Exploring the Depths: Reflections on Community, Purpose, and the Art of Creation

Homeschool Mom: Very inspiring book about using my musical gifts to glorify God. I gifted this book to a friend, and she loved it as well. The author is well spoken and personable in his writing, and he seems biblically sound in this book. Being one of them, I highly recommend it to folks who tend to be stricter in books they consume.

I will say he talks about writing fantasy books, but I don't think it deters from the subject, or takes over the book.

The main focus of the book is glorifying God in everything we do, with a sub focus on writing music to glorify Him. Great read!

United States on Feb 20, 2024

Christy Linde: Such an inspirational book. Captures the beauty of living in the Kingdom of God that is already,
but not yet.

Canada on Jun 20, 2023

Kristianne Hassman: Somehow, Andrew Peterson manages to capture the essence of what it means to be a creator and the otherworldly aspect of creating true and beautiful art, all in beautiful strokes of prose and delightfully winsome metaphors that stick with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Summary:

Adorning the Dark is a mixture of essays and journal entries, part biography and part craft book. Andrew covers a wide range of aspects concerning creating, yet still manages to stay organized and on topic in each chapter, while sprinkling in an array of colorful descriptions and captivating, whimsical stories in a style only Andrew can tell.

The first few chapters cover the role Christ and the gospel should play in our creative process, such as how to include God in our process and how our art should reflect Him. Then Andrew dives into the art of creating itself, covering what it means to serve the work and your audience and how to balance the two. He answers the question what makes a quality piece of art and briefly discusses the importance of selectivity in what we consume.

Then he covers the necessity of discipline and discernment and how important they are to...

United States on Oct 29, 2021

B Leivang: This book is a beautiful and honest reflection of a heart that desires to make beautiful things and not settle for mediocre, and one that longs to belong to a community with whom to share and experience beauty and wonder. And the motivation that undergirds it all is a sincere love for Christ, the ultimate expression of beauty and love. How wonderful to read the author's journey of finding love, beauty, and community in the arts. It inspires the creative in everybody. I'm personally encouraged as well.

India on Aug 16, 2020

Elena: A must read if you are an artist of any kind

United Kingdom on May 23, 2020

Marissa: God honouring, thought provoking and captivatingly well written. you'll want to read this all in one go

United Kingdom on May 21, 2020

Christopher Cairns: At a time when my purpose seems to always be on the other side of a steep, craggy canyon, this book serves as a light to show the next step and a voice from the other side that says, "It looks hard, and it is! But it's not impossible." The best word to describe this book is "heartening."

Canada on Apr 12, 2020

SmallTownPeeps: I can’t recall the first time I heard the name Andrew Peterson. I’m pretty sure it was from my friends who were already huge fans of his music and fantasy books. It was some time later before I ever listened to one of his songs. I didn’t like it. (Sorry Andrew, if I ever get the honor of meeting you, please don’t hold that moment against me). It was a while before I listened to Andrew Peterson again, and it was an altogether different experience. His voice became more inviting, more sincere, more pleasant with every verse, with each new song. I found, moreover, that his lyrics were some of the most thoughtful, most poetic, and most beautiful words I had heard in my life. After a lengthy repeat cycle of his Resurrection Letters: Prologue, Resurrection Letters: Vol. 1, and Resurrection Letters: Vol. 2 this spring, I finally started moving on to some of his other music, and I’m hooked. I bought the Wingfeather Saga for my children and am preparing to read it soon. And last Friday I received his newest book, Adorning the Dark. I finished it on Saturday because I simply didn’t want to stop reading it.

Much like Peterson’s music, I wasn’t really sure what to...

United States on Oct 23, 2019