A couple months ago I was speaking with a friend of mine, a fantastic musician, as well as a talented photographer. We were discussing how our occupations involve art and the necessity to expand our reach to other forms of art, in essence to nourish our own artistic souls. I realize this sounds sort of strange. Because it’s God who by His Word and Spirit nourishes our souls. So I don’t mean in the sense of spiritual nourishment. There’s this other longing that needs to be met, not a spiritual one (although some would mistakenly call it that) but a desire to breathe in art. This friend of mine has made an occupation out of photography, a career that at times has been very fruitful and other times quite frustrating. But his other great pleasure has been music. As I mentioned, he’s a great musician, one of the more solid sidemen I’ve ever played with.

Music for me has been a great passion for many years, but it’s been part of my occupation, my area of service in the church for over a decade. For the 20+ years I’ve played, about half that time it’s been my job too. So I’ve delved into other areas of art, just like my friend. It may involve the intentionality of simply appreciating other art forms, like movies or well-crafted TV shows. Reading well-written books feeds my soul too, whether fiction or non-fiction. Not even close am I to my friend, but I also like taking pictures. Really, I just like trying to capture moments that otherwise would pass. I even like clever marketing—slogans, concepts, etc.

Now, while I’ve never tried my hand at pottery or weaving baskets, I do like to venture into writing occasionally. So in addition to continuing to hone my musical chops, especially on acoustic guitar, I need to force myself to place my fingers on the keys—the QWERTY keys, not my piano—and write. I’m not sure what I’ll write in subsequent posts. Frankly, I’m not sure what I’ve written in this one! My musings will simply be what’s in my head, which I’ll likely filter at some point before it reaches you. I may try to catch up on the past few months or maybe I’ll just start from here. We’ll see. If you’d like to journey with me, feel free to comment. Just be nice. My artistic soul is fragile.