons of the podcast can enjoy exclusive interview segments at http://patreon.,com/makersandmysticsSend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

Stephanie J. Spencer is a visual artist, author, nature-lover and an Enneagram coach who is not afraid of hard questions. She loves moving towards the struggles of the human experience to help people find new ways forward. Stephanie has spent years coaching individuals and teams from around the country, from major universities to local churches, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. Time and again, she has seen the power of the Enneagram, imagery, and questions to open pathways for growth and transformation. In our conversation, Stephanie and I discuss the Enneagram as a tool to help artists become more self aware and understand their own temperaments and motivations. Drawing from her book, Out of The Box and Into the Wild, Stephanie and I talk about discovering wonder in nature and how the natural world can serve as a metaphor for our own internal landscapes. You can find links to Stephanie’s work as well as an unedited version of this conversation in the show notes and at patreon.com/makersandmysticsName Drops: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sleeping At Last (Ryan O’Neal)Topics: Enneagram and Nature, natural imagery, routine and ritualBe sure to give us a follow on Instagram @makersandmystics Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationSend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

When we think of wonder or beauty, we might be inclined to think in terms of an external appearance, a scene of nature or an attractive person. But what if wonder is something that grows from the inside out? What if wonder is way of seeing? And what if wonder is an interior force, one that begins in the hidden recesses of our perceptions? Today, on the show I’m talking with Oregon based, poet, writer and critic, Paul J Pastor.  Paul serves HarperCollins as senior acquisitions editor for their Zondervan imprint, and also serves as a contributing editor for Ekstasis magazine. He's the author of several books, including Bower Lodge: Poems, and two forthcoming titles: The Locust Years and The Fire Cantos. In our conversation, Paul and I discuss the importance of learning to see as a means of engaging wonder. Drawing from the work of William Blake, Flannery O’ Connor and stories from the Gospels, this episode takes us on a journey into our perceptions and invites us to reconsider beauty as more than an aesthetic experience.  Topics: Perception, beauty, wonder as an interior experience.Art Forms: Literature, PhilosophyName Drops: William Blake, Flannery O'Connor, Herbert, Donne, Horace, Sappho, Wallace Stevens, Dante, Byung Chul HanMusic: Some Were At SeaTHE BREATH AND THE CLAY WRITER'S RETREAT Oct. 25-27 in Moravian Falls, NC. APPLY NOW.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationSend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

Philosopher, Simone Weil said that attentiveness is the heart of prayer. In this episode, we discuss postures of attentiveness as gateways to wonder.Guests: Dr. Mary McCampbell is an author, educator, and speaker whose publications span the worlds of literature, film, and popular music. She is the author of Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy.Dr. Joe Kickasola is a Professor of Film and Digital Media at Baylor University.  He is the author of The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski: The Liminal Image, and has published in numerous academic venues and anthologies, including Film Quarterly, The Quarterly Review of Film and Video,  and The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film.  _____Topics: Attentiveness, cynicism, receptivity, humility, consumerism, experiencing wonder during times of upheaval, Art Forms: filmmaking, photography, literature. Name Drops: Douglas Copeland, G.K. Chesterton,  Jim Jarmusch, Terrence Malick, T.S.Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrey Rublev, Rothko, Stan Brakhage, Virginia Wolfe, David Foster Wallace, Movie References: Patterson, Tree of Life, Zabriskie Point Support The Podcast! We need your help to continue our work of advocating for the arts.Join our creative collectiveGive a one-time donationSend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

Cleo Rinkwest is a South-African actor who has worked with the likes of Samuel L Jackson, The Walking Dead's Callan McCauliff, and Game of Thrones, Charlotte Hope. Through her acting, she seeks to perform stories that go beyond entertainment and enlighten her audiences to values of human flourishing. Her current film projects follow themes of justice and mercy, capital punishment laws in Southern Africa, the supernatural realm, and the impact of AI on humanity. In our conversation, Cleo shares about the sacred service of the actor, the role of empathy in her art form and how she embodies the personas of the characters she portrays.  In keeping with our season theme Reclaiming Wonder, I asked Cleo what reclaiming wonder looks like in her life. Be sure to listen to the end for her answer. If you’re a patron of podcast, we reserved a special segment of our conversation exclusively for you. In that segment, Cleo shares about the aspect of collaboration and the challenges of being a working actor in South Africa. Help us continue our work! We can't do this without your support. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, show the love.You can give a one-time donation here or join our monthly creative collective here.Thank you, friends!Poema: An Online Course by Stephen RoachSend us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

One of the more powerful aspects of visual art, is when a single image encapsulates an entire narrative, or when viewing a painting or illustration, the viewer’s imagination is invited to fill in the gaps and finish the tale.  I recently came across an artist whose work embodies this narrative quality. I found myself going back to his images and studying what story was being told through the characters and gestures in each frame.  I was moved to create in response. Which, for me is always a sure sign of a living work of art, when I am compelled to respond or when creativity is awakened and I am transported to an experience of wonder.  Today, I have the honor of introducing this artist to you. Cody F. Miller is a printmaker, illustrator, and mixed media artist whose illustrations often depict people on a journey, navigating the interplay between light and darkness, as they try to find their way home. Cody’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions and publications such as the “Arts Beacon of Light” at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio, and the current front cover of Comment magazine. He received an Individual Excellence award in 2002 and 2018 from the Ohio Arts Council and is represented by the Sharon Weiss Gallery.In our conversation, Cody shares about his own incredible journey of searching to find home and how discipline and everyday experiences become unlikely doorways to wonder. If you have found yourself lacking wonder, I encourage you to spend some time with Cody’s work and also to listen to this episode in full for some practical wisdom on how to get unstuck. You can find images of Cody’s work on our Instagram and on his website. Help us continue our work! We can't do this without your support. If this podcast has been meaningful to you, show the love. You can give a one-time donation here or join our monthly creative collective here. Thank you, friends! Send us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

Donna Matthews is a musician and creative artist. In the 1990’s she played lead guitar in Elastica and lo-fi, DIY band Klang, and in subsequent years devised and facilitated creative workshops for people in recovery from addiction. She is currently in her final year of a practice-based PhD in Music at the university of Glasgow. Interested in issues such as poetic intuition, inspiration, and gift, her work explores how the intuitive state might be conveyed through aesthetic form, whilst also exploring improvisation as a means of 'undoing form' to experience the inspired state.In this episode, Donna shares about her winding journey through music, addiction and fusing her deeply felt spiritual practice with her artistic discipline.  Donna discusses the role of improvisation, speaking in tongues and what Lewis Hyde terms as the Gifted State or that posture of heart which readies the creative artist to receive inspiration and experience wonder.Patrons of the podcast can enjoy a full, unedited version of this conversation at http://www.patreon.com./makersandmysticsHere is a link to the Lewis Hyde interview mentioned in this episode. Send us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics

When we lack wonder, we settle for the evening news. When we lack spectacle, we settle for shock art. When we can’t see the burning bush, we set the dumpster on fire. By this point, the Olympics’ opening performance has been discussed ad nauseum.  Most of us have grown weary of the vitriol and moved on. Therefore, I hesitate to add another voice to the fire, but as one who leads a community of mostly faith-based artists, the performance has held a particular interest to me. I have felt a measure of responsibility to weigh in but more importantly, I have felt a responsibility to ensure my response is not reactionary or regurgitating secondhand information. This bonus episode highlights a few of my thoughts. Send us Fan MailSupport the showSign Up for Our Newsletter! http://eepurl.com/g49Ks1Give a one-time donation https://buy.stripe.com/9AQeYj7431fD12waEOJoin the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective https://www.patreon.com/c/makersandmystics