While the business side of this acquisition makes sense, for the team at Catholic Ventures this is much more than an acquisition. Catholic Creatives provides not just the hope that God has a purpose in the work we are doing, it gives me hope that he is still up to something even bigger in the world through his Church.
While the business side of this acquisition makes sense, for the team at Catholic Ventures this is much more than an acquisition. Catholic Creatives provides not just the hope that God has a purpose in the work we are doing, it gives me hope that he is still up to something even bigger in the world through his Church.
Over the past few years our world has seen a great shift in how we treat each other and ourselves. We are taking time to listen more and learn about the journey of others that we may have otherwise looked over in the past. One of the most appropriate areas for this growth has been women’s empowerment. As a man I have felt a deep call to take the time to truly learn more about the women in my life and grow in my abilities to witness the gift of femininity.
It is in this spirit that I present to you the latest Creation of the Week, BEHOLD by Katie Woltornist.
Katie is a creative who has seen her call to create as one that must be synonymous to her call to be a woman of grace and dedication. With that energy in mind Katie has developed a program, BEHOLD, as a way of connecting women in prayer using Visio Divina, a form of prayer that relies on Scripture and sacred images to lead to relationship with God.
The BEHOLD program gives individuals, groups and group leaders a realistic and approachable program that can help all grow in faith journey. Katie has written and organized the materials in a way that gives you a full experience that will make a difference. Personally, I am so impressed and excited to see a creative endeavor like this, which is rooted in scripture and has a practical method for users to engage with.
For me, I felt called to women’s ministry particularly because I experienced healing in a deeper understanding of my femininity and I felt that vocation to serve women.
Katie
To get the full story on this creation and how awesome Katie is, I invite you to dive into our conversation below where we discuss her own vocational journey, the role her family has played in this journey and her unique call to create this program. It was such a joy talking to her and I hope you are as moved as I was by her experiences.
As we travel through March of 2021 we are faced with the fact that we have officially been in this new “COVID normal” for a year. The mass shut down of society began to fall like dominos this time last year and nothing has felt the same. One of the most mysterious feelings I came across within my heart and the hearts of my students was grief of opportunities lost.
Of course, the loss of life is paramount and the pain that comes with that loss is unparalleled but we must also consider the toll COVID has taken on our ability to plan and orchestrate life’s memorable moments. The canceled events, missed celebrations and the “TBD” stamp on life is one that will take a while for us to wash away but we are starting to see some hope.
Some hope that I saw recently came in the form of photography, wedding photography that is. Of all the events that were rocked during 2020, wedding plans seemed to take the cake. But as Catholics the wedding shouldn’t change too much, even in our new COVID world, because the wedding begins and ends with the Sacrament.
The covenant of love and the journey back to altar is the glue that forever keeps it together. It was in witnessing Abbey Reznicek’s craft of wedding photography that I was brought back to the place of wonder that is the wedding experience.
I found myself looking at a recent shoot she did and I was sincerely lost in the images and the ways in which she captured the glory of the sacrament. A few more photos into the album it hit me, this was a “COVID wedding”. I was so lost in the craft and the story of the image that I didn’t notice the masked participants in the corner of the frame or the smaller attendance or any other minor detail that Abbey pushed to the side with her gift of focus.
I know a lot of wedding photographers have been negatively impacted by COVID this past year. I’ve been really blessed however and last year turned out to be my highest booked year yet - it has absolutely nothing to do with me, and everything to do with God and my clients! I’ve been so inspired by these amazing couples who have had to go through so much. Wedding planning is hard enough without a global pandemic! The love these couples have for each other and their commitment to the call to marriage is truly inspiring. I’m reminded of Christ’s relentless love for us when I see these couples move earth and sky so that they can get married, often sacrificing so much to do so.
- Abbey
Abbey is an artist who was able to take her gift of capturing images and let it transcend the climate around her. In fact, the only energy I could sense that Abbey and her camera let in was that of the Holy Spirit. It’s creative passion like this that will get us through this next phase of our wild human experience. It is only with the Holy Spirit that we can find hope and be in communion with each other once more. Abbey’s work is a gentle and beautiful wake up call to the reality that life is too wonderful to ever fully pause or delay.
I invite you to check out Abbey’s wonderful work via her Website, Facebook, Instagram page, and her new Facebook group for Catholic Brides. I hope and pray it moves you as it did me.
And as we all face new events and celebrations that were delayed, cancelled and then reimagined I pray with and for you to appreciate the gift of community. A gift that after this past year we must promise to never take for granted.
Be sure to check the new addition to the Creation of the Week experience. Our first Creation of the Week conversation is here and it offers you a deeper dive into the creator behind the creation as well as a fun and inspired chat on craft, life and fun facts. I promise it is a conversation that will offer hope and a laugh or two.
This past December Pope Francis declared 2021 to be the Year of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the Universal Church. This news comes to us in a time where we truly need it most. We are in a moment in history where we are in need of true need of unity within our communities and St. Joseph is the saint who can remind us of the right path.
With that in mind I would like to use this platform to do something a little different this week. Let’s explore why The Year of St. Joseph should matter to us, as Catholics, and how this call to St. Joseph can impact our creative endeavors.
First off, I must declare my personal love for St. Joseph. As a married man, who was adopted at a young age, and serves as Campus Minister for St. Joseph’s College NY (where I also attended), St. Joseph has a unique place in my heart. In fact, I have felt that St. Joseph has saved me countless times and provided me with blessings that I can’t even put into words.
To me St. Joseph is the quintessential man. He reminds us that the hidden life is a glorious one when dedicated to God. Often referred to as a “righteous man”, in fact that is one of the only terms we officially and biblically have for him. A righteous man who led with compassion and love for his family.
We as Catholic Creatives have an itch to create and share our gifts with others. This itch can be such a blessing but also such a danger, in that it can lead us to misunderstanding our value or worth. We can easily get caught up in view numbers, likes, comments, invoices and the constant need to see more from our endeavors. We are all guilty of it but we must never forget that St. Joseph was a creator too and the glory of his work lies in the impact it had on those who were directly in his midst, specifically his Child.
I wish to turn your attention and hearts to the 33-day Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald H. Calloway. As lent approaches I highly encourage that we all, as creatives, seek a deeper relationship with Joseph and perhaps take a dive into this Consecration. I specifically wish to look at an element of the Consecration that is profound, Day 24 (Minor spoiler-alert)- “Model of Workmen, Pray for Us.”
Saint Joseph is the model workman. If St. Joseph taught the God-Man how to work, he is more than capable of serving as our model as well. Hard work benefits the person, the family, and society... Work is not always easy and pleasant. Putting in a hard day’s work can be taxing on the mind, body, and soul. Sometimes work can be downright burdensome. As a carpenter, Jesus knew this firsthand. He offers comfort to all who make their living by the sweat of their brow.
Fr. Donald H. Calloway
I can’t even begin to explain to you how much joy these words bring me. What a humble and necessary reminder of the fact that if we all simply wake up and put in the work then we are already winning and doing God’ work.
How often do we lose track of this in our own lives?
How often do we measure our worth off of trivial facts and figures?
How often to do deem ourselves a massive success or failure off of one simple moment? Or perhaps we treat others this way as well?
Let the example of St. Joseph wash over us and remind us that none of those facts or figures matter. The only thing that matters is whether or not our work was truly GOOD.
Good in the sense that it brought joy to you and others. In the sense that it led others to truth and beauty. In the sense that it provided a result that you can stand by no matter the outcome.
This lent I wish to pray with you all as a community, to St. Joseph. Let us take this time to dedicate ourselves and our work to him.
We must create and rejoice in the work, in the sweat, in the aches and in the pain. No matter what the work brings us let us have the strength to offer it to Joseph.
May we all be fully alive with the spirit of work this year and may we never forget the values that St. Joseph has taught us and continues to teach us.
Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Mt 11:28-30
A little over a year ago I found myself in New Orleans with my students for our annual Mission Trip. One night we took a moment to explore the music scene of New Orleans and witness some live acts. The most amazing of them all came as a surprise. It was a man on a street corner with a worn-out acoustic guitar, single amp and a booming voice. He sounded incredible and it was one of those moments where you find yourself held captive by the grace of the artist.
I share this memory with you because this week’s creation is a work of art that was created for the performers out there with unbelievable talent and heart. As I discovered this week’s creation, David of Percoustix, I kept thinking of all the great street performer/solo acts I have witnessed and thus asking “what would happen if/when those talents get their hands on Percoustix?”
Percoustix is one of the most unique creations I have seen and as a musician myself I am deeply fascinated by how this project came to life.
First off, I think it’s vital that you check out the promo for this creation and hear it in action before reading on...
Okay now that you are properly introduced, let’s dive into the work of Percoustix.
Not only is this a creative endeavor but it’s also an invention- a patented invention. The idea comes to us by way of David McHugh, a creative who has had a long road of self-discovery and artistic development.
I have always wanted to be a rock star since the age of ten but in all my years of creating music I've never cared for the business side of things. In my naiveté I thought business took away from the purity of music. The pandemic actually forced me to re-think this perspective. We had lost a major part of our income and it felt like my invention was on lock down, not going anywhere like everything else. I found myself in a really dark place.
David
While in that dark place, a place that I am sure many of us can relate to, David asked God for a sign. A sign to keep moving forward with his dream of creating. With that intention out there, David received advisement from an old friend and an opportunity to get his hands on a 3D printer to test out some of his concepts for what would become Percoustix. With a dream and some help from others David was moving into a creative mindset that would change everything.
As the project continued to develop, David received engineering help from his father who happened to have a background in the field. Pretty fitting that David’s call to God the Father would eventually bring David’s paternal father into the mix.
Beyond the technical aspect of this creation, I am so fascinated by how someone feels a call to make something so specific and unique. What sparks such an idea?
Creating beats on the body of the guitar is nothing new. But for me, as a drummer and a guitar player, I was always frustrated with the limited percussive sounds that the body of the guitar can produce. I heard the sounds it made but I could also hear the sounds that were missing.
David
As creatives, this is truly what the call to create is all about. We see something that is good and wonderful but we ask “how can we bring our gifts forward and make it better?”
Isn’t that true to our faith too?
And the ways in which we, as artists, want to be better for God in our creating endeavors?
David’s discovery serves as a reminder of the fact that we can all be better and grow. We don’t have to be limited, despite how we may feel in the current moment. So often, we put ourselves in creative bubbles that in the big picture limit our abilities to glorify God and grow as artists.
Perhaps we are scared to lose our original dream or idea?
Perhaps we don’t feel that we would belong in that “other” creative space?
Push that all aside for a moment and let David’s example serve as a reminder that some ideas deserve to grow and take daring turns.
Percoustix was a slow evolution of prototypes that kept building upon what came before. However, the final product that came forth was the fulfillment of the original vision that was there all along. Really it was a series of “Ah ha moments” over a ten-year labor of love.
David
Thank you, David for seeing this vision through to the finish line and inviting us into the labor of love.
I pray that fellow creatives reading this and witnessing David’s work this week feel the same inspiration I have felt from you and your “Yes” to new challenges from God the Father.
You can learn more about David and Percoustix by visiting percoustix.com as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
A website says a lot about you and your mission. When you visit a webpage, you are usually in search of information, but you are also in search of an experience, whether you realize it or not. This search for an experience is not always on the forefront of your mind but we judge digital platforms on how they can engage us and hold that engagement.
Can we receive information and have an experience with a website? Is that asking too much? Or is it just the start?
This week’s creation is an extremely unique one. This week we look at the Detroit Priestly Vocations’ new website and hear from Emily Mae Mentock, a creative who serves as the Associate Director of Strategy for the Archdiocese of Detroit, Department of Communications.
I have never identified as an artist, personally. Creative, yes! But I am a person who is greatly impacted and inspired by art of all kinds. My parents made sure I was exposed to a variety of arts when I was growing up, so I’ve always had an appreciation for it. In my career doing social media content, I learned early on that content is great, but it needs good creative work to be most impactful.
Emily
This project may not seem like an “artistic venture”, in the traditional sense, but in today’s digital world we must look at web design as a vital medium and platform for artistry. The project was a six-month process of creating with several extremely talented individuals whom Emily connected and guided through to the finish of the project.
The website is stunning and incredibly cinematic. It is resourceful and answers questions that one may have if they find themselves in a state of discernment. When I saw the site for the first time, I was immediately drawn to the gritty texture that the pages offered. Everything from the YouTube promo video to the Seminarian head shot photos has a carefully designed tone that is consistent. It has grit and character and truly wants to earn your visit.
For reference, I am a married man who lives in New York and I was on the site for about an hour navigating and having fun with the features. I think it’s safe to say that I am not the target audience that Emily and the team had in mind, yet there I was. That, in my opinion, is the power of truth and beauty at work in everyday places. It makes you stop and observe despite your relevance or lack of personal “buy in” with the material.
Emily is very quick to share the credit on this project and explained how a team would attack a task like this.
This project was 100% a collaborative team effort! This website comes from a larger effort happening in the Archdiocese of Detroit to turn from maintenance-minded work to become an outward-focused, radically mission-oriented local Church.
Emily
With the vision of Fr. Craig Giera (Director of the Vocations Office), the creative branding work of Paul Duda, web developing expertise of Phil Hetue and project management from Vicki Mellino, Emily had a great team to work with when connecting the dots on this project.
I connect all the players and guide them under one (hopefully unified!) strategy for the project that both meets the client’s needs and expectations, fulfills our mission as a Communications Department, and is genuinely excellent marketing/communications work. It’s a mix of account management, strategy, and just making things happen.
Emily
Emily is a great example of what Catholic Creatives is all about, an everyday creative who makes their entire vocation a masterpiece. Not a masterpiece in the sense of perfection, rather a piece that is dedicated to the glory of the Lord. That in and of itself makes the work that Emily does so wonderful. If you did a deep dive into Emily’s previous projects you would see a great variety of social media campaigns, articles, designs, etc. It’s work like this that captures where the future of media ministry needs to be heading.
At the end of the day, I think I see my vocation as a missionary. I’m just here to use my gifts to spread the joy of Gospel in the most effective and innovative ways that I can.
Emily
If we want people to join us in our journey as a Catholic then we must take pride in how we present the faith to everyone, on all platforms. So, let us take this creation and do two things with it…
First, observe it. Truly witness it and dive into it’s wonderful details.
Second, ask yourself “how is my work inviting others to discern a life faith? Does my invitation put forth the truth that I wish to bring to my audience?”
These are questions that must always be in our prayers and I for one, greatly appreciate the work of the Detroit Diocese team in bringing these questions/ideas to the forefront of my mind and heart.
For more information on Emily and her creative works simply reach out and connect with her via Linkedin, Instagram and/or email (mentock.emily@aod.org).
For more information on the Archdiocese of Detroit visit aod.org and Unleash the Gospel.
Pope Francis recently declared that, starting Dec. 8th on The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the church year will be one dedicated to St. Joseph. This dedication to St. Joseph is one that calls us to remember that our devotion to God must be courageous, humble and founded on the “joy of work”.
On a personal note, I have a deep love for St. Joseph and to have a whole year dedicated to him is exciting beyond words. The lessons of humility that I have received from the example of St. Joseph are ones that forever stay with me. He is a man of great joy and respect for the process of labor. Labor of the heart, body and mind. Labor that is creative and resourceful. This is the labor that we are called to live by.
With St. Joseph on the mind I happily present this week’s Creation... the works of Alexander Lohn (Alessandro and Maria), specifically a recent commission of a king size bed frame.
Alexander is a creator who specializes in custom furniture and home goods. Alexander is educated in architecture and has found his call to be creating works that can be specifically experienced.
I always enjoyed design and working with my hands. I studied architecture in college, which definitely gave me practical skills in drawing, and principles of design. Already at this time I was designing furniture. I enjoyed the scale and control of the details but also the more direct interaction people have with it. They sit on the chair, or touch the drawer handle, or write on the table, or cut their food on the cutting board. My spiritual journey has moved more and more towards meeting God in the mundane, and I want the opportunity for people to have beautiful everyday objects in their home. Can I make the ordinary extraordinary, and the extraordinary ordinary?
Alexander Lohn
It was Alexander’s recent commission that caught my eye and then the rest of his work solidified the experience. The piece is a custom king size bed frame made for a client. The detail is extraordinary and based on what Alexander shared on Instagram about the project, it came with great dedication and love.
In this year of St. Joseph we are called to see how we can live for others via our work. Through the work of Alexander we can bear witness to the value of creativity, in a St. Joseph manner.
Woodworking is a centuries old tradition, which is a joy to be a part of and means there is so much to draw from. I even appreciate the material, because the grain of the wood is always something that was designed by God, and not by myself, so the sense of cooperating in design is quite visceral.
Alexander Lohn
Looking deeper into Alexander’s catalog of work you will notice artistic trends as well as spiritual ones, the latter being something to marvel at. Now, it’s safe to say that we can see great furniture on Etsy and Pinterest all the time but those pieces are usually missing something. Something that is hard to pinpoint exactly but when I scroll through Alexander’s work I feel something that most other creations, of this kind, can’t offer. I feel a true level of spiritual depth and an invitation to experience the work by the creator, Alexander.
A prime example of this spiritual depth are the meditation benches. These benches, inspired by Alexander’s experiences with CFR’s, capture multiple needs in one piece. A spiritual need, physical need and a prayerful need.
Another aspect of the work that offers a new layer of intrigue is the wonderful name of the business, for which the commissions/products are sold, Alessandro and Maria. This name serves as a call to the remarkable story of a young girl’s (Maria) murder at the hands of Alessandro. St. Maria was brutally murdered but she offered forgiveness to her killer before passing and over 20 years later Alessandro was given redemption. He was released from prison, had a rebirth (through a miraculous dream) and sought out the family of Maria to ask forgiveness. The man spent the rest of his life in a monastery living a quiet, prayerful life.
I don’t think I knew what mercy was before reflecting on this story. Through Maria Goretti’s mercy towards Alessandro I came to understand both the mercy God offers me, and the mercy he asks me to give to others. It has totally transformed my faith to remember that God is Mercy.
Alexander Lohn
Alexander’s decision to tie himself to such a story, in this manner, says a lot about how he views his role as a creator. Perhaps, it tells us that each piece of furniture created comes with an energy of new found opportunity and redemption? Yes, I may be looking very deep into it all but that’s the beauty of creating on this level, it sets us up with the opportunity to have an experience with the work.
As artists we are called to create, we certainly know that much to be true, but what else? In honor of St. Joseph and this new year we find ourselves in, we are called to lead others to have an encounter with the work. To have an experience that pays respect to the glory of hard work and invites others to see that the wonder is not only in the product but the process. Through Alexander’s work and his sharing of the work, via his Facebook and Instagram pages, he is celebrating St. Joseph and that profound call to work.
I have some experience in wood work but after seeing these creations I am truly moved to do more and seek out every opportunity I can to be physical in my work and make the “ordinary extraordinary.” I suggest we all try that a bit more, this year especially.
For more information on Alexander, his work and commission requests visit alessandroandmaria.com. Also check out the Facebook and Instagram for updates on current projects.
Is it a house or a home?
This is a common question when on the hunt for a new place to live. While searching you find yourself asking questions about the potential home that are unique and sometimes weird, but that’s part of the process. You search and then if you are fortunate you find the “one” and you begin the process of making it your future home.
I say this with confidence as my wife and I have recently moved into our first home. The experience was stressful at times, but we knew just from the street view that this house was meant to be our “home”.
Why this rant on homes/houses, you ask?
This week’s creation comes from Mary Claire Scholl, an artist who specializes in watercolor art. Mary creates a wide variety of projects and products through her company, Twelfth and Blossom. The work that specifically drew me in were a collection of watercolor images of houses. These were special commissions that, for the most part, served as gifts for homebuyers.
I saw the images and I was immediately moved. Perhaps I am biased because of how raw the home-buying experience is to me but regardless, I was touched by the work. Mary’s ability to capture a foundation in a way that gives it character and heart is profound.
Before my focus turned to art, I felt restless all the time, like there was something I should be doing, but I couldn't put my finger on it… When I was ready to take this seriously, I turned to my community. I do some graphic design for a title company, so I have a large number of real estate agents in my network. That's how I got started painting houses - the agents give them as closing gifts!
Mary Claire Scholl
I then did a dive into Mary’s company, Twelfth and Blossom and noticed that watercolor images of homes are just a small taste of what she’s up to these days. Mary is an overall creator who is not settling for one area, rather she is creating from what she feels is needed and what has the potential to be beautiful. Whether it’s shirts, face masks, postcards, journals or commissions, Mary is ready to create and share her work.
I dabbled in every other creative field you can imagine (even running my own acting studio for several years), but I never felt settled until I gave myself permission to make art my focus. I've never done anything that brings me the joy and fulfillment that I've found in art. To someone on the outside, my relatively recent turn to this career might look like a total reinvention of self, but it really just feels like it's been a long time coming.
Mary Claire Scholl
While her other work is impressive, I must say I am still really moved by the house art. Then I noticed it’s not just homes that she’s done commissions of, Mary has even done office buildings! At this point my brain nearly exploded and it all clicked. For fans of The Office (US) you know why.
Season three, episode sixteen. Pam, office receptionist and artist, has her art showing in a local exhibition. She invites friends and co-workers, barely any show up. However, at the last-minute Mr. Michael Scott (*unofficial “World’s best boss”) comes in to catch the show and witness the work Pam has created. It is then that we fully realize that one of Pam’s pieces is a watercolor painting of the office building, where they work. Michael is moved by the piece and he offers to buy it. Pam immediately questions Michael to which he replies, “we have to have it for the office… that is our building.”
This moment in the show is one of the most heartfelt scenes it has to offer and there is a reason for that. A reason which an artist like Mary knows well (regardless of whether or not she is aware of the show).
Through Mary’s work she is reminding us all that we have a responsibility when creating and that art has the potential to turn dwellings into memory filled homes. It is also a reminder that as Catholics we must not settle for places or locations. No, we are called to create homes where we can invite others to the table of creativity and joy.
Twelfth and Blossom is in the art of creating homes with some amazing work and what I have written about here is just a small taste of what Mary can do and will do with her gift.
I suggest you check out all the wonderful work that Mary is creating and perhaps order a custom commission of your own home or maybe as a gift to a loved one, their home? Unique work like this is what can truly have an impact on others. Visit Twelfth and Blossom on Facebook and Instagram as well as through Etsy and the official webpage.
God bless and go create homes out of your work, especially as we encounter this Advent season. The season of waiting and preparing a home for our Lord.
Do you remember the first YouTube video you ever saw?
I do.
It was 2006 and the band OK Go was full speed ahead with their new album “Oh No”. For the single track they decided to meet the new video platform where it was and offer a music video for the ages.
Treadmills have forever been redefined along with the ways in which we digest visual media.
YouTube was born in 2005 and the epic OK Go music video is a perfect example of how the video platform can challenge us all to be less complacent and more daring with our viewing/publishing.
Fast forward to 2020 and we see a YouTube that is so vast and detailed that no one can fully conquer every piece of content loaded up. The genres are endless, the videos are engaging and the ways in which we can witness each other is profound. But with all great things come great challenges and nuances.
It is with that in mind that I proudly invite you to witness POPE CULTURE, founded and operated by Neal and Hannah Abbott.
This new YouTube channel and podcast has given me hope and joy in the fact that there are still good people who want to jump into the deep cave of content creating.
As I began to serve in parish Faith Formation and Youth Ministry professionally, I saw a real need for teens and families to better understand the media that we consume, and to provide content and resources that would help them live lives more faithful to our call to be disciples of Christ.
Neal Abbott
What I have seen with YouTube over the years has excited and enraged me. One minute I could be learning a new household “lifehack” and the next minute I could find videos that sell, harass, and intimidate viewers into opinions and fear. I know this from my students in College Ministry and their personal accounts of feeling like a pawn not a person when they log on. And with the recent Netflix documentary, “The Social Dilemma”, it has become even more clear that to many YouTubers and “content” providers we are not always looked at as people rather just dollars and stats.
Whether I'm shooting a mini-doc or reviewing a Bible, my goal is the same: to lead others to Christ in engaging, meaningful ways through platforms that we, as Catholics, are only beginning to tap into for use in evangelization.
Neal Abbott
POPE CULTURE gives us hope and as Catholics gives us joy. Here we have a young family diving into the world of media for the purpose of good. Of course, Neal and Hannah are not the only people out there doing good on platforms like this but I really love the genesis of this idea and what they are building. I also love that this a fairly new adventure for them in their own creative vocations.
The short docs and videos that POPE CULTURE produce are humble, honest and delightful. Neal offers such a great energy as “host” and overall liaison of the mission. That mission being to “engage the world through our Catholic faith”.
Some may say that we must run away from media and the modern spiritual warfare battlegrounds of phones and tech. And that to achieve sainthood today we must depart from the worldly devices. But what if we all said “no, let’s run headfirst into the battle”. When I came across POPE CULTURE, I could sense this deep desire to dive into the battleground and the call that Neal and Hannah have to bring truth to the medium.
All of the creative work that my wife and I have done with Pope Culture so far has been completely on our own time and money. We'd love to be able to dedicate more time and energy to the YouTube channel, podcasting, and maybe one day book speaking engagements with all ages and demographics. Prayers and support for our ministry are so appreciated as we hope to begin to grow. We would never pretend to know everything about our culture and our world, but we know that we have a place in it and a call to share our perspective on it for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Neal Abbott
Creating content that is valuable, honest and hopeful is not easy. Just look to all the successful channels that are doing the exact opposite. It is much harder to be honest and true to our faith in these times and I am so inspired to see Neal and Hannah fully committing to this venture.
You can tell that the duo are passionate artists with a desire to do right by their work and collaborations. Look no further than their latest mini-doc, DAVID. It is such a subtle yet impactful portrait of an artist who is asking big questions and desiring a deeper connection with Christ.
Sure, the subject needs to be interesting but so much of how we see a subject comes from the artists behind the camera. Neal and Hannah are two awesome individuals behind a really authentic camera and I am so excited to see what they create next.
POPE CULTURE has a young and promising YouTube page that you should check out and subscribe to. I love what POPE CULTURE is becoming and it is exciting to see it grow and be in on it early as a fan.
Stay tuned to POPE CULTURE via the following platforms and be sure to subscribe to them on YouTube.
WEBSITE: https://www.thepopeculture.com/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_QYiuQqJBz-cIcIRFDw3EQ
When you pray the rosary, what rosary beads do you grab?
I’m sure that as you read that you knew your answer the minute you saw the word “rosary”. As Catholics this is a vital part of our practice and a personal part as well. My rosaries are not ones that carry a tremendous amount of “glitz or glam”, in fact at first glance they can appear to be “silly” to most. But the reason I have it is what matters.
My rosaries are made of plastic white and yellow beads, almost as if they were made at a camp. Its simple and innocent but most important they were a subtle gift from my friends over at the St. Anthony’s Shelter (Bronx, NY) run by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. My students and I would frequent the shelter to share meals and fellowship with the guys there and on one occasion I was offered a gift from a basket of homemade craft style rosaries.
I say all of this because our personal rosary beads carry so much value, more than we can ever truly explain. They carry spiritual presence, memories, intentions and are forever connected to where we were when we discovered prayer on such a level.
This week’s creation comes from Alicia Baker, a creative who makes beautiful rosaries, cards, necklaces, ornaments, and more. What drew me to her work was her rosary, specifically the Divine Mercy knotted rosary. The beautiful detail behind the work is wonderful yet humble.
At first creating was just an outlet, I just love to experiment & try new things. But the Holy Spirit was really working on me to bring these things on my heart to more than just my family & friends. That’s when I knew I had to pursue this for more than just a hobby & start my own business.
Alicia Baker
Seeing art like this excites me, not only because of the art, but the potential of the art’s impact. I saw these rosaries on her Etsy page, and I immediately thought of future experiences of individuals being introduced to the rosary. Whether it’s a child’s first rosary from school or young adults growing in faith or maybe adults coming back to their faith. No matter the circumstance each person’s journey is unique and wonderful.
Now imagine if the rosary that you witness is not only spiritually beautiful, in its true design, but is also a work of art. Art that makes you truly want to pray. Pray, perhaps in a unique way that you have never felt before. It’s almost like that great book you wish to reread. The cover art and the text are wonderfully laid out and when you see it you are suddenly dying to find time to reopen it and jump back in. What if we treated our prayer life the same way? With the same excitement?
Well it seems to me that Alicia has been treating her pray life in a special way and we are fortunate to see the fruits of that work through her company No Heart Untouched.
Inspired by St. Marie Goretti and the message that St. Marie left “no heart untouched”. Alicia was ready to create and the wheels began moving in her heart and mind.
After having my 2nd child, while I was home on maternity leave is when No Heart Untouched really started. I read an article about the Pilgrimage of Mercy with the relics of my confirmation Saint, St Maria Goretti. A priest had commented that anyone who came to venerate her relics or came with a special petition, that she left “no heart untouched”. I realized at that exact moment I was meant to do the same.
Alicia Baker
Another aspect that I love about Alicia’s work is that it is so hard to categorize which, in today’s artistic climate, is a tough accomplishment. We as creatives are always struggling to stay out of any artistic “box or style” that can limit us. Alicia seems to notice that and, from what I gather, she has naturally developed as an artist of diverse materials and projects.
Truly though, the icing on the proverbial cake is that Alicia cares about the power of prayer and what her art can do for other spiritual lives. With the recent passing of her Grandmother, Alicia has taken this vocation even deeper in meaning and has fully committed herself to making work that represents her faith and culture in ways that would make her customers, family and friends proud.
Anything I create, usually has the purpose of bringing the mind to focus on Christ’s beauty & His love & mercy that endlessly pours out for us. I love thinking of new ways to help the domestic church flourish & making items that will establish a prayerful home.
Alicia Baker
For more on Alicia and No Heart Untouched visit her Etsy page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NoHeartUntouched
And follow her on Instagram and Facebook – @noheartuntouched
Also be sure to be on the lookout for her own webpage which will fully showcase all her work and future projects, coming soon.
When I was twelve years old, I got my first guitar and my love for music grew immensely. It was a red Washburn SonaMaster Standard Electric, my life was forever changed, and I would spend the rest of my teen years dissecting all the classic songs one should know on a six-string. I was so amazed at how the instrument would give me a new way of communicating. Playing that guitar and developing a deep connection to music would prove to be a saving grace in my life and a spark for an even deeper spiritual life.
It was in my college years that I transitioned into the acoustic/folk world of music and I fell in love with the guitar once again. The only difference here was that instead of having a fascination with power chords and solos I was moved by how an artist could tell stories with the instrument.
Stories of hope.
Stories of loss.
Stories of faith rediscovered and life reimagined.
I began to see that playing the instrument is one thing but crafting a narrative that can develop a dialogue with the listener requires a whole different level of ability.
When I came across Kevin Heider’s newest EP “Make an Honest Stand” I was truly moved and inspired by his ability to develop said dialogue with the listener through the artform.
My wife walked into the room and heard the music, she was impressed as well. I said to her, “every time I pick up the guitar, this is what I wish I could do with it.”
It is clear from the first track, “Think About Somebody Else”, that Kevin is influenced by the works of Dylan, Springsteen (“Nebraska Bruce”) and perhaps a taste of Petty. But what is so exciting about Kevin’s work is that it does not cross the line and spill over into mimicry. His work happily exists in the genre and shows that he is a studied artist who is aware of influences but not solely guided by them.
Kevin clearly has his own style, and it stands firm on its own. I really enjoyed how it feels familiar but also so unique and strong in its own manner. That’s a hard line to walk and, in most circumstances, you end with a confused cover band… but not here. Here we end with a full vision that is clearly speaking to our times.
When 2020 hit and the state of our current world became clear Kevin was moved to put away one project which had been currently developing and write about the current state of affairs.
The song that probably stands out the most is track four, “Don’t Let the Flag Touch the Ground”. It is a powerful testament to the juxtaposition of American pride and social injustices.
In the midst of quarantining and observing the shifts in the discourse, I wrote two new songs (Don't Let the Flag Touch the Ground and Think About Somebody Else) back in June. I also went on my bi-annual Bob Dylan kick around that time. There's something about his earliest records that has always amazed me. They're so stripped, so minimalist, and speak so directly to the time and place in which he recorded them.
Kevin Heider
Kevin’s “bi-annual Bob Dylan kick” is something that is very familiar to artists of this kind. I find it moving that artists constantly find themselves going back down the “Dylan rabbit hole” and feel compelled to strip down the gear to the essentials. It takes a confident artist with a voice to follow that call and once again we are reminded that inspiration can come in the most humble of ways, despite what modern music fads try to say.
While “Don’t Let the Flag Touch the Ground” is powerful and it displays Kevin’s gift of songwriting, I keep going back to “Slow Down” (track three). “Slow Down” equips the listener with a powerful rhythm and a message that needs to be heard now more than ever.
“Slow down, don’t give in to your hatred or you will never be free.”
“Slow Down” by Kevin Heider
The awareness of this EP is profound in that it not only speaks to the various social emotional issues of our times, but it also ministers to the listener in a honest manner. Now when I say “minister” I do not mean in the traditional gospel/worship style we often think of, especially in the music world. In this instance, Kevin is using his guitar and songwriting in a way that works to guide the listener to a unique place of self-examination.
“These songs dive into American history with the sort of "penitential memory" that Pope Francis encourages in Fratelli Tutti, as well as the state of the discourse and the seemingly never-ending struggle for liberty and justice for all. The whole EP plays as an examination of our collective conscience.”
Kevin Heider
Overall, I was and am quite moved by the work that Kevin has created. It’s honest and raw in all the ways we need art to be. Music of this nature has a way of planting a sense of urgency within the listener. An urgency that inspires me to have more responsibility on how I represent my faith and my country. I look to these songs and I am touched with a feeling hope and a responsibility to be more and to truly make an honest stand.
May we all find time to “Slow Down”, “Think About Somebody Else”, and dare to “Make an Honest Stand”.
Be sure to check out more of Kevin’s work and his “house show” style at kevinheider.com. It is worth the dive into his catalog and I am sure you will be surprised by the gems you find, especially “Ohio” (a tribute to Springsteen). Follow Kevin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube.
Cristian Murphy
Campus Minister/Filmmaker CC Admin
I, Cristian Murphy, am a world-class grandmaster of fly fishing.
Okay, I take that back. It turns out, I know a fair amount about the sport of fly fishing, despite the fact that I have never actually done it. I know the origins of fly fishing, the methods, preferred seasons/water temperature and the best knots and flies. How did I obtain all this information without ever entering the water? A simple yet life-changing answer…podcasts.
The podcast market is an extremely diverse one, and at this point there are shows about nearly every topic you can think of.
Murder Mystery? It’s there.
Fantasy Sports? Of course.
Boating? Yup.
Basket Weaving? Sure.
Corn Farmer? A very surprising yes.
As the entire world of audio and visual media shifts to streaming and direct to consumer distribution it should be no surprise to see so many creative minds step up and build their own platforms to share inspiring conversations and content.
This brings me to this week’s Creation, Talk to Me with Liv Harrison. Specifically, Episode 15 featuring Coach Robert Morrison (Talk to Me. Oct. 20, 2020).
Liv (@thelivharrison) is a creative who is hard to categorize or place in a genre. This is what excites me about her work. Her joy for life and creating is very apparent. When you visit her website, you are greeted with the following message: “It is possible to be childlike, flawed, a little human, and completely in love with Jesus. It is also possible to see the good in every single person you meet. To understand their journey, their pain, their struggles, and somehow make them laugh.”
It’s energy like that that makes Liv such a great communicator and podcast host. Episode 15 of her show “Talk to Me” with Coach Morrison was profound and I highly encourage you check out the full interview.
The last thing I ever wanted to do was create a podcast. Everyone has a podcast. I was really worried about just creating more “white noise”. For a long time, I was more focused on what I did NOT want to create, rather than what I wanted to create. But I was approached from the moment I became a professional speaker to have a podcast… Throughout me avoiding this medium I had narrowed down what I knew I would do in that specific space. I wanted to showcase people and their stories. But not just any people. I wanted to feature successful, well-known, even famous people not talking about how they achieved what they had or how they got to the top. I wanted to feature them as humans and tell their personal story.
Liv Harrison
In the show bio, Coach Robert Morrison is described as “independent and strong”, and upon listening, it became clear that those words, when directed towards Coach, will forever be an understatement. Morrison has a career that includes playing in the NFL, extensive coaching experience and various leadership positions in a number of football organizations. What is more impressive is that Morrison was eventually inspired to further his experiences and gain two Master degrees in the field of Education.
What makes this podcast conversation timely is that Morrison has spent his career breaking down walls of division and being a pillar of inspiration.
“In his professional career as a teacher and administrator he walked on EACH campus as the FIRST black educator. At EACH of the 7 campuses! He truly changed the education culture in the state of Texas,” Liv explains.
“I’ve always had a skill at breaking down walls... people got to learn my story and learn who I was. I realized that a lot of people still have their misconceptions and fears towards other people of color but for me they had a different story and that different story was created because of the comfort they had in talking to me.” Morrison goes on to state that once we all develop dialogue with each other we can watch misconceptions go out the window.
As we currently look to our country and our Church, we witness the fact that there is great division and fear of the “other”. As you read this text you have either casted your vote or you are preparing to vote in this year’s election and I am sure that during that process you have felt tension of some kind. That tension does not mean that we are people who like division or inequality rather, I believe, it speaks to the fact that we all know deep down that something is not right and perhaps areas of our communities are not at full speed with what the Gospel’s teach. This year has brought many issues to the table and one consistent is the fact that we need to have more conversations with others and learn each other’s stories.
Now creatively speaking, there are two reasons this episode works on such valuable levels. Reason one is the more obvious one, the guest is remarkable and has a remarkable story of true human experience that inspires. Reason two is Liv’s stellar ability to let the guest take the floor and offer such great responses.
I have worked in documentary film over the past five years and I have conducted many interviews covering various topics. What I have discovered is that the only way to truly get the most out of the interview is humility and a true desire to hear your guest speak. Many television or podcast interviews are empty and lack true value. So often we hear podcasts where the host is cutting off the guest and we the listeners are dying to hear the qualified guest speak their full mind. Often what is happening here is the ego and power of the almighty “host” role.
“As a natural communicator I always have struggled with where that gift gets featured in my personal and professional life. When I began to understand the reach and influence a podcast could have and that I had something specific to share that’s when I started to create.”
“My door as a creative is always open. I will always be someone you can ask for advice or clarity or for ideas. I love collaborating, but I also love helping the person next to me just as much. My journey has been a long one and it is just now starting to become clear to me.” -
Liv Harrison
Liv is the complete opposite of a traditional “host”. Liv is truly here to be a witness to her guests and it is so wonderful. She let Coach Morrison speak from his heart and wander off into directions that I am sure she did not fully expect yet she welcomed. I am of the mindset that an interviewer is not in charge of where the conversation goes. The interview must be a witness to the guest and conversation. “Talk to Me” is a creation that truly aims to listen and help listeners break down their own walls.
I have happily added this show to my list of podcasts and I look forward to more.
You can stay connected with Liv and her creative works by visiting her website (thelivharrison.com), Instagram (@thelivharrison) and of course her show “Talk to Me” available on Apple, Spotify and Google podcasts (as well as iHeartRadio).
Cristian Murphy
Campus Minister/Documentary filmmaker
CC Admin
The facial features cried out in agony from the plain background of my Instagram. “She’s this dancer doing this beautiful thing, but there’s agony in it. Kind of how people are going through this hard time because of coronavirus and everything, but at the same time there can be beauty brought out of it.”
Many, if not most, of us in the Catholic Creatives community are facing hardships that we have never before encountered: being at stuck at home for weeks on end, loss of income, worrying about the possibility of contracting a novel coronavirus or unknowingly passing it to someone else—and most difficult, being unable to receive the sacraments regularly.
For Amy Heyse, a Catholic watercolor artist and art instructor in Ft. Collins, CO, this time has provided an opportunity to revisit a painting that was born out of a difficult time in her life.
One of my favourite words is “edgy”. I’m a big fan of the term and what it implies. For me, it indicates a certain boldness and authenticity that I have always felt is lacking in a conformity-driven society. And in an over-memed culture that always seems to point us to the Kanye Wests and the Taylor Swifts, I have always strived to live an authentic, dare I say even an ‘edgy’ life.
I ticked my first “Jude is edgy” box as a teenager, when I fell in love with emo and pop-punk music. I ditched my university in Minnesota halfway through my undergraduate to go back to Austria and pursue Bachelors/Masters degrees there. I left a full-time teaching position to open my own recording studio and serve as a worship leader and recording artist. For a time, I even dated a girl whose friends affectionately called her “Edgy Reggie”. I prefer the 2003 version of “Your Grace Is Enough”, and I am firmly in Club Sloppy-Wet-Kiss. It’s not something I necessarily try to do, “edgy” is just sort of a vibe I’m drawn to.
So when I heard the Ohio-based duo Nick & Alina’s new single “Ocean Wild”, my edgy-sensors were triggered (sans hashtag).
Nick & Alina - Ocean Wild
On first listen, I was instantly drawn in by the larger-than-life spacial quality of Nick & Alina’s sound. The song opens with a hauntingly atmospheric vocal line accompanied by a driving electronic beat. “Ocean Wild”, like much of “Only You”, the EP on which the song appears, is primarily synth-driven, which straight away sets it apart from 90% of Catholic music on the market today.
From the song’s first line, I thought “okay, let’s do this”.
Every river I’ve been down has brought me here
To the shores of Your great heart, where waters run clear,
And You say “fear not, dear one”.Nick & Alina - Ocean Wild
It’s a song about trust in God’s plan, even when, “and especially when”, adds Alina, it seems we are drowning amidst the struggles and challenges of life. Real talk here, when I am going through real struggles, it kind of irks me when people say things like “God’s got a plan”. It just comes off so often as an empty platitude. “Ocean Wild” speaks directly to the reality of God’s love for us and the need to surrender to His love, to, as Nick & Alina say in the song’s prechorus and bridge, “lay my heart into Your tide”.
Nick & Alina
This notion of surrender is very much intwined with the personal life behind the artists themselves. Alina and Nick started dating as teens in 2005, and now as a married couple look back on the past 15 years with amazement at the difference they have overcome. College Nick was atheist and College Alina was, in her words, “a Catholic-hating Protestant”. Nick studied opera and loved metal music, whereas Alina played violin and, quite understandably so, started off in bluegrass. (Present-day Jude is very much anticipating the heavy-metal and bluegrass arrangements of “Ocean Wild”. Make it happen, kids.)
Another element of the song that I love is the unique rhyming patterns Nick & Alina use throughout the text. The opening lines sport a clever rhyme with a predictable cadence (brought me here / waters run clear). But this pattern breaks in the prechorus. One of my favorite lyrical phenomena is when a song speaks in complete sentences that break the standard one-line-one-phrase metric. The aforementioned song “Your Grace Is Enough” by Matt Maher has one line, “Great is Your faithfulness, O God” — a completed phrase — followed by the second line “You wrestle with the sinner’s restless heart” — another completed phrase. But the chorus to “Ocean Wild” just keeps going, ignoring the logical line breaks in favor of pushing the image further.
Only You - Nick & Alina (album art)
You are an ocean wild,
an untamed wave of
power that pulls me in ‘til I’m
drowning in Your peace and mercy.
Fill me with the ancent waters of
glory, ‘til I’m breathing deeply.
You are, you are an ocean wild.Nick & Alina - Ocean Wild
This is so wonderfully chaotic, so melodically expansive and so packed with imagery that you get lost in it. The text uses massively strong images — “an untamed wave”, “ancient waters” — and between the word choice, the phrasing and the repeating internal rhyme, you get lost in the magnitude of what Alina is singing about here. It reminds you that it is God’s love, peace and mercy that are constant amidst the chaos.
That chaos has real-life meaning too. “Ocean Wild” was largely inspired by a separate story of trust and surrender.
A close friend of ours was recently diagnosed with cancer that spread quickly and caught everyone by surprise. This friend of ours has always been a vibrant, healthy, and joy-filled soul. She has been a dance and exercise instructor for years. For her health to deteriorate so rapidly was not only a shock but incredibly heart-breaking. Yet, the way she has entirely entrusted her existence into the tide of God’s plan is something we should all hope we can do even in our own circumstances.
Alina De La Torre
These are big stories God is writing in our lives, and I love the way Nick & Alina capture the weight and profundity of this power and articulate it in a manner that so delicately illustrates the care He has for each of his beloved daughters and sons.
I am reminded of a John Crist comedy sketch from a few years back, in which his character, a CCM record label exec, explains that his up-and-coming clients simply need “MORE WATER IMAGES” in their lyrics.
Oh, there are plenty of water images here, but blimey, do they pack a punch.
The song articulates the immensity and gravity of the immense power of the Sacrament of Baptism to contrast the way it's normally understood as being very tame and cute (due to infant baptisms and our general lack of understanding of the power contained in the sacraments). There's nothing tame about the work God does in us when we are baptized.
Nick De La Torre
How fitting too, that as we anticipate this Sunday’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Nick & Alina give us an additional medium with which to meditate on our own Baptism, and on the beauty of God’s love for us when we encounter Him there.
Be sure to check out their music online and on Spotify/Apple Music, leave a comment below to share your response to this amazing tune, and until next week, keep rockin’.
“What do you want for Christmas?”
How many of us are asking this question, or even being asked this question, this time of year?
I don’t know about you, but I remember the first time I realized my response on this question had changed.
As a child in most western cultures, the secular side of Christmas comes with a sense of excitement. Maybe you make a Christmas list and throw yourself into decorating the house with shiny seasonal objects. You set a creche somewhere about your home. Overly-sentimental adverts flood the television (last year’s annual John Lewis Christmas ad absolutely wrecks me). Whatever this “Elf on a Shelf” thing is, maybe something possesses you to do that. You set aside a glass of sherry or milk to keep St Nick warm through the night. For kids, there is magic and mystery in the build-up in the culture and traditions surrounding Christmas.
Then one year, things changed. When my parents asked me “what do you want for Christmas”, my first thought was, “I donno, what do I really need?”
Sure, maybe some of the childhood romance of the holiday season wanes as we mature. But I have found this to be a real blessing. Focusing less on wants and more on practicalities can help us be more attentive to others and more wholly embrace the giving side of “the spirit of Christmas”.
I was reminded of this in a special way when I saw the work of Elayne Miller of Annunciation Designs, whose Future Saint Dry-Erase Cards have sold like wildfire since they went on pre-sale last week. Annunciation Designs aims to “help families call to mind the Sacred in the midst of the ordinary”, and these children’s activity cards do just that.
Future Saint Dry-Erase Cards, Annunciation Designs
The project itself was born from a sense of pragmatic need.
“A high school history teacher drilled into my head that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’,” she says. “I have a preschooler, and I realized that he needed a way to enter into the Mass at his level. He has some dry-erase cards for practicing writing letters, and I love that they are reusable. So I set about planning activities that little ones would love to return to week after week.”
That is super cool. And not just from a keep-the-kids-in-line-during-Mass perspective. (Let’s not be those people that sneer at children who make noise in church.) What I love about Elayne’s product is that, yes, it is a tactile thing that engages children, but it is also a device that keeps them present and directs them toward what is happening in Mass in a manner that is accessible to them at their specific point of development.
I also love how Elayne’s professional formation works alongside her experience as a mother to bring this project to life. Her background in engineering and education gives her insight into the often overlooked analytical and psychological aspects of creativity and entrepreneurship, while her vocation as a mother keeps her in touch with the real needs of a young, Catholic family.
I feel my 'start' as a creative was in Destination Imagination as an elementary student. Working with a team to creatively solve a problem led me to think about problems in a whole new light. I later worked for the Destination Imagination corporation putting on summer camps, and in that process I learned that my style of creativity is pushing the boundaries of the box rather than thinking outside the box. This was important to me, because I'd always seen my linear, practical thinking as very uncreative. But I am actually creative in really useful ways!
Elayne Miller
I think there is a really important point in there.
It’s easy for us to see creativity as an abstract, inspiration-driven endeavor, and it absolutely can be this. But for every painter and musician and graphic designer, the Church needs an engineer, a problem-solver, someone to see things from a practical perspective and act on the needs that are out there in the here and now. That’s not the calling of a lesser-creative, and Elayne shows this with Annunciation Designs.
So yeah. Elayne is killing it this holiday season.
What sorts of practical items inspire you in this way? How might you encounter Christ in the ordinary during this season of preparation? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. And of course, be sure to give Elayne some love!
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin
“Stay gold, Ponyboy”.
I had a flatmate who used to say that, it seemed, at random intervals, as a way of encouraging me somehow. Before a gig, before a first date, that sort of thing. Almost like a “go get ‘em”. Only later did I come to learn that the quote in reference, from S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel, the Outsiders, was itself quoting the line from a Robert Frost poem: “nothing gold can stay”.
The reality, though, is that gold is, chemically speaking, one of the most stable elements known to humankind. It lends its name to expressions such as “the gold standard” (no politics, please) and “all that glitters is not gold” (*cue Smash Mouth in the background*) for good reason. There is a timelessness in the substance. A universal value.
Enter Michelle Arnold Paine. Michelle had made something timeless of her own, though not in what I would consider the most conventional manner. And that’s what we love about it.
Michelle has just released a miniseries of paintings entitled Gold Silhouettes, and they are brilliant.
Literally.
“Entrance” from Gold Silhouettes by Michelle Arnold Paine
Now when I first encountered this piece, I had a series of thoughts. Here’s a little glimpse into Jude’s inner-monologue.
Wow, I like this! I would totally hang this in my living room. Or maybe in my studio.
Wait a second. This looks kind of abstract. Is this abstract art? I don’t like abstract art. That is in no way influenced by an ex who loved abstract art.
As a responsible adult, I should probably seek further information and allow my views and opinions to be informed by authentic sources.
And wouldn’t you know it, Michelle had a gold mine of insight that I never would have expected.
For starters, the series was first conceived out of an affinity for the work from the medieval and Renaissance eras. Michelle, who spent three years studying and working in Italy, was drawn to the art from these past generations of Catholic creatives, and was inspired to bring elements of their work into her own. Specifically, she cites artists such as Giotto, Simone Martini and Fra Angelico as providing the foundational inspiration for her use of paint and gold leaf to illuminate the various images of Mary found in Gold Silhouettes.
That’s pretty cool. Still, Michelle sees a larger vision to the piece and the miniseries as a whole:
Each of those artists took elements of Eastern iconography and combined with the “new” Western trends towards more emotional and expressive poses and more dimensionality in the figures. I believe we are once again in a moment where Christian art needs to draw from a diversity of artistic traditions in order to speak to our time.
Michelle Arnold Paine
You know how speakers and rappers have the micdrop? Whatever that is for painters, that’s what this is. I’m sure it leads to quite a bit of tidying up and lots of gold leaf and paint stains on the floor. #WorthIt
“In Waiting” from Gold Silhouettes by Michelle Arnold Paine
Michelle has an interesting vantage point to the role of her creativity in the broader community of the Church. For her, art, spirituality and devotion are thoroughly intertwined. Having been confirmed and received her first Communion in Italy at age 23, Michelle cites the art she encountered in Italy as one primary vehicle whereby theological and scriptural truths were made present and relevant to her in a way she had never before encountered.
The relics of a Eucharistic miracle in the Orvieto Cathedral forced me to confront the truth of the Eucharist, forcing the question “Should I become Catholic?”. Medieval art, Italian Charismatic Catholics, and a couple of Italian nuns taught me about Mary’s place in salvation history and how the Annunciation is the moment of Incarnation. All of these images, places, narratives continue to play a role in the art that I create.
Michelle Arnold Paine
In a Church becoming so increasingly and so bitterly divided along lines involving art and liturgy, this is a breath of fresh air.
To me, Michelle’s work is not just a blend of historical styles with what is en-vogue in the present. What she has made is indeed reminiscent of the iconography that resonates with Catholics of the more traditionalist persuasion, but the edgy, abstract posture of her pieces evokes the allure of innovation and novelty that speaks to progressives. It unifies a centuries-wide chasm of artistic preference in a series that serves to help us meditate on the Blessed Mother’s obedience and surrender to the Father’s plan. If gold is a timeless substance, it is only fitting that gold can be used to bring to life such a timeless truth.
Anyway, we are totally on board with what Michelle is doing. Be sure to check out her website and leave her some love in the comments below. What speaks to you in her pieces? And what role has visual art played in your spiritual journey?
Until next time, stay gold.
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin
Do you ever hear a song and instantly fall in love?
In 2009 I was in O’Malley’s Irish Pub in Salzburg, Austria when I heard Mumford and Sons’ song “Little Lion Man” for the first time. I was hooked. Sometimes you vibe with a song because you already know it’s a hit or because you connect it with an incredible live performance. This was neither of those. It was just me, my pint of Kilkenny, my friends Danny, Csilla and Jasmin, a BBC radio playlist and a chilly winter breeze that blew fresh air off the Alps and straight into my face every time someone opened the bleeding door next to where we were sat. In the coming years, I would hear that song countless times, it would become a smash hit on the charts, my punk band would record our own prog-rock cover, Mumford would release several more records of songs that sound pretty much the same, but to this day the opening chord takes me back to that moment in the pub with my mates.
Click here to listen to “Emmanuel” by Gus & Iggy.
I had another experience like that recently, only this time I was sat in my studio, having changed back into my pyjamas after my 5AM workout, procrastinating arranging backing tracks for an upcoming event when I heard the single “Emmanuel” by the Australian singer-songwriter duo Gus & Iggy.
Seriously, click on this album art and go listen to it.
Like, now.
I’ll wait.
Do you have chills too?
My first reaction was: wow, if you had Missy Higgins sit in on an acoustic Snow Patrol / Bon Iver collab track, you’d get something like this. And for the record, those are three of my go-to artists for those times when I just need something I know will put me in a good place emotionally and spiritually.
It’s the same vibe I get from Gus & Iggy.
That is the stage name for the Wollongong, New South Wales-based duo comprised of Marilyn Ng and Louisa Daniels. While I’m not certain which one is Gus and which one is Iggy, these two Au-gus-tinian- and Ig-natian-inspired songwriters have got something special going on beyond the clever nomenclature. They fuse a smooth, smoky vocal tone with an arpeggiated riff-based guitar style that sits somewhere in between the hypnotic picking patterns of Damian Rice and the lilting, leaning chord structures of John Mayer.
“Emmanuel” is a song you count in 4s, but Marilyn’s guitar patterns and Louisa’s mirroring vocal line flow with such an extended motif of syncopation and delayed resolve that the first couple times through the intro and verse, you get lost, and you stop analyzing and just appreciate the beauty of what’s happening.
Not surprisingly, Marilyn and Louisa cut their teeth in music when they were quite young. Louisa started singing early on and began writing her own songs when she was 10. Marilyn was set in front of a piano at 7 and started putting pen to paper at 13. For real though. That’s impressive. And for the record, Marilyn says she was heavily influenced by Blink-182, which I feel deserves a slightly raised fist and a subtle nod of solidarity. #EmoForever
A decade or so later, after two EPs, they released “Emmanuel”, a single inspired by the Incarnation of Christ. And as I get to know these women, their music and their story as a duo, I find it very profound just how central a role the spirituality of meditating on the Incarnation plays in what they do.
In fact, it was central to ‘Gus and Iggy’ from its inception.
It was early one Christmas morning – immediately after celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Word ‘incarnate’ – that Marilyn and Louisa had their first im-promptu collab. “Early Christmas morning about 8 years ago, we were at Maz’s parents’ house after midnight Mass at about 3AM, and just started jamming to a song by Brooke Fraser.” As Louisa shares this moment of connection, a craftful lyricist in her own right, she permits herself this one solitary cliché: “The only way to describe it is ‘electric’. We knew in that moment this was something special that we had to grab hold of and run with, so we started writing together”.
Fast forward several years, plus one day, and the foundations of Gus and Iggy come to a head in the early workings of the song “Emmanuel”. Marilyn shares the moment in which this song came into existence:
It was Boxing Day a few years back and I was just sitting [playing] on the guitar in the morning while everyone was still asleep. I was reflecting on the gift that was God's Incarnation to the world and what that means for me today, and I was just overwhelmed with gratitude. I imagined that it was the clearest of nights when the three wise men were searching for their Messiah. Then the first line came to me: ‘a star rose up in the evening sky, leading us to a saviour child’, and next thing I knew the first 2 verses flowed out of me.
Marilyn Ng
Without missing a beat, Louisa jumps in.
Maz brought all this to me and I was just stunned by the beauty of the guitar part. I’ve always been totally captivated by the Incarnation and so was just musing on that from what Maz had written, and wanted to connect that reality to the personal, to our experience of it (‘my life began’).
Louisa Daniels
Yeah, that’s the line that hit me like a roundhouse kick to the face, except instead of Chuck Norris’ sweaty boot, it was the Holy Spirit.
On that note, one thing I truly adore about the music of Gus and Iggy, and specifically about Maz’ and Louisa’s writing process, is that everything is incredibly Spirit-driven. Literally, in chatting with them about their music and the inspiration, each of these two women as individuals referred to their work as “co-creations” with God. Now as a songwriter myself, there’s usually a part of me that is a cynical prat and will roll my eyes whenever a worship leader says “God gave me this song” -- it’s like, nah mate, you may have been inspired, but you wrote that -- but for Maz and Louisa, this whole notion of “co-creation” is not just an empty platitude, and there is no false-humility here.
I think that’s what I’m left with every time I listen to this song. And for real, I’ve listened to this song at least 30 times since I first heard it last Tuesday. Best 5 Australian dollars I’ve ever spent.
Every time through, it’s the same thing, but it’s unique at the same time. I get lost in the technique, or at least I think it’s the technique. What is really happening is, Louisa and Maz are walking me through the greatest event in the history of the universe, the almighty and eternal God taking on human form and stepping -- no, crawling, as an infant child -- into our own fallen condition, so that one day we could share in His eternal and divine life. And that profoundly earth-shattering truth is expressed and articulated with such grace and beauty, of course you get lost. If our goal as creatives is to capture and express truth, goodness and beauty, these women are onto something real. “For me it’s a lot of sharing my prayer, what God is teaching me about Himself, myself, His love for me”, Louisa explains. “I find other people tend to resonate with that, and if it helps other people pray, that’s all we could ever ask for.”
Well, that’s me booking my flight to Sydney for tomorrow-ish.
Now it’s your turn. What do you love about “Emmanuel”? And how does the music of Gus & Iggy speak to you? Leave us a comment below and share some love with Maz and Louisa.
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin
When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be a professional ice hockey player.
Now I don’t just mean that in the way every 10-year-old boy idolizes his favorite players from his childhood. Don’t get me wrong, I was a total dork about it. I could draw every NHL club’s uniform, knew every player’s sweater number, mimicked Wayne Gretzky’s goal celebration and lived and died by Gordon Bombay and Disney’s “the Mighty Ducks” (why didn’t Gunnar shoot blocker side? We’ll never know…). But my head was in a different place. When I was 14 I picked up a Russian book because I was so enamored by surnames like Kovalenko, Konstantinov, Nabokov (the hockey player...my love of the author would emerge a decade later) and more. It was all “formation”. And while I never “made it”, I have been playing organized hockey all my life. And of all the people I met playing this exhilarating game, some of my favorites were Canadians.
Some things you may or may or know about the wonderful nation of Canada.
The city of Vancouver is sometimes known as “Hollywood North” for the prevalence of its cityscape in film and television.
The Canadian national anthem is possibly the coolest anthem in the world. Seriously, I love Austria and the United States. Those places are my home. But “O Canada”, your anthem legit makes me want to stand on guard fo-ohr theeeeeeeeeeeee.
The word “sorry” rhymes with “story”, and while I’m not sure what to do with that information, it’s definitely a thing.
Something something something Drake something.
Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver is absolutely hilarious.
Wait, what?
That’s right. Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver is an absolute riot, and it’s so refreshing. If you don’t believe me, watch this video of Vancouver-based speaker and blogger Clay Imoo facing off against Archbishop Miller in a “Lip Reading Challenge”.
I’m not sure which part of the video I laughed hardest at. Here are my top 3 moments:
Clay shouting “PUSH SALLY” while Archbishop Miller over-enunciates “prodigal son”.
Archbishop Miller shouting “WHO VESTMENTS” (Old Testament). Also, side note: the Archbishop is absolutely rocking those Beats by Dr Dre headphones. Just saying.
Archbishop Miller miming a cannon as he attempts to get Clay to say “canonization”.
There is just so much to love about this. We saw this video and simply had to know more about what inspired it.
The genius behind this is Clay, who...well...I’m not sure how you describe someone with the presence Clay possesses.
He’s a family man.
He’s a blogger.
He has absolutely bossed the youth ministry circuit around Vancouver for the better part of the last two decades.
He works passionately to share his Catholic faith and speaks at Christian events across North America.
He won the “Best Video Marketing Creator Award” from Vancouver’s first annual Canadian Video Marketing Awards in November 2018.
And...oh yeah, he is a Vancouver Canucks superfan who has 4.5k subscribers on his YouTube channel, where he shares daily commentary about his favorite team, with the occasional Canucks-themed parody music video sprinkled in. I highly recommend their “2015 Canucks Christmas Rap” (pictured right), which features collaborators AJ and Marie alongside then-Canuck players Ben Hutton and Jake Vrtanen. It’s ridiculously over-the-top, and it’s absolutely perfect.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed chatting with Clay. The love he has for everything he does is so present in his work, and the video with Archbishop Miller puts that on full display. Clay says it best:
We all know [Archbishop Michael] is an amazing leader and shepherd, and very intelligent. But he’s very fun as well. Archbishop Michael and I are quite close, and I really wanted more people to see his humor and wit.
Clay Imoo
Hey Roman Catholic Church, more of this, please.
This video takes that argument we’ve all probably heard about the Church being “a bunch of old, white men telling me how to live my life” and turns that completely on its head. Clay shows us that Archbishop Miller is a down-to-earth human being who is not only willing and able, but eager to see the beauty and grace in laughter, even sometimes at his own expense. He’s not stuffy. He doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s genuine. And he’s willing to have that broadcast to a stream of 4.5 thousand people that bleed Canuck blue and green.
And this video is not a one-and-off thing. It is actually a highly demanded follow-up to a hit 2017 video, in which he challenged Archbishop Miller to a bad joke contest: you laugh, you lose. (I lost pretty much right away, because it’s hilarious.)
Clay’s attitude is infectious. For all of us, as creative minds and hearts within the Church, Clay can serve as a brilliant example of the many ways in which we can use the unique and diverse passions God has placed on our hearts to share joy, to share Christ’s love with others, and to build the Kingdom in our own circles.
Despite the nature of social media and creative work, I deeply desire to build genuine relationships with people and to have a lasting impact on people. I don’t take my influence for granted, and I strive to be a witness of Christ’s love and mercy in all of my projects, whether it’s through my work and ministry, my family vlogs, or my favorite hockey team.
Clay Imoo
Yes, brother.
What I love most (and to be honest, what kicks my butt the most) about Clay’s work is the way in which his various passions are so seamlessly interwoven in the content he creates. One day he’ll be breaking down the Canucks’ 2-1 overtime loss to the St Louis Blues as a tiny violin plays Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” ever so softly in the background, and the next day he’ll be having a “car chat” and sharing about his faith and family life. It’s real. It’s a unique and special collision. It’s being in the world but not of the world. And it’s something we all can appreciate and learn from.
We love what Clay is doing over in Vancouver. What Catholic creatives are inspiring you in this way? Whom do you see showing off the fun-loving, engaging aspect of the Church? Leave us a comment below to share your response and show Clay and the Archbishop some love.
Eh?
by Benjamin Jude
Worship Leader / Recording Artist
CC Admin
