Title: Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making
Author: Andrew Peterson
Major Themes: Creativity, Writing, Memoirs
Synopsis: A memoir of singer/songwriter/author Andrew Peterson’s creative journey, with encouragement and practical ideas for all writers trying to bring God’s light to the world.
Of the 51 audiobooks I’ve listened to this year, Adorning the Dark is unique in that it was one of the only, if not the only, audiobook I listened to at “normal” speed—everything else was sped up to 1.25 or 1.5x speed. Part of that, admittedly, is because Andrew Peterson is a fast reader…but it’s also because as soon as I got into the book, I realized this is one to savor, not speed through. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book!
Publisher’s description:
Making something beautiful in a broken world can be harrowing work, and it can’t be done alone.
Over the last twenty years, Andrew Peterson has performed thousands of concerts, published four novels, released ten albums, taught college and seminary classes on writing, founded a nonprofit ministry for Christians in the arts, and executive-produced a film—all in a belief that God calls us to proclaim the gospel and the coming kingdom using whatever gifts are at our disposal. He’s stumbled along the way, made mistake after mistake, and yet has continually encountered the grace of God through an encouraging family, a Christ-centered community of artists in the church, and the power of truth, beauty, and goodness in Scripture and the arts.
While there are many books about writing, none deal first-hand with the intersection of songwriting, storytelling, and vocation, along with a nuts-and-bolts exploration of the great mystery of creativity. In Adorning the Dark, Andrew describes six principles for the writing life:
- serving the work
- serving the audience
- selectivity
- discernment
- discipline
- and community
Through stories from his own journey, Andrew shows how these principles are not merely helpful for writers and artists, but for anyone interested in imitating the way the Creator interacts with his creation.
This book is both a memoir of Andrew’s journey and a handbook for artists, written in the hope that his story will provide encouragement to others stumbling along in pursuit of a calling to adorn the dark with the light of Christ.
My thoughts:
One of my goals this year was to read more books about creativity, and, specifically, writing. This particular book wasn’t on my radar until a couple of weeks ago, but when I heard about it from a friend, I knew I wanted to read it.
Adorning the Dark is more a memoir than a how-to-write book. It’s not the kind of book that gives strategies and ideas for how to build gripping, well-rounded stories (although that does come into it, to some extent); its focus is on living a creative life for God’s glory.
Through his own experiences in the music and later, book-writing industries, Peterson shares how creativity is intrinsically embedded in each of our souls. Since we are made in the image of a creative God, we are creative—whether that creativity ever shows up in the traditional “arts” sense or not. And as children of God, we are called to express that creativity to the best of our abilities, develop our skills more, and keep creating—whether or not we ever “publish” or make our art publicly available to the rest of the world.
As someone who has dabbled in writing in the past, this book resonated with me on a level I haven’t experienced in a long time. Peterson makes it feel possible to create—without the pressure of feeling like I have to write or craft perfectly. There’s something freeing in that, and something scary, because it means I have to be vulnerable with myself, and allow myself to just try, despite the fear that it will turn out completely worthless.
Adorning the Dark is a book I fully intend to buy and put on my shelf. It’s good, and I don’t want this to be the last time I read it. I would highly encourage you to listen to the audiobook, though, because there are some things in there you can’t experience from the printed page—not only does Peterson read his book (and he’s got a good voice for it!), but he also plays some of the songs he used as illustrations in the story. That’s something you can’t experience well unless you’ve got the book in your ears.
Recommended to anyone, whether you feel creative or not, who wants to glorify God with your life. If only because this memoir is more about a life lived for God, than about the things we can make with our hands or hearts.
WARNING: Chapter 2: Darn. Chapter 10: For goodness’s sake. Chapter 12: “The life of a writer is absolute hell” (quote from Roald Dahl), heck. Chapter 13: For goodness’s sake.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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