Why make art? Whether it’s music, short stories, sculptures, or plays–there are many reasons why people choose to create reflections of life–both in its beauty and suffering. One of my all-time favorite musical groups (from my generation) is Over the Rhine, a married duo who have created thought-provoking, soulful and quite “artsy” music for more than 20 years now. They recently wrote a letter on their website explaining why they keep at it, what it means to them, and how art continues to compel them towards future growth. An excerpt from that letter really resonated with my own desires to produce art (i.e. creative writing) in this lovely but very broken world of ours:

There are at least three reasons why we still want to make music:

One: We believe making music has something to do with what we were put on this earth to do. If we leave our songs alone, they call to us until we come back to where we belong. When we live in the sweet spot of that calling, it gives others (you?) permission to discover the sweet spot of your own calling and live there.

Two: Both Karin and I have had occasion to bury loved ones. When we put loved ones in the ground, we find that we lose interest in acquiring stuff. We know we can’t take it with us when we go. No, it’s not about acquiring, rather it’s about what we are able to leave behind. That’s what gives life meaning: doing work that you can leave behind, your personal token of gratitude to the world in return for the gift of getting to be alive in it. (We believe the opportunity to make this record with Mr. Henry has everything to do with what we will leave behind.)

Three: Presence. There is a beautiful passage of scripture that made an impact on me as a child that I have never forgotten. Jesus said that if you help someone in need, someone hungry or naked or thirsty or imprisoned, if you are able to be present with them and soothe them in some way, it’s the same as if God was hungry or naked or thirsty or imprisoned and you found a way to help God.

There is so much need in this beautiful broken world it can be overwhelming. Maybe the most profoundly satisfying thing about making music for the last 20 years is we have watched people invite our music to be part of the big moments of their lives – a slow dance in the kitchen with someone who changed everything, a walk down the aisle at a wedding, a child being born… Unfortunately, big moments also occur during seasons when it feels like everything is going horribly wrong. We all need music during those dark times too – I know I do. It’s always humbling and amazing to learn that our music can be present in those too-difficult-too-imagine times. In some small way, through our music, it feels like we get to be present too, even when that is physically impossible. We get to be there in spirit.

That’s enough to keep us coming back.

Artists make art because it is a calling, it is truly a gift to the world—the extending of the soul rather than the anchoring of it to temporal possessions, and it allows artists to share those fragile moments from afar with the broader community.

If you want, you can read the whole letter from OTR—it’s an inspiring account of their journey in the “music industry” and their desire to make art outside of that restrictive paradigm.

If you’re a fan, please support this new album. Make an investment in it—Christa and I did. You’ll get music and bonus prizes just for contributing. Plus, it’s cool to support creativity, vision, righteousness, and optimism in a world that often promotes the opposite.