278: Through Art's Open Door: Kristin Vanderlip
Artists for Joy
Artist and writer Kristin Vanderlip joins me to explore the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and healing. Kristin shares her deeply personal journey of using journaling and oil pastels as tools for tending to the heavy, messy reality of loss, and why she believes the blank page can be a safe place to land when the world feels overwhelming. We discuss the importance of "quiet community" in grief, the symbiotic relationship between her writing (prose) and painting (pastels), and the challenge of resisting the urge to produce for the sake of results. Kristin also shares a deeply...
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277: Through Art's Open Door: Ryan Webb
Artists for Joy
My friend Ryan Webb is not a full-time creator, but that doesn’t mean he’s not creative. Ryan is a full-time marketer, husband, and father. He shares his journey of spending ten years writing his debut novel Saving Will, which was born out of loss and a hyper-realistic dream, using the writing process as a decade-long space for therapy, healing, and spiritual reflection. We discuss why you don’t need to make 100% of your income from your art to call yourself an artist, how to weave creativity into a full life, the spiritual tension between human willpower and divine grace, and the beauty...
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276: Through Art's Open Door: Maria Bowler
Artists for Joy
Maria Bowler—author, coach, and host of the Make Human podcast–is back for the third time! This time our conversation focuses on creativity, embodiment, and the sacred work of becoming more fully human. Maria shares her journey of launching a new medium, the transition from writing books to podcasting. She also reflects on the difference between creating from the mind and creating from a place of deeper presence, sharing how movement, conversation, and community have become essential parts of her creative practice. Maria introduces a poem that met her during a season of heartbreak...
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275: Through Art's Open Door with Heather Lanier
Artists for Joy
Heather Lanier is a writer, poet, memoirist, speaker, and professor. She is also my friend! Heather returns to the podcast to discuss the profound connection between creativity and spirituality. From the meditative discipline of centering prayer to the "forgetting of self" that occurs in the flow state, Heather shares how writing can serve as both a craft and a spiritual practice. We explore the concept of "ultimate reality," the power of art as a spiritual "thin place," plus the intersection of motherhood, creative momentum, and the joys of the mundane. Whether you're a writer, an...
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274: Through Art's Open Door: Don Pape
Artists for Joy
Literary agent Don Pape joins me for a conversation about a lifetime in the publishing industry, the sacred work of shaping stories, and how creativity shows up in both the books we write and the ordinary rhythms of our everyday lives. Don shares what it really looks like to walk alongside an author as they steward their message from a rough draft to a published work. We explore the tension between the "striving" of the industry and the "stewarding" of a creative calling, and why art is ultimately an invitation to see God’s love in the world around us. Don also shares a deeply personal...
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Bonus: A Launch-Day Reading from "Art Is How God Loves Us"
Artists for Joy
It’s officially launch day! Art Is How God Loves Us: The Sacred Beauty of Created Things is finally out in the world today. To celebrate this milestone with you, I wanted to skip the usual book-launch chatter and invite you straight into the heart of the book itself. In this special bonus episode, I’m reading an excerpt from the introduction. Whether you consider yourself an artist or simply someone trying to keep a tender heart in a heavy world, this episode is an invitation to stop striving, open the door, and listen to the spiritual song all created things are singing. Thank you...
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272: Through Art's Open Door: Lisa Kloskin
Artists for Joy
Lisa Kloskin is the Editorial Director at Broadleaf Books and the editor of Art Is How God Loves Us. Lisa joined me for a delightful conversation about the sacred work of editing. She shares how walking alongside authors through the creative process has become a form of accompaniment, listening, and care. We explore the vulnerability of writing, collaboration, the art of shaping a book, and the stories that have the power to transform us. Through Art’s Open Door, Lisa shares a novel that has profoundly shaped her faith and imagination: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Whether...
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271: Through Art's Open Door with David Gungor
Artists for Joy
This week on the podcast, musician, songwriter, producer, and pastor David Gungor joins me for a conversation about creativity, spirituality, and the surprising relationship between craftsmanship and inspiration. Known for his work with The Brilliance and The Good Shepherd Music Collective, David reflects on art as a path of transformation, the role of play in the creative life, and why some of our most meaningful work emerges through community. Through Art's Open Door, David shares Leonard Cohen's song "Suzanne," a work that continues to shape his understanding of beauty, patience, and...
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270: Through Art's Open Door: Mara Eller
Artists for Joy
Writer, editor, book coach, and podcast host Mara Eller joins me to explore the spiritual dimensions of writing, self-reflection, and creative partnership. As the developmental editor who walked alongside me through the drafting of Art Is How God Loves Us, Mara offers a unique perspective on the ways creativity can become a gateway to deeper self-knowledge, connection, and encounter with the divine. We discuss the trust between writer and editor, the importance of spaciousness in the creative process, and how writing can help us uncover what Thomas Merton called the "true self." Through...
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269: Through Art's Open Door: Jennafer Newberry Peery
Artists for Joy
In the first installment of Through Art’s Open Door, I chatted with Broadway actress Jennafer Newberry Peery, who plays Glinda in Wicked on Broadway. Jennafer shares what it's really like to perform in one of the most beloved musicals in the world while balancing family life, motherhood, and the demands of eight-show weeks. We explore art as a spiritual practice, the courage it takes to remain tender in a world that rewards efficiency, and why changing our minds may be one of the bravest acts of justice available to us. Jennafer reflects on the works of art that have become thin...
info_outlineIn this deep and delightful conversation, Merideth and Christine Paintner explore the ancient practice of breath prayer and how it can be a transformative tool for contemplation, creativity, and navigating moments of transition. Listen to the end for a blessing for 2026!
Links:
Guest: Christine Valters Paintner, Online Abbess of Abbey of the Arts (a virtual monastery and global community celebrating its 20th year).
Book: Give Me a Word: The Promise of Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year
Become a Joyster and join us for the January "Word of the Year Art Party" on January 9th.