Makers & Mystics

Harris “The Third” is an award-winning illusionist and communicator. In recent years his career has grown to become one of America’s most sought-out speakers, storytellers, creative consultants and event curators. In 2015, Harris founded the Istoria Collective, a production company that creates meaningful and transformative experiences for people and brands through events, films, and digital media. In this episode, Stephen talks with Harris about his work as an Illusionist and what it means to create moments of wonder that inspire and move people to a place of transformation.

Jonathan Pageau is a professional artist, writer and public speaker. He delivers several lectures every year in Universities, conferences and other venues around North America. He speaks on art, but mostly on the symbolic structures that underlie our experience of the world. Through his YouTube channel and podcast, The Symbolic World, he also furthers the conversation on symbolism, meaning and patterns in everything from movies, to icons, to social trends. As an artist, Jonathan is one of the only professional icon carvers in North America, taking on institutional and personal art commissions from all over the world. You can view his works in his carving website. Jonathan is the editor and a contributor for the Orthodox Arts Journal which looks at the revival and significance of liturgical art today. He also gives weeklong carving classes with Hexaemeron School of Liturgical Arts , which are credited by Pontifex University.

Natalie Shaw is a Chicago native who holds a studio fine art degree and is a graduate of Yale University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Shasta College. In 2016, she was selected for the Barbara Jane Carr Scholarship for excellence in the visual arts. Natalie has recently joined the artistic community in Austin, TX and has been selected for the Open 30 Juried Exhibit at the Martha Fenstermaker Gallery. Natalie’s work is informed by a sense of air and space, and how we as humans move through it. She describes it as a push and pull, an up and then letting go, a play with gravity. In this episode Stephen talks with Natalie about her work as a contemporary abstract artist and dives into what motivates her creative explorations.

This episode is an Official Highjack!! StoryBrand Guide, Luke Humbrecht turns the mic around and interviews our host, Stephen Roach. In this season finale episode Luke and Stephen discuss why the conversation of faith and art is important for our cultural moment and how you can be involved in the discussions. Stephen shares from history and personal stories on what compels him to host these conversations.

John Scotus Eriugena was an Irish theologian, philosopher, and poet. This artist profile is guest hosted by spiritual director, Sarah DeShields.

Pianist and composer Chad Lawson is a Classical musician whose career has visited byways of various musical genres, including Jazz, Latin, Film scores and Experimental music. Chad’s compositions have been featured in countless films and television shows such as The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries and the Award-winning podcast, Lore. In this episode, Stephen talks with Chad about his background as a musician, what motivates his work and how his journey has led him to the poetic and meditative feel of his current musical expressions.

Madame Jeanne Guyon was a controversial French mystic who wrote poems and spiritual writings on experiential forms of prayer.

Sarah Toth is a performer and writer who uses singing, spoken word, and improvisation within opera to courageously tell stories of truth, vision, and possibility. Through collaborations in music-based theater, Sarah seeks to bring healing, inspire dreams, and empower people to walk boldly forward in their own personal story. In this episode Stephen talks with Sarah about her opera The Nero Monologues and her involvement in creating new and experimental music-based theater.

The Broadway musical Hamilton is a popular musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is inspired by the life of the American founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Since its debut in February of 2015, the show has been widely received as a groundbreaking work of art. Its cultural and creative impact has continued to grow and inspire its audiences from London to New York and cities across America. One audience member on whom the show left a lasting mark is author and pastor Kevin Cloud from Kansas City, Missouri. Kevin sees Hamilton as a “modern-day parable” that carries a depth of spiritual and transformative power. In this episode, Stephen talks with Kevin about his perspectives on this Broadway musical and how the art form of theater has the ability to access the deeper parts of the human heart.

Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky is considered by many to be the father of abstract art. In this episode Stephen takes a look into the life and art of Wassily Kandinsky, particularly his interest in the relationship between sound and color.

Liz Vice is a singer/songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. She is best known for her Gospel, Soul and R&B roots. On her latest album titled, "Save Me," Liz breaks the mold of any one particular genre and explores a wide range of musical territory. In this episode, Stephen talks with Liz about her creative process and the vulnerability in her songs and personal story of overcoming fear.

In 1837, Reverend Preston Cooper began to have a series of dreams where an angel appeared to him saying, "Dig Cooper, dig."

Nico Cox is an Antiquarian Horologist, which is a technical term for a clock and watchmaker who specializes in the conservation and restoration of antique automata and mechanical musical objects. Her workshop, Memoria Technica is located in Seattle, Washington where she teaches, creates and brings mechanical music, singing birds and complex clocks back to life again. In this episode, Stephen talks with Nico about the magic of horology and the critical thinking involved in her unique art of restoration. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy an additional interview with Nico on “The Church’s bizarre use of automata during Middle Ages” at http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics

Sadhu Sundar Singh was a Christian mystic from the region of Punjab. His life was characterized by elaborate visions, long journeys and parables and stories inspired by the life of Jesus.

CJ Casciotta is a writer and communicator who is passionate about helping organizations and individuals discover their inherent uniqueness. In his debut book, Get Weird, CJ asks the question, What if the outrageous, imaginative, crazy ideas that live inside your wildest dreams are actually there on purpose, divinely preinstalled to help others? He says, Knowing what makes you weird is the best thing you can offer your art, your business, your friends, your family, and yourself. It's the essence of creativity, the stuff of movements, and the hope for humanity. It's time to quit painting by numbers, conforming to patterns, and checking off boxes. It's time to GET WEIRD. In this episode CJ and Stephen discuss the ideas he presents in his book and unpack what it means to live fully and truly as that unique version of ourselves we were designed to be.