For the better part of the last twenty years, Andrew Peterson has been one of my favourite songwriters. Yes, his music is Christian by genre, but not the cheeseball, put on a happy face, not based in reality garbage that you’d hear on Christian radio stations when you’re driving thru the middle of nowhere and that’s the only station that comes in. He’s a brilliant lyricist that isn’t afraid to write songs about real life and all the crap that goes with it. In some of the darkest times in my life, I’ve found his music to be an insane encouragement.
He’s already a published author, with a youth fantasy series out there, but this is his first non-fiction book, and I pre-ordered it. Such is my love and admiration for anything he produces.
Adorning the Dark is about the creative process, and how it intersects with community and spirituality. Peterson talks a lot about his own journey, so it’s heavy on the songwriting and book writing, but there is insight and encouragement for anyone (because really, we’re all creative in some way). While you don’t need to have been a fan of his music before reading this book, I loved the stories of how some of my favourite songs came to be.
It’s a pretty specific niche book, but as someone who works in a church, in a creative capacity, this book was a homerun for me. I teared up and then immediately sent the recommendation to most of my coworkers. Loved it!