-Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making
A book review by Melissa Meyers
In this book Andrew Peterson, professional singer, songwriter, author, and creator of a nonprofit ministry for connecting Christians in the arts, shares his thoughts on the creative life. As in all of Peterson’s works, his heart for authenticity shines through his writing. He is open about his journey and his struggles to pay his bills. We learn about the faith it took for him and his wife, Jamie, to follow his calling of being a full time creator for God.
He offers nuggets mined from first hand experience like “if you wait until the conditions are perfect, you’ll never write a thing.” A Tolkien enthusiast, Peterson embraced his idea that, “one of the ways we bear the image of a Creator God is that we are compelled to create.”
Foremost a songwriter and performer, much of the book focuses on his music career. But his passion for literature, a sense of place, and creative community are intertwined throughout the chapters. For anyone who considers themselves a creative, this book affirms your own calling and spurs you to be brave as you follow God’s leading.
Even if you don’t consider your self a creative, Peterson’s philosophy can be summed up in this quote, “our hope…is that we would encourage people to look for the glimmer of the gospel in all corners of life, that they would see their God-given creativity in both their artistic works and their front gardens, in their home repair and the making of their morning coffee, and that they would call out that glorious creativity in everyone they meet.”
If you are looking for another book on the creative life consider reading the classic, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L’Engle.
