Makers & Mystics

The Beauty of Authenticity — John Van Deusen
Songwriter John Van Deusen joins Makers & Mystics to explore the beauty of authenticity in art, faith, and vocation. In a creative landscape that often rewards certainty and success, John reflects on the cost—and freedom—of making honesty the point.
At the center of the conversation is his latest album, As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise, a shape-shifting, faith-inflected collection that resists tidy resolutions and embraces vulnerability, doubt, joy, and embodied life.
Together, host Stephen Roach and John Van Deusen talk about creative calling, audience expectation, near-successes, family life, and why authenticity remains a risky—but faithful—posture for artists.
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What role does beauty play in a fractured and hurried world—and what might happen if we allowed it to slow us down?
This episode marks the beginning of a new Makers and Mystics series, The Pace of Beauty, exploring how beauty invites us into a more attentive and spiritually grounded way of living.
In this opening conversation, Stephen Roach is joined by Winfield Bevins, author, artist, and founder of Creo Arts, a missional arts community awakening the world to the beauty of the Christian story.  Together, they explore the themes of Winfield's book How Beauty Will Save the World and reflect on the intersection of art, faith, and community.
Winfield shares personal stories of how art became a lifeline during a formative season of his life, and how creative practices can function as spiritual disciplines. He emphasizes the transformative power of beauty and the arts in a broken world, advocating for a deeper integration of creativity within the church. 

Book Offer for Listeners
Oaks Press is offering listeners of Makers and Mystics a free copy of Winfield Bevins’s book How Beauty Will Save the World. Simply cover the cost of shipping and use the code MAKERS at checkout.
Get your copy here:
 How Beauty Will Save the World — Oaks Press
Resources
How Beauty Will Save the World by Winfield Bevins
Creo Arts
Makers and Mystics Podcast
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Support the show
Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

What if beauty isn’t an escape from the outrage and exhaustion of the world—but a form of resistance against it?
In a culture overrun with anxiety and uncertainty, turning toward beauty can feel almost defiant. In this episode of Makers & Mystics, host Stephen Roach is joined by theologian, poet, and cultural critic Jonathan P. Walton to explore how beauty forms us for resilience, integrity, and repair—both personally and communally.
Drawing from his book Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair, Walton reflects on the spiritual and emotional work required to live truthfully in a hurried, narcissistic culture. Together, they discuss the tension between joy and guilt, the importance of celebration and lament, and the danger of the false self in spiritual formation.
Jonathan introduces the Four Rs—Rest, Restore, Resist, Repeat—as a crafted rule of life that helps us resist what deforms us while cultivating beauty, depth, and intentional living. He also shares the backstory behind his poem “Change of Plans,” offering insight into how community, faith, and honesty shape the long journey toward wholeness.
This conversation is an invitation to slow down, tend to what is wounded, and rediscover beauty not as escape—but as faithful resistance.
Resources & Links
Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair — Jonathan P. Walton
Support The Podcast —  Join our Patreon growing community! http://www.patreon.com/makersandmystics
Send us a text
Support the show
Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Moving at the Pace of Beauty
Season Introduction — Makers & Mystics Podcast
Elaine Scarry writes that “beauty quickens. It adrenalizes. It makes the heart beat faster.” Beauty is immediate in this way. It strikes us unaware and de-centers us, throwing us off balance and ushering us into a moment of euphoria.

Beauty comes to us in a flash, a sudden recognition, or a moment of beholding; however, its effects call for a much slower pace, one of deliberation and contemplation.

The pace of beauty runs counter to the breakneck speed of modern society. When we are hurrying along from one task to the next, we don’t take time to notice the tiny flowers along the roadside. We don’t see the grains within the hardwood or the elaborate stitching within a hand-woven rug. Beauty, then, is sometimes hidden and only reveals itself to those willing to slow down and surrender their gaze.

In this new series of Makers and Mystics, we’re going to explore the pace of beauty and how it serves as a conduit of grace and creative unction. We’re going to hear from a collection of artists, theologians, and creative instigators on how beauty impacts them spiritually and creatively. 

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Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

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 impact of fame on the human soul, the importance of sustainable rhythms, and why community and storytelling are essential for healing and wholeness.
Jared shares insights into why the soul is not built for fame, how isolation fuels addiction, and how intentional care and connection help artists return to themselves. Whether you’re a touring musician, a creative professional, or someone seeking greater integration in your life, this conversation offers practical wisdom for the journey toward wholeness.
Resources
Porter’s Call: https://www.porterscall.com
Backline: https://backline.care/
Makers and Mystics Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/makersandmystics

Send us a text
Support the show
Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.