Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

  • Home
  • About
    • My CV
    • Books
    • Series
  • Newsletter
  • Advertising
  • Tools
You are here: Home / Books / Adorning The Dark, By: Andrew Peterson

Adorning The Dark, By: Andrew Peterson

Adorning The Dark, By: Andrew Peterson

Adorning The Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making
By: Andrew Peterson
B&H Books (October 15, 2019)
174 pages

Adorning The Dark is a wonderfully poetic book about being an artist. Peterson weaves his own story into practical advice that all artists can use, particularly songwriters. This book reads like Patti Smith’s books Just Kids and M Train, told from a theological perspective. As I take on little projects myself (even if they are only blog posts of poems, drawings, and random ideas) I see how making art is such a calling and daily struggle. Somehow, maybe, you were made for this. Or you weren’t.

Two of my favorite quotes:

I’m not ashamed to admit that when I go to Barnes & Noble I still visit the fantasy section first. I still run my fingers along the spines and study the cover art. And I still feel that 1987 tingle. Sometimes I even read some of those books. I tell myself it’s just for fun, but I’ll let you in on a secret: I’m on the hunt. Somewhere out there, there’s another Tolkien. Somewhere out there, men and women with redeemed, integrated imaginations are sitting down to spin a tale that awakens, a tale that leaves the reader with a painful longing that points them home, a tale whose fictional beauty begets beauty in the present world and heralds the world to come. Someone out there is building a bridge so we can slip across to elf-land and smuggle back some of its light into this present darkness. I’m always looking for that bridge. I suppose you could call it a quest.

I confess, a mighty fear of irrelevance drove me to this vocation, a pressing anxiety that unless you looked back at me with a smile and a nod and said, “Oh, I see you. You exist. You are real to me and to this world and we’re glad you showed up,” I might just wither away and die. That’s not exactly a noble reason to fling your creations into the world, but it’s a decent place to start.

Buy this book.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: BooksTagged With: #Books, #MyReadingLife2019

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Connect

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Free Weekly Newsletter:

Search

Top Posts

  • The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
    The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
  • Hyatt Hill Country Sunday House
    Hyatt Hill Country Sunday House
  • Few Days And Full Of Trouble
    Few Days And Full Of Trouble
  • Ship More Projects
    Ship More Projects
  • This Is How To Draw A Simple Helicopter
    This Is How To Draw A Simple Helicopter
  • Your Daughter's Intimacy Imperative
    Your Daughter's Intimacy Imperative
  • Economics 101: Rosy Scenario Policy
    Economics 101: Rosy Scenario Policy
  • Instabooks 317
    Instabooks 317
  • By Paying Your Own Way
    By Paying Your Own Way
  • The Big Miss, By: Hank Haney
    The Big Miss, By: Hank Haney

Supporting = Loving

Recent Posts

  • Ship More Projects
  • Few Days And Full Of Trouble
  • Father’s Days Days Are Swim Days Swim
  • Random Thoughts – 344
  • Creative Forces Converged
  • When Laughing Is More Contagious
  • LubbockJobs.io
  • Instabooks 363
  • Random Thoughts – 343
  • From This Sun And A Cold Drink
  • The Psychology When Midlife Crisis Hits
  • Smoke Eaters
  • For The Elite See It And
  • Random Thoughts – 342
  • Austin Kleon, A Note To Graduates
  • Example Of Writing Material
  • The Rule Of I Before E
  • He Silently Sits And Sleeps
  • Random Thoughts – 341
  • Martin Mull
  • Early Retirement In One Lesson
  • On Being Consistently Good
  • And The Last Heart Will Weep When
  • Random Thoughts – 340
  • Fundamentally A Loner

Copyright © 2022 · Generate Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in