The Creative and Free Podcast
Where creative hearts come fully alive to the pursuit of joy
3 Poems to Shore Up Hope [Eps 32]
Poetry puts the past in perspective, positions us in the here and now, and propels us toward what is possible. I share three poems that have the power to sustain through trying times and give hope.
Visio Divina—Rainbow Hands with Vesper Stamper [Eps 25]
Hands tell a lifetime of stories. So does art. Using a piece called Rainbow Hands from the book A Cloud of Outrageous Blue by Vesper Stamper, I lead a 10-minute visio divina exercise.
Meditation—Josh Banner: Alive to Resurrection Hope [Eps 19]
How am I using my creative capacities to know God? Am I living in resurrected life? Josh Banner, spiritual director and creator of the Invitation Podcast, leads a lectio divina style meditation based on Phillipians 3:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (NKJV).
Josh Banner—Stay Alive to God Part 2 [Eps 18]
Josh Banner is a spiritual director and host of the Invitation Podcast. This is part two of our deep dive interview. We discuss spiritual direction, how contemplative prayer helped him have more fun, and ways to find deep rest in things you are already doing.
Josh Banner—Stay Alive to God Part 1 [Eps 17]
Josh is the host and creator of the Invitation Podcast. He is a certified spiritual director, a retreat leader, and facilitator of contemplative prayer practices in prisons. In part of one of this interview, we talk about rediscovering the art of brewing beer, being human, and wakefulness.
Tending Gardens in Exile: Carolyn Arends :: On Pause [Eps 14]
Carolyn Arends is a recording artist, speaker, author, and college instructor. We talk about the ebb and flow of creative rhythms and bringing our doubts to God. We chat about:
tending to your garden during exile as a creative person,
and expressing emotions with God during disorientation through prayer and art,
Monastic Bells and the Interrupted Life: Christiana Peterson :: On Pause [Eps 13]
Christiana Peterson is the author of Mystics and Misfits: Meeting God through St. Francis and Other Unlikely Saints. We talk about:
the artist as contemplative parent, story, and mental health and
finding space to process crisis in music and story…
The Link Between Crisis, Creativity, and Prayer: Lizzie Mattson :: On Pause [Eps 11]
Lizzie Mattson is a social media manager and fiber artist. She's a small business owner at wildfeatherco.com.
managing stress with creative routine and picking up old art forms,
finding balance between art and business,
Creative Practice and the Thread of Unknowing: Elizabeth Ivy Hawkins :: On Pause [Eps 10]
In this podcast we talk about:
developing creative rhythms for home, work, and faith,
silence, solitude, and movement as contemplative practice,
what art can teach us about letting go and moving forward in pandemic and unknowing,
Don't Wait, God's Abundant Life is Right Here: Niki Hardy :: On Pause [Eps 9]
Niki Hardy is a Brit in the USA, a cancer survivor, pastor’s wife, tea drinker and teller of bad jokes. As a speaker and an author, she’s all about meeting you when life’s not fair and embracing the reality that with God, life doesn’t have to be pain-free to be full.
Becoming Agents of Shalom: Tamara Gurley :: On Pause [Eps 8]
Tamara Gurley is a racial educator, consultant, seminarian, and creative artist in spoken and written word. She has served in business + ministry leadership for over 14 years as she blends her love for people, education, and creative arts into serving and growing faith-based and corporate communities.
Breathe in God's Presence: Sheridan Voysey :: On Pause [Eps 7]
Sheridan Voysey is an author and broadcaster. His books include: The Making of Us: Who We Can Become When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned and Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings, plus Resilient and the award-winning Unseen Footprints.
Meeting God in Coronavirus: Alice Parente :: On Pause Series [Eps 4]
In this episode, Alice and I talk about:
What she's doing to make the arts accessible to all kids,
How Hip hop lessons on Zoom are keeping students connected,
What happened when coronavirus took the lives of 6 people in her church community,