“To live a creative life, we do have to make a choice to live in courage, to be willing to be vulnerable and to put ourselves out there.”

In this episode Matt has a conversation with Stephen Roach. Stephen is host of the Makers and Mystics podcast and founder of The Breath and The Clay creative arts organization. Stephen travels as a keynote speaker and event curator conducting workshops and events centred on the exploration of creativity and the spiritual life. He has penned five volumes of poetry, an illustrated children’s book, and 2 other books including Naming The Animals: An Invitation To Creativity.

Stephen is a multi-instrumentalist with a background in ethnomusicology and film composition. His musical group, Songs of Water composes for film and television including the award-winning Australian animated short, Teacups. Stephen has contributed to the works of recording artists Ricky Skaggs, Josh Garrels, Jonathan and Melissa Helser, John Mark McMillan and others.

Matt and Stephen talk about:

* Courage and Vulnerability in the Creative Life

* Co-creative partnership between God and humanity, where God leaves room for human contribution and delight.

* The importance of sabbath, rest, and the place of contemplation and wonder.

* Embracing the process rather than obsessing over outcomes

Selected Links/Books

* Makers & Mystic Podcast

* Breath & the Clay

* On Writing by Stephen King

* The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

* Naming the Animals: An Invitation to Creativity by Stephen Roach

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Courage, Wonder, and Naming the Animals