Ep.42 - Merry Beggars: Creating Faithful Art in a Secular World with Peter Atkinson

In this episode of the Virtuous Leaders Podcast, Dr. Johann D'Souza engages in a captivating conversation with Peter Atkinson, the visionary founder and executive director of the Merry Beggars. Peter shares his journey of creating a space for Catholic and Christian artists to produce original, beautiful, and heart-moving entertainment in a culture that is increasingly secular and less hospitable to people of faith.Key Discussion Points: • Peter's personal mission to pursue excellence in the arts while remaining faithful to his Catholic beliefs • The challenges faced by Catholic and Christian artists in the entertainment industry and the need for a space where they can create without compromising their values • The exponential growth and success of the Merry Beggars in producing over 5,000 pages of original scripted content and winning national awards • The current projects of the Merry Beggars, including The Saints Adventures in Faith and Courage, and the vision for future projects such as biblical series and classic adaptations • The importance of vision in leadership and how articulating a clear vision attracts exceptional talent and drives personal and professional growth • The financial sustainability of the Merry Beggars through donor funding and the merger with Relevant Radio • The role of Father Rocky Hoffman as a supportive boss and the importance of trust in building an independent vision within a larger organization • The potential for the Merry Beggars to meet the growing need for Christian content in the entertainment industry and challenge the secular status quoTimestamp: 00:05 - Discussing Peter's personal mission and the overlap between his professional and personal goals 03:17 - Exploring the challenges faced by Catholic and Christian artists in the entertainment industry 05:47 - Reflecting on the importance of community and the Eucharist in supporting Peter's faith journey 08:06 - Discussing Peter's experience of walking across America for the pro-life cause 09:35 - Examining the mission and audience of the Merry Beggars in providing entertainment for Catholic families 12:18 - Highlighting the success and exponential growth of the Merry Beggars in producing original content 14:50 - Discussing Peter's vision for the future of the Merry Beggars and the potential for expansion into animation and live-action production 19:22 - Reflecting on the importance of vision in leadership and the role of the team in fulfilling that vision 20:33 - Exploring the financial sustainability of the Merry Beggars through donor funding and the merger with Relevant Radio 24:55 - Discussing the importance of articulating a clear vision and reverse-engineering the steps to achieve it 28:27 - Examining the challenges and benefits of merging with Relevant Radio and the importance of a supportive boss 32:22 - Highlighting the passion and dedication of the Merry Beggars team in pursuing excellence in storytelling and beautyResources and Links:• Watch this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Listen to this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠***Dr. Johann D'SouzaClinical Psychologist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Values First Therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X(Twitter)Peter Atkinson Founder and Executive Director of the Merry Beggars https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercalvinatkinson/#MerryBeggars #CatholicEntertainment #ChristianArtists #AudioDrama #VisionaryLeadership #BeautyInStorytelling #FaithAndArts #CatholicPodcasts #VirtuousLeaders #ValuesFirstCollective #DrJohannDSouza