“Reverence as Awe”

Here’s a quote I love from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Although it’s a book for writers, I think this quote applies to artists working in any field.

"I honestly think in order to be a writer, you have to learn to be reverent. If not, why are you writing? Why are you here?

"Let’s think of reverence as awe, as presence in and openness to the world…Think of those times when you’ve read prose or poetry that is presented in such a way that you have a fleeting sense of being startled by beauty or insight, by a glimpse into someone’s soul. All of a sudden everything seems to fit together or at least to have some meaning for a moment. This is our goal as writers, I think; to help others have this sense of—please forgive me—wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds."