Art & Faith Conversations

Andrew Nemr is an international tap artist, TED Fellow, speaker, mentor, and writer.  Andrew started tapping at the age of 3 being mentored by Gregory Hines starting at a very young age. He’s a solo artist in dance, visual art and music but also travels the world as a speaker, mentor, and coach in a variety of settings and has had his life story featured in an independent film by Windrider called Identity.   We discuss a significant moment in his life when he hit a wall and experienced burnout throughout his whole body, mind, and spirit in a visceral way. Andrew shares vulnerably what that expereince was like, how he got through it, and offers insight to artists who may be close to experiencing burnout themselves.  Andrew regularly offers a 4 week spiritual formation course you can find more about and connect with him at: https://andrewnemr.com Andrew's TED Talk Libby and the Podcast  

Jaclyn Williams is a preacher, chaplain, educator, and performing artist. She is an assistant professor of the practice of preaching and chaplaincy at Fuller Seminary. She joins the podcast to talk about embodied preaching and the unique style she has of integrating her performing art skills to enhance her pedagogical practice with students. As well as her MDiv and PhD in theological studies, she also holds an MFA in theater and has a background in dance. We discuss the connections between the process of craft as an artist and the process of spiritual formation and how artists can be significant contributors to teaching formational practices.  Donate to support new episodes Sign up for podcast updates Instagram @artandfaithpodcast  Email: artandfatihconversations@gmail.com      

Mark Buchanan is a professor of pastoral theology at Ambrose University. He has authored several book on spiritual formation and rhythms of the soul. He joins the podcast to talk about his book, God Walk-Moving at the Speed of Our Soul. We discuss the spiritual practice of physically walking and how formative it is for our faith when we slow down enough to keep pace with a 3mph God. We talk about how walking affects our memory and our attention spans and rehumanizes us in an increasingly digital world.  Mark Buchanan  Order the book God Walk Donate to support new episodes Connect with host Libby John Instagram @artandfaithpodcast Email artandfaithconversations@gmail.com 

Julianna Rubio Slager is the artistic director and co-founder of Ballet 5:8 dance company out of Chicago. She returns for the second time to the podcast to talk about the powerful language of the body through dance and how it can speak in ways words cannot. We discuss misconcenptions about the body and dance among church culture and the importance of making peace with our bodies in surrender to God's work in our lives. Julianna is known for her unique ability to engage audiences in discussions of life and faith through her choreography. She has created over 50 works for the Company and School during her tenure at Ballet 5:8. In 2023 she was awarded the coveted position of National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet. Ballet 5:8 Support the Podcast Connect with Libby Instagram @artandfaithpodcast  

Dr. Curt Thompson is a leading psychiatrist in the field of interpersonal neurobiology and spiritual formation. We discuss why art and artists are invaluable to understanding what it means to be human and to live a purposeful life.  Curt specializes in helping others seek and discover the intrinsic desire we all have to feel known, loved, and connected and shares how beauty and creativity play a crucial role in that pursuit. He is the author of several books such as Anatomy of the Soul, The Soul of Shame, and his most recent book on suffering, The Deepest Place. https://curtthompsonmd.com Support the Podcast Connect with Libby Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast

David Taylor returns to the podcast to talk about his latest book, A Body of Praise-Understanding the Role of our Physical Bodies in Worship. Click to Order A Body of Praise We discuss our five senses as the way we experience God's closeness and grace and how artists give us language and portals to engage our senses more fully in worship and life. David aruges that the body is not merely a neutral spectator or something to overcome but that God has an essential purpose for good for our bodies in worship.  David Taylor is a theologian, author, speaker, priest, and director of initiatives in art and faith. A professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He has written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, Theology Today, Worship, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, and Books & Culture, among others. He lives in Austin with his wife Phaedra, a visual artist and gardener, and his daughter Blythe and son Sebastian. Music for the podcast provided by Gray North Contact Libby John: https://vividartistry.org Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast Support the Podcast

Jane Boutwell is an artist who describes herself as having an inquisitive mind, a heart connected to nature and a soul yearning towards God…a child of dirt and dance…a beauty bringing blessing writer… a poetic painter and potter. Her creative work includes tactile, intuitive, and deeply-in-touch-with-nature ways of being in the world. She finds her passion in a variety of creative mediums and expressions which include gardening, quilting, writing, painting, sketching, ceramics, dancing, creative coaching, podcasting, and family life with her husband and four children in the Atlanta Georgia area.  We take a deep dive into a mini series she featured on her podacst, Growing Creative, about living a life of listening and how vital it is as a practice for our creative and spiritual lives.  Visit Jane's work at: The Birdhouse Retreat Center https://www.janeboutwellstudio.com Connect with the Podcast: https://vividartistry.org IG: @artandfaithpodcast Donate to the production of new episodes: https://givebutter.com/artandfaithpodcast  Or Text ARTANDFAITHPODCAST to 53-555 and follow the link for more info  

Justin McRoberts returns to the podcast to talk about his newest book, Sacred Strides: The Journey to Belovedness in Work and Rest. In this episode we discuss the myth of finding balancing but rather discovering the tensions and rhythms in different seasons of life. We also talk about the significance of practicing a day of Sabbath and the pitfalls of focuisng on utitliy in our creative and spiritual lives. Jusitn is a speaker, author, mentor, and musician. Some of his previous books include It Is What You Make of It and the books of prayer collaboration project with Scott Erickson. https://justinmcroberts.com Donate to the production of new episodes: https://givebutter.com/artandfaithpodcast  Or Text ARTANDFAITHPODCAST to 53-555 and follow the link for more info

Week 5 of a series of audio meditations to guide you through the season of Lent. Each Lent episode is an exceprt of a more in-depth writtten series that includes movement prayer and visual art as well as poetry and scripture.  Visit Lent Week 5 to go deeper Music provided by Dear Gravity Journal Prompt Questions: What are some ways you can slow down and be cared for in this season? How might you need to re-position yourself to see beauty? Email: artandfaithconversations@gmail.com Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast

Week 4 of a series of audio meditations to guide you through the season of Lent. Each Lent episode is an exceprt of a more in-depth writtten series that includes movement prayer and visual art as well.  Visit Lent Week 4 to go deeper Music provided by Dear Gravity Journal Prompt Questions: What are some things that make you feel securely planted? What kind of a season do you sense you are becoming ready for? Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast @vividartistryco

Week 3 of a series of audio meditations to guide you through the season of Lent. Each Lent episode is an exceprt of a more in-depth writtten series that includes movement prayer and visual art as well.  Visit Lent Week 3 to go deeper Music provided by Dear Gravity Journal Prompt Questions: What are the main daily influences on your imagination and your senses? Take inventory for a couple of days and write down the things you devote attention to. What are some tangible daily rhythms you could work in that would cultivate beauty in your life? Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast @vividartistryco

Week 2 of a series of audio meditations to guide you through the season of Lent with poetry, an embodied prayer practice and journal prompts. The audio recordings are an excrept of an in-depth written Lent series that also includes movment prayer and visual art.  Visit Lent Week 2 to participate. Music provided by Dear Gravity Email: artandfaithconversations@gmail.com Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast

Week 1 of a series of audio meditations to guide you through the season of Lent. The audio recordings are an exceprt of a more in-depth written Lent series that includes movment prayer and visual art.  Visit Lent Week 1 to participate  Music provided by Dear Gravity Email: artandfaithconversations@gmail.com Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast  

Melanie Penn returns to the podcast to talk about some of her latest music and how creative work is needed now more than ever. She describes beauty as an act of defiance against the dark times of the world and how artists play a significant role in healing from the events since 2020. We discuss the many changes and new norms we've all experienced including some big changes and loss that happened in her own life. Melanie has a backgournd in classical voice training before becoming an independent recording artist. During a career touring in Broadway musicals, she felt compelled to write her own songs and recorded her first album in 2010 which received critical acclaim. She has since released several albums including her Immanuel project in 2017 which rose to #1 on Amazon's Christian worship and holiday charts. Her most recent albums, More Alive Vol 1 and Vol 2, she released from 2020-2022. Clips featured in this episode are from Vol 2. She first appeared on the podcast in Aug. 2020 on Season 5 Episode 16 titled, "Creative Clarity" which can be found on all streaming platforms. Melanie Penn Support the Podcast More Info

Bette Dickinson returns to the podcast to talk about the inspiration for her series of paintings in her new book, Make Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder. Bette appeared as a guest on the podcast in Septemeber to tell us about the book. In this episode we dive deeper into why the Church needs to integrate more art into spiritual practices and how art actually makes room in our lives for God to speak. We discuss right and left brained church and artists as being essential workers in leading others into deeper, more meaningful spiritual lives. The book is available to order anywhere books are sold. At the end of the episode Bette leads a visio divina practice and a breath prayer. To view the painting for the visio divina, text "wonder" to 55444 or click Visio Divina Bette Dickinson The podcast is an extension of an arts collective that creates spiritually formative resources through embodied expressions. To support our ongoing efforts you can  text "artandfaithpodcast" to (202) 858-1233  Donate  Website: https://vividartistry.org Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast  @vividartistryco

Phaedra Jean Taylor is a visual artist exploring the disciplines of encaustic painting and watercolor. She is inspired by ideas of play, journey, memory, and belonging which we discuss as being healing concepts in her spiritual journey after being raised in a thrid generation Jehovah's Witness family. Her art making is hard to describe without hearing her incredible conversion story when she met the real Jesus for the first time while studying art in college. Raised on the rocky shores of northern Scotland til she wast thirteen, her family then transplanted to Texas, where she learned to love open spaces and quiet landscapes. She completed her BFA in sculpture at the University of North Texas, where she was also awarded the Most Outstanding Student in the Visual Arts award. She interned at the Chinati Foundation, in Marfa Texas, shortly thereafter where she was profoundly influenced by spending hours in the company of the works in the collection. Phaedra and her husband, Anglican priest and theologian, David Taylor, have been collaborating reecently to make creative liturgical resources for families and others that pair images and prayers to meditate on. https://www.phaedrataylor.com Support the podcast with a financial gift Donate The podcast is an extension of an arts collective that creates spiritually formative resources through embodied expressions. Visit our website  https://vividartistry.org Instagram: @artandfaithpodcast

Co-authors, Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore, recently released their first book, Liturgies for Hope-Sixty Prayers for the Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between. Hear the story of how the prayers orginated as anchors of hope for their church in NYC in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to becoming a published book. The liturgies include everything from the ordinary moments of life to the dark days of the pandemic and act as guardrails to beauty as the authors descirbe it. Hear the origin story of their friendship and collaboration, the doubts and struggles they've had in their own prayer lives and don't miss the Liturgy read at the end. Audrey Elledge lives in New York, where she works at SparkNotes and serves at Church of the City New York. Audrey is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize and the Virginia Beall Ball Prize. Born and raised in Louisiana, Elizabeth Moore now lives in New York, where she works at Penguin Random House and serves with the Church of the City New York creative team. To order the book: https://www.amazon.com/Liturgies-Hope-Prayers-Everything-Between/dp/0593442806 The podcast is an extension of an arts collective that creates spiritually formative resources through embodied expressions. Donate Website: https://vividartistry.org Follow us on Instagram:  @artandfaithpodcast @vividartistryco        

Rachel Marie Kang is an author and poet releasing her frist book, Let There Be Art: The Pleasure and Purpose of Unleashing the Creativity within You. The book serves as an invitation to create right where you are and dispels the myths that art is reserved for only an elite few. She explores the ordinary acitivities of life such as cooking, play, silence, and laughter and invites readers to discover the creativity within all of us  and encourages us to create right where we are with what we have. Rachel is a NY native and founder of The Fallow House. She has a degree in English with Creative Writing from Nyack College and has contributed to Chrisitianity Today, Provers 31 Ministries and (in)Courage.  Let There Be Art is avaialbe for pre-order with bonuses and a release day of Oct. 11. See link for details https://www.rachelmariekang.com/lettherebeart Support the podcast with a financial gift Donate  The podcast is an extension of an arts collective that creates spiritually formative resources through embodied expressions. Visit our website  https://vividartistry.org

Mike Yeager, executive pastor, producer, and songwriter at Awaken Chruch in San Diego talks about thier newest project, Move of Heaven. Mike received his PHD in structural engineering and spent time in Florence, Italy studying cultural heritage and structural assessments of buildings and monuments. We discuss how his heart was drawn back to the church and then to music when the church wanted to respond to the tumultous, cultural times with writing songs.  Produced by GRAMMY Award-winning Stephen Blake Kanicka(Kanye West, for KING & COUNTRY) and mixed by David Cook(Chris Tomlin, Shawn Mendes), Move Of Heaven pushes the artistic envelope with a modern pop, sonic landscape mixed with spiritual warfare anthems, leaning deeply on faith to drive action. Find Awaken Music: https://awakenmusic.com Give a gift to support more podcast episodes: https://givebutter.com/artandfaithpodcast Follow the podcast: Instagram  

On 9/11 I was flying home to the United States from Switzerland when the pilot came on the intercom and said we'd be landing in Newfoundland due to attacks on the U.S. I share my story every year in written from so decided to put it in audio form on the podcast. It is one of hope and mercy on one of the darkest days in history. Please consider a dontation to the podcast to help continue the production of these episodes and continue to share our stories with one antoher.  Donate amount of your choice here Follow the podcast https://www.instagram.com/artandfaithpodcast/ To read or share the written version of the story visit: https://vividartistry.org/blog-1/2022/9/10/my-911-story Email: artandfaithconversations@gmail.com