Makers & Mystics

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 talks with Stephen Roach about her journey through music, exploring the intersections of various cul...

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 his experience as a touring musician, Stephen shares how he developed a pre-show ritual: using a sust...

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 world around us dissolves. Five minutes becomes five hours. Attentiveness and reverie a...

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 such as self-harm and cutting. Join The Breath and The Clay virtually or in pe...

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 be with us at BC25. Resources: The Breath and The Clay (virtual & In person t...

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 Jesus. Really: Finding Refuge, Strength, and Wonder Through Everyday Encounters with God, John h...