The Catholic Creatives Podcast

Katherine Cimorelli is a singer, writer, and one-sixth of the group Cimorelli, a band she and her sisters started which gained popularity on YouTube and now releases original music. She tells Anthony the lessons she’s learned in collaboration, affirming others’ strengths, and harnessing her talents. The second of 11 kids, Katherine shares how she and her sisters launched their music career with a viral video, and what it’s been like to navigate a family business. They also dive into the daily practices — spiritual, creative, and physical — that keep Katherine grounded.

Thank you to all our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible!

“Beauty will save the world, but no one will die if you make something that sucks.”

With his ever-important words of wisdom, Cory Heimann is back on this special live episode of the podcast, recorded during the New Renaissance Festival in March 2019. Cory is the founder and creative director of Likeable Art, as well as the pioneer of the insanely popular Created book. He and Marcellino discuss the freedom and detachment that comes from learning to play hard, fail with courage, and keep pursuing beauty. They also chat about Cory’s idea for a college alternative that rights the wrongs of the current education system, as well as his tried-and-true method of creative brainstorming.

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Ryan Boh is a product manager and analyst for a premier global marketing agency, as well as one of the pioneers of Brand$tanding, an improv-comedy-slash-startup-pitch card game (and yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds). In this episode, Ryan and Marcellino dive into Ryan’s journey of faith as he traveled from conviction to disillusionment to healing. He discusses the experience that wounded his trust in the Church, and the lessons he’s learned from it, most especially the importance of community.

Thank you to our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible.

Resources mentioned in this episode: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Fabiola Garza is a character artist with Disney Creative Group, where she illustrates characters for Disney Theme Park merchandise. She also wrote and illustrated A Boy Who Became Pope, a book about the life of St. John Paul II, and illustrated the Little Golden Book for Pixar’s Coco. In this Summit 2018 Breakout Session, she digs into what makes a great character — including the shapes, colors, and lines that make a character’s personality come to life on the page and screen.

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Fabiola’s original character ‘Olu (2:35)

Bob Parr at the office, from The Incredibles (5:50)

Carl Fredricksen with Ellie, from Up (7:50)

Carl Fredricksen with Russel, from Up (9:00)

Sugar Rush, from Wreck-It Ralph (9:42)

Po, from Kung Fu Panda (9:58)

Carter Goodrich’s The New Yorker Cover (10:52)

Jimmy Neutron, from Jimmy Neutron (12:32)

Chief Powhatan, from Pocahontas (12:55)

Jafar, from Aladdin (14:01)

Shego and Kim Possible, from Kim Possible (14:37)

Sadness, from Inside Out (16:32)

Darth Vader, from Star Wars (18:16)

Shan Yu, from Mulan (19:57)

Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather, from Sleeping Beauty (21:20)

In this breakout session from CC Summit 2018, Jacob King, Megan Mastroianni, and Liz Reckart share how they disrupt the status quo and lead revolutions from within their dioceses.

Jacob, the Director of Anthem Philly, and Megan, the Associate Director, draw from their experiences transforming the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s youth and young adults ministry (formerly known as YYAM (like the root vegetable)) into an authentic, dynamic brand that won the Catholic Creatives project of the year award. They discuss the internal revolution that must happen before we set out to transform the world.

Liz Reckart brought her expertise in marketing management for entertainment, technology, and CPGs to the Communications Office at the Archdiocese of LA, where she is the Managing Director of their in-house creative agency. She shares a counterintuitive approach to changing the world by making excuses, an approach that turns competitiveness into compassion and judgment into understanding.

Together, these talks create a practical guide for revolutionary change.

Thank you to all of our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible.

Independent film director, writer, and producer Laina Barakat knew from an early age that “Christian movies” just weren’t cutting it. She shares her journey of making films that actually move hearts. Laina tells the story of starting her own production studio, Wayward Ark Productions, as well as her experiences of collaboration while creating her 8beats film. She discusses with Anthony the four hour Russian film that changed her life, the boarding school that somehow didn’t crush her spirit, and her approach to embracing controversial topics while staying grounded in truth.

Thank you to all our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible!

Resources mentioned in this episode: Tribe by Sebastian Junger, Sufjan Stevens, Werckmesiter Harmonies by Béla Tarr

Photo by Cat Seiwert

World Youth Day. The Grammys. Every parish retreat you’ve ever attended. Matt Maher’s music has found its way into Catholic and Christian circles — and beyond. On this episode, the singer / songwriter and worship leader discusses his journey with Anthony. He dives especially into the moments that deepened his interior life, including a cheesy retreat skit and the daily devotions that slowly but surely formed his character. Matt offers plenty of life lessons from his time as an unnoticed (and underpaid) parish musician, and he shares how he’s learned to weave truth with transcendence in his music.

Thank you to all our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible.

Check out what’s happening at the Catholic Creatives New Renaissance Festival!

Resources mentioned in this episode: The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn, Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven, The Wild Man’s Journey by Richard Rohr

Singer, songwriter, and worship leader Ike Ndolo released his third album, “Shine,” in 2018. He and Marcellino discuss what makes this album different — both in sound and in story. Ike shares how he’s rewritten his self-image to better reflect God’s view of him, sharing stories of his father’s love and his own recent marriage. He also dives into what it’s like to buck stereotypes, lament injustice in the pursuit of equality, and remain hopeful through it all.

Check out what's happening at the Catholic Creatives New Renaissance Festival!

Cole Matson, PhD, is the programming associate for the Sheen Center in NYC, and serves New York Catholic artists through retreats and community initiatives. He and Marcellino discuss his story: captivated by narratives, Cole pursued theater, but kept finding that his convictions didn’t match the culture of the acting community. Cole shares how his conversion to Catholicism fueled a new outlook on art, and he dives into the potential for vulnerability and communion in theater.

Thank you to our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible.

Resources mentioned in this episode: Bring Him Home, Colm Wilkinson, Les Miserables; The Rhapsodic Theater

Santonio Hill coordinates urban outreach for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and on this episode, he shares his big dreams for creating spaces where everyone belongs. Santonio tells Marcellino his wild journey — including the gang fight that shook him from apathy, his stint in seminary (or, in his words, “Catholic rehab”), and the fearlessness he gained as a FOCUS missionary. He also shares his reignited passion for music and rap, and he and Marcellino discuss the opportunities he has to carve a new path to Church unity.

Thank you to our Patreon sponsors who make this podcast possible.