I finished reading Brennan Manning’s Abba’s Child for the first time over the weekend. Regardless of your take on his life, there is some good stuff in there.

For me, it started in the foreword by Jon Foreman with these thoughts:

In my songs, I’m always looking for light. I’m looking for a window or a mirror-something to frame my experience here on the planet in a new way that allows me to see the truth. Why am I always looking for these windows and doors? Because my ears become deaf, my eyes become blind. I desperately need new ways of looking at the world and at myself. I have a friend who is a visual artist. He defines “the artist” not as someone who creates beauty but as someone who looks for it. And to that end I would say a good songwriter does the same thing: hoping for more than just a new chorus, longing to be free from the same old patterns, to be transformed by the renewing of the mind moment by moment, day by day.

That definition of an artist struck a chord. For those who believe they missed out by not having creative artistic skills, you are not excluded.

The awe in your eyes when beauty surrounds you is artistic.

Photo by Nick Chung on Unsplash

The smile on your face when witnessing a beautiful act is artistic.

Photo by Leonardo Miranda on Unsplash

Your body responding when hearing beautiful instrumentation or lyrics is artistic.

Photo by NATHAN MULLET on Unsplash

Beholders are artists. Keep looking.