Last year I had the chance to have dinner with Matthew Perryman Jones. My flight out of Nashville was cancelled and I found myself, suitcase in hand, standing outside the Nashville airport dismayed because all I wanted to do was go home. But there was a part of me that wondered if something good could happen, if I couldn’t “create a reason” for being stuck in Nashville. I made some calls and the night turned out to be great, one of the best I had that season. Within a few hours I was having dinner at a Mexican restaurant with a couple singer/songwriters and producers. One of them was Matthew Perryman Jones.
Matthew doesn’t know me very well but I’m a fan of his music. Over dinner he talked about where he was in his career and how he’s returning to his heart, to his love for self expression as a way to connect with others. As I listened, I knew he’d evolved as an already talented songwriter into an artist who longed for a more personal relationship with his audience and wanted to serve them as a friend. Matthew writes songs about his life and the way it echoes throughout the whole of the human story, reminding the rest of us we are not alone. We’ve been listening for years, and with his new effort he seems to be reminding us he’s quietly grateful for the love his fans have given him over the years. Listening to him, I knew whatever came next was going to be good.
I was pleased, then, when Matthew invited us to participate in his new project. Last night I backed the project on Kickstarter, not just because I’m a fan, but because I want to support any artist who has fallen in love with their audience. Those of us who write, make films or sing songs usually spend the first chunk of our careers begging for validation. But after we get validated, something very meaningful can happen. An artist can turn a corner and their desire to give can trump their desire to receive. I recognized that spirit in Matthew and longed for more of it myself. I can’t wait to hear what comes next from Matthew Perryman Jones. If you want to support Matthew’s record, you can do so here.
The concept of an artist serving his audience as a friend is a very beautiful thing. This spirit of love and connection is encouraging and edifying as it literally builds the church. I’m grateful for your awareness and the spiritual sensitivity to recognize and articulate it. This concept is very much sensed in your work as well.
This is awesome. I think the art flows when you offer it as a gift and not as a way to get validation. What a great thing to pray: Lord let this be a gift to the world and not about me and my need for approval or recognition. That what’s How to Write with Flair felt like, and I’m so thankful God set me free from needing it to be anything other than a gift to help writers.
“art flows when you offer it as a gift and not as a way to get validation. ”
OUCH! but Thanks.
I have a question purely out of wonder because i think what you’re saying is very true but as a budding artist would you say its wrong that im looking for people to approve of or tell me that my films/music look good so that I know how to make better art???? would you say that is selfish or would you say that is a good healthy behavior as a budding artist???
Jacob,
If the attention is purely for critique, then yes it is good to know what you are doing right and to be encouraged by it. But the flip side of that coin is finding out what you did wrong and dealing with it and using it to improve. But ultimately you do your art because you love it. I would suggest that everyone’s opinion of your art really doesn’t matter out side of those who are your true friends and senior colleagues.
As a budding artist I very much identify with that seemingly inexaustable need to be validated. I’m trying to counter-act it with the whole “Audience of One” theory because you look cooler if you’re self-confident before you really have a reason to be.
There is something so beautiful when an artist creates from a place of security. When authenticity meets wisdom you just gotta smile. I absolutely love Matthew Perryman Jones, “Throwing Punches in the Dark”, great album!Can’t wait to hear what’s next!
In the struggling music industry, I think things like Kickstarter are going to play an increasingly larger role in giving recording artists a platform. Or maybe it even extends beyond that, as seen in the grassroots funding of the Blue Like Jazz film. It’s encouraging to see that economic hardship doesn’t have to prevent good art from reaching an audience.
What a great thing to pray, Lord let this be a gift to the world and not about me and my need for approval or recognition.I hope it will help this to recognize our unity to fill the earth with gladness, and praises to the the one who gave everything for us. God bless you my friend.
Great prayer. I just wrote it on a post-it note and stuck it on my desk.
I like this. Alot.
I am a young filmmaker that is going to be a senior in highschool and i could not agree more with what you have said as a filmmaker i have learned a lot about story and in a good story i believe the true core reason an artist should make a story is to make their audience thin,learn.cry,laugh,relate to and or take a life lesson away from it an artist who can truly do this in film,music writing or even painting drawing or whatever has truly grasped the real concept of art. I would also say that i believe especially as christians art is one of our biggest tools people are attracted to books,music and films especially in this new electronic age and as so we can connect with the right non pushy stories with a christian and non-christian audience that will listen and think to our stories which if we are christians are or should be god’s stories which means that as artist we can be god’s voice in a very unique and beautiful way i would agree totally with what you have said also with going along with film and that Don Miller’s book a million miles in a thousand years was a GREAT read that challenged me not only spiritually and just my whole life in general but it also challenged me as an artist to not only make beautiful stories in my life but also use my artistic talents so that i can start to make beautiful meaningful stories in my art
This is beautiful. Thank you so much for your artistic service, Don. This blog post really unlocked something in me as an artist–PRAISE THE LORD, the Creator of Creators.