Makers & Mystics

In this episode of Makers and Mystics , host Stephen Roach is joined by Jared Farley of Porter’s Call , a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the emotional and mental health of touring artists and their families. Together, they explore the tension between persona and person , stage life and home life, and the unique pressures artists face when identity becomes brand. The conversation examines the im...

In this episode, Stephen Roach sits down with creative collaborators Justin McRoberts, Whitney Hancock, and Corey Frey for a conversation about the art of building authentic creative community. From introducing their new online offering, "The Light Between," to a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Breath and the Clay 2026 event, themed "Making Space," this conversation expl...

In this inter-seasonal episode, Stephen Roach is joined by returning guests Paul Anleitner and John Mark McMillan for a discussion of Guillermo del Toro’s new Frankenstein adaptation. Together they explore del Toro’s visual storytelling, the spiritual and theological roots of Mary Shelley’s original vision, and why horror remains one of the most powerful vehicles for truth in our modern age. What...

In this season finale, Stephen Roach closes out our exploration of creative flow with a rich conversation with several artists from the Makers & Mystics Patreon community. Joining the discussion are artist and educator Angela Houk , writer and branding expert Steve Brock , and poet and visual artist Corey Frey . Together, the crew explores the interplay between resistance and flow —how creativ...

Behind the curtain of cinema lies a hidden language, spoken not in words, but in sound. In this episode of Makers and Mystics, Stephen Roach interviews Foley artist Ronnie Van Der Veer , exploring the intricate world of sound design in film. Ronnie shares his journey into Foley art, the importance of creating realistic sound effects, and the techniques he employs to enhance the cinematic experienc...

What does the life of a bizarre fifth-century monk have to offer our lives in the modern world today?  This episode of the Makers and Mystics podcast explores the life and influence of Simeon Stylites, a Syrian Christian ascetic known for his extreme devotion and outlandish lifestyle of standing atop a pillar for 37 years.  Stephen Roach highlights Simeon's early life, his ascetic practices,...

Amy Leigh Wicks is a poet, actress, and educator from New York City. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and an MFA from The New School in New York. She recently served as Dean of Performing Arts at Bethel Conservatory of the Arts and is the author of The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage (Auckland University Press, 2019) and Orange Juice...

As artists, we live our lives between worlds, the one in which we imagine and the one in which we must survive. But what do we do when the life we imagine and the life we live are incongruent? Often our lives look much different on paper than they do in our dreams.   Joining us for this conversation is author, speaker, and public health professional Prasanta Verma. Prasanta's first book, Beyo...

“How do we hold both urgency and intimacy in our creative practices? How can an artist become a vessel of divine presence — not only in churches, but on club stages, in studios, and in everyday life?” In today’s episode, I’m joined by jazz and gospel pianist Julian Davis Reid — a Chicago-based artist-theologian whose work sits at the crossroads of sound, spirit, and scholarship. Julian is a foundi...

How does imagination shape not only our art but our spiritual formation? And what does it mean to hold space for play, growth, and even disappointment within our creative process? In this episode, Stephen Roach is joined by Jon Guerra   — a singer, songwriter, and film composer based in Austin, Texas, whose work is marked by its devotional nature and spiritual depth. Jon shares the inspiration beh...

In this concluding segment of our Artist Roundtable, Stephen Roach, Corey Frey, and Donna Matthews continue their conversation on ecstatic experiences, flow states, and the artist’s impulse through a Christian lens. This episode explores ecstatic states in both Pentecostal and Orthodox traditions, highlighting the shared hunger for transcendent encounter across streams of faith. The discussion als...

In this Artist Roundtable, Stephen Roach, Corey Frey, and Donna Matthews explore the concept of flow states, ecstatic experiences, and their intersections with art and faith. They discuss how creative processes can lead to profound spiritual encounters, the importance of vulnerability and surrender in accessing these states, and the role of discernment in navigating spiritual experiences.  This Tw...

Overfamiliarization can blind us from recognizing the beauty and power of certain truths. When we think we have heard the story before or believe we already know what a particular truth has to offer, we lose the curiosity that opens us to deeper revelation. The work of the artist is to disrupt that familiarity, make the known strange again, and the familiar unfamiliar again, so that we see the wor...

Elizabeth Bowman is a self-taught impressionist painter based in Charlotte, NC. Her work is steeped in imaginative renderings of biblical stories and visual meditations on the life of faith. In this conversation, Elizabeth shares how motherhood and prayerfulness give shape to her art, the importance of rest and reflection, and how she finds creative flow amidst the demands of everyday life. http:/...

Barbara Hannigan is a world-renowned conductor, soprano, and performer whose work pushes the boundaries of classical and contemporary music. Known for her fearless interpretations and deeply expressive performances, Barbara has built a career that defies convention and celebrates the transformative power of sound. In this episode, Barbara and I discuss her recent album Electric Fields , which offe...

In this episode, Stephen Roach explores creative flow as a generative, life-giving way of being. He highlights the need for trust in the process and the vulnerability that comes with sharing one's art. Stephen encourages listeners to embrace rhythms of rest and rebirth and imitate the ocean.  Join the Makers and Mystics Creative Collective  Support the podcast with a one-time donation.  Send...

I would imagine most of us think of inspiration as a sudden flash of insight that hits us out of nowhere and compels us create. It’s not something we control. The wind blows where it wishes and we don’t know where it comes from or where it goes.  But what if inspiration were a discipline?  Brooklyn-based author and artist Carey Wallace has written an incredible book titled, The Discipline of Inspi...

Leah Song is a storyteller, song-catcher, musician, poet, and community builder. She’s best known as the front-woman of the beloved band Rising Appalachia , which she leads alongside her sister Chloe. As a solo artist, Leah draws from the rich traditions of Southern soul, the diasporic sounds of the Celtic Isles, and her deep studies of folk music from across the Americas. In this episode, Leah ta...

Flow begins with attentiveness. In this episode, Stephen Roach shares how tuning the room became a creative and spiritual practice. Welcome to Season 15 of Makers & Mystics . In this opening episode, host Stephen Roach invites listeners into the unfolding journey of Finding Flow —not just as a creative high, but as a sacred rhythm and intentional spiritual practice. Anchored in a story from hi...

Have you experienced those moments when the grind gives way to an effortless grace? When a poem or painting tells you what it wants to become, or when a melody sings itself into being?    This state of creative flow is one that artists and athletes, saints and mystics alike, each aspire to attain. It is a state where time bends low and reveals a slice of eternity. When our minds are absorbed, the...

In this final conversation of our BC25 introductions, Stephen Roach, Corey Frey, and Dr. Marie Teilhard discuss the complexities of art that challenge conventional boundaries.  They explore themes of heretical art, the distinction between shock art and risk art, and the importance of trust and exploration in the creative process.  **Trigger Warning: This episode deals with sensitive subject matter...

Amanda Cook is a writer/musician/lover of books whose music explores the intersections of faith/doubt, love/loss, hope/despair, and fun/notfun.  In this episode, Amanda talks with Stephen Roach about her latest EP Survey: Part 2 along with her thoughts on reconciling faith and art and the motivations behind her creative process.  This episode continues our introductions to the presenters who will...

What role does contemplative prayer have in healing the fractures of our modern culture and those of our own fragmented lives? And how can our spiritual and creative practices offer an antidote to the chaos of contemporary life? In today’s episode, we’re exploring these questions with best-selling author, counselor, and teacher John Eldredge .  Drawing insights from his latest book, Experience Jes...

Kendra Adachi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way, The Lazy Genius Kitchen, and The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like A Lazy Genius. As an expert in compassionate time management, Kendra helps others stop doing it all for the sake of doing what matters. She Kendra hosts the nationally-ranked The Lazy Genius Podcast and lives in North Carolina with her husband and three kids....

"Technology does a really good job of floating us past all of these inconvenient blessings." - John Mark McMillan  Today on the show, singer-songwriter John Mark Mcmillan joins me to talk about his new music, technology's impact on the arts, confessing to an AI Jesus, and recovering a sense of meaning in our disenchanted world.  If you’ve listened to the Makers and Mystics podcast o...