Makers & Mystics

Brie Stoner is a bilingual indie rock musician and songwriter, creative thinker and podcaster. She co-hosted Richard Rohr’s “Another Name for Every Thing” podcast before launching her own podcast titled “Unknowing”, which explores the unexpected path of creative possibility with guest artists, authors, and activists. Brie studied at the Chicago Theological Seminary and served as program designer at the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this episode, Brie brings a thoughtful perspective on art and the urge for transcendence. She talks with Stephen about embodiment, being grounded and the somatic connections of our deeper, spiritual yearnings.

Kevin "KB" Burgess is a Dove-Award winning rapper, speaker and podcaster with four full-length albums to his name. In this episode, KB talks to me about the importance of staying rooted in truth as an antidote to living the status quo. His book Dangerous Jesus much like his music, presents a disruptive, subversive, system threatening portrait of jesus that counters the Christianity of the land and our own tendency toward complacency. Be sure to listen to the end of this episode to hear KB share his perspective on our theme of art and the urge for transcendence.

This Roundtable discussion on Art & The Urge For Transcendence, features cultural theologian, author, and fellow podcaster Paul Anleitner (Deep Talks Podcast,) Chicago pastor, Ted Kim and singer/songwriter John Mark McMillan. This is Part 2 of the discussion.

This Roundtable discussion on Art & The Urge For Transcendence, features cultural theologian, author, and fellow podcaster Paul Anleitner (Deep Talks Podcast,) Chicago pastor, Ted Kim and singer/songwriter John Mark McMillan.   In this loose discussion, the conversation meanders its way to the subject of longing and survival and how these sometimes competing drives can lead us to the doorway of transcendence. 

Wynn Everett is an American actor based in Atlanta Georgia. She has acted in films such as Justin Timberlake’s Palmer, HBO’s Doom Patrol, Marvel’s Agent Carter as well as familiar Television shows - Modern Family, The Walking Dead and will appear in the upcoming season of Sweet Magnolia’s. In this episode, Wynn and Stephen discuss the contrast between performing and transforming, discovering transcendence within the ordinary and what it is like for an actor to take on the emotions and characteristics of another.

Aundi Kolber is a licensed professional counselor and author of the critically acclaimed Try Softer. She has received additional training in her specialization of trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge about the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain. In this episode Stephen Roach talks with Aundi about her latest book Strong Like Water and how we can move through pain into the expansiveness of our true selves. Aundi shares about the importance of feeling safe in our bodies that we might experience those deeper yearnings for transcendence, beauty, and wonder.

In this Season Opening Primer, Makers & Mystics host Stephen Roach sets the stage for the season’s conversations on Art & The Urge For Transcendence.

The human heart is designed to be astonished. We carry within us, an innate yearning for wonder, for awe, for reverence.  This deep-rooted urge to reach beyond ourselves, to be immersed in that which is greater than our own limitation, greater than our own materiality is where the spiritual and the creative impulses overlap. What does it mean to carry within us, such deep longings for something beyond ourselves and how can the arts act as both a catalyst and the overflow of these yearnings? I invite you to follow along over these next few months as we hear from artists, musicians, therapists, and theologians. We’re going to take a deep dive into this subject. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and get ready to gain a deeper understanding on how art and the urge for transcendence can transform your own creative work.

Jeri Jones Sparks is a Tamil Indian-Australian poet and writer living on Wangal Country. She is the winner of the third annual Bright Wings Poetry Contest hosted in partnership with Ekstasis Magazine. She works as the Outreach Pastor at St James Anglican Church in the Inner West of Sydney and is the Director of The Good News Course. In this bonus episode, Jeri shares her winning poem, January Born.

Ernest Shackleton was an Anglo-Irish, polar explorer born February 15th 1874 and died on January 5th 1922. Although Shackleton is arguably neither artist nor mystic, the key events of his life carry both a beautiful tale of artistic level devotion and deep mystical encounter. In this artist profile, host Stephen Roach details a mystical encounter that transpired in Shackleton's life during his most horrific struggle to survive in the famous arctic shipwreck of the Endurance. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy a written transcript of this episode along with a Patron-Only segment called, "The Shadow Side of Our Heroes."

Asthmatic Kitty recording artist John Ringhofer is the man behind Half-Handed Cloud. His music is a quirky combination of tape manipulation, electronic and folk soundscapes. He has collaborated with artists Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith of The Danielson Family and John Van Deusen. In this bonus episode, Stephen Roach talks with John about the creative process of his latest album, Flutterama.

When we think about restoration, we typically refer to restoring something that once was but no longer is. We mean bringing something back to its original condition that was either altered or strayed from the intended design. But restoration doesn’t necessarily mean going back to something that once was. We can ‘restore the future’ as well. In this season finale episode, Makers and Mystics host, Stephen Roach discusses what it means to restore the future, what it means for artists to become wounded healers, bridge builders and those who re-story the narratives of our lives to reflect original design.

Patronage has long been a vital part of enabling artists to create their work.  I think of historical examples like  Lorenzo de’ Medici who funded artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo. I think of Peggy Guggenheim whose patronage gave us Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.  In this brief bonus episode, I share with you how you can help Makers & Mystics continue our work of fostering conversations on art, faith and culture. Support The Podcast Join The Creative Collective

Arthur Aghajanian is a Christian contemplative, essayist, and educator. His work explores visual culture through a spiritual lens. His essays have appeared in a variety of publications, including Ekstasis, Radix, Saint Austin Review, The Curator, and many others. He holds an M.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design. In this episode, I talk with Arthur about his spiritual background, the nature of non-dualistic thinking and the concept of art set free from the ego. If you’ve followed the podcast this season, you’ll recall that woven throughout our conversations has been the underlying theme of restoration for the heart of the artist. As we approach the final episodes of this discussion, I wanted to revisit our theme in a more direct way. So I asked Arthur to speak into each thread of restoration, wounded healers, existing in the splice and re-storying the narratives we believe.

Juanita Campbell Rasmus is a speaker, writer, spiritual director, and contemplative teacher. She is the co-pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in downtown Houston which she founded with her husband, Rudy in 1992. In this episode, Juanita shares with me how a major depressive episode became the catalyst for personal renewal. Following our season ten theme of restoration for the heart of the artist, Juanita’s story and her accompanying book Learning To Be: Finding Your Center After The Bottom Falls Out offers a glimpse of hope for the artist to find renewal no matter how dark the night. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview segment with Juanita on the key spiritual practices that helped her return to her center and discover new ways of being.