The Artist’s Interview: Joel Adcock, Writer, Artist, and Musician
Interview with Steve Veasey
The Way Back to Ourselves is proud to present:
T H E A R T I S T ’ S
I N T E R V I E W
with Joel Adcock, writer, artist, and musician
Steve: Joel, I am so excited to hang out with you and shine a light on you as a person and the creative work that you do. Since we connected last year, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said “what a great guy Joel is!” Let’s dive right in, and let the people see exactly what I’m talking about!
At The Way Back to Ourselves, we’ve been continuing a tradition with each of our interviews: asking our artists to share with us a 6-word memoir, which is a phrase that describes their journey or mission in six words. What would your 6-word memoir be (and why)?
Joel: This is such a fascinating question. Mine would have to be “Lost by words. Found by words.” I don’t think the Bible is simply being poetic when it tells us “The power of life and death are in the tongue.”
In my head, I often treat words like semi-trucks and searchlights.
Semi-trucks are those spoken words that bring in a lot of verbal cargo that either break us down or build us up. I’ve had some beautiful things said to me in my lifetime to build me up, but I’ve also had my fair share of incredibly painful things said to me and about me. And if I’m being honest, it’s just as true for the words I tell myself. So the cruel words have left me lost, but truth and encouragement have always helped me find myself.
But then there's also my own expressive words in my creative outlets. I’ve always needed ways to articulate those hard-to-reach feelings or make sense of those days that I’m feeling a certain way, and I have no idea why, and these are my searchlights. One of these outlets is writing, which helps keep me honest in the areas where I can tend to dissociate, and it leaves me feeling found again and more like “me.” Ultimately, the practice is to lean all of this up against Jesus. Anything He ever says is essentially something true about Himself or about who He made me to be. Those are my goal posts that I try to move all my words through, and it’s only ever served me.
Steve: Joel, I feel like you just picked up a mic, dropped it, and picked it up again only to drop it once more. I’ve heard some incredible memoirs since this tradition rolled out, but this one might be my favorite. As someone who has gotten to know you a bit already, I can attest that this memoir fits your ethos and personality very well. For some of our readers who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, this may be their first introduction. Can you give us a snapshot of who you are and what you do?
Joel: Absolutely! So hi, I’m Joel Adcock, and I’m the name behind my page Written Within Co. I’m a father and creative from Kentucky. I previously spent ten years as a staff pastor in both student and worship ministry, and they were some dear years of my life. I currently work in manufacturing while I’m adjusting to some big changes in life, and I’m aiming to learn web design in my spare time. I’m a sucker for long runs, homely cups of coffee, nerdy documentaries, and if I had a guilty pleasure, it would be the TV series Ancient Aliens. In the middle of all of this, I write poetry, devotionals, and sing and write music any chance I get.
Steve: I’m pretty familiar with the homely cups of coffee, but not Ancient Aliens (admittedly, I did run a Google search of it because it piqued my interest. I might have to watch an episode and see the guilty pleasure firsthand.) When someone is introduced to you, they likely will see you as a writer first because of your platform, and yet, you didn’t lead with that. Instead, what I hear is that you are a guy who is on this journey called life, and finding the poetry and prose around you as you travel. It’s a very holistic approach to how you live and create. Let’s talk about your creative journey. What led you to lean into your creativity and why did you choose to use the title “Written Within Co.” as a phrase that sets you apart?
Joel: When I was younger, I had a knack for words and music, but I was incredibly insecure.
Singing, guitar, and writing became a means of prayer and an escape for me with that.
But insecurity still kept me looking to other people to tell me who I was. This kept me numb to my creativity, and so I didn’t take it seriously.
Going into student and worship ministry really started to bring a lot of my creativity into view. I was constantly involved in music and was essentially writing my own curriculum every week. I loved it but didn’t fully realize the creative reality it had become for me at the time.
I unfortunately had some big changes happen after I finished my years as a staff pastor and, with it, my creative outlets dried up. After a couple of years it started eating away at me. But I didn’t fully realize I had gotten so creatively “backed up” until I sat down to write one day, and the words unexpectedly came pouring out of me. My passions for writing and music weren’t only gifts to the church or hobbies, but I realized this was my way of creating, expressing myself, and it was worth taking seriously.
I had to work through one of my biggest fears of being perceived as pretentious for sharing my art. But after I let that beast die, I decided to find a new outlet to catalog my words, and so I started my page Written Within Co. The name comes from the passage in Hebrews that says, “God will write His law on our hearts” (Ahem… “Written Within”). It's a nod to Christianity being a natural life of passion for Jesus rather than one of moral compliance (the law), very much like the passion of art. This is so endearing to me because it depicts God as an author and after years of looking for my creative voice, mine was always “written within” me as well.
Steve: I am so grateful that you were able to find your way back to that creative space. Your church journey and my own have some strong overlaps, even to the point of stepping away from creativity. It’s the kind of experience that you would never wish on anyone, and you pray that you won’t have to walk through it yourself. But, on the other side of it, you can appreciate that fullness of what it means to create in a way that you simply couldn’t have without the pain and hardship. I think that’s one of the reasons why people are so connected to your poetry and prose. Your writing is immersive, and the reader is invited into what you are feeling and can make connections to where you’ve been. One thing that I personally like to do in our artist interviews is to ask the artist to share with us some music that tells their story. I’ve come to see that you have some very diverse music taste! I’m going to ask you to do a seemingly impossible task: If you were to create a playlist that told your story using only five songs, what would they be and how do they fit into the themes in your life?
Joel: Ok, this is wild. These five songs will probably run the gamut of crying, dancing, moshing, and worship. Here's my best shot.
“A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” by Underoath: It’s a tribute to my emo/pop-punk phase. Some people have a hard time connecting to this music, but no one can deny that Underoath and most of this genre were poets. I’m going to show my age here, but I’d pull the insert sleeve out of the CD case for their albums, and I was gripped by their lyrics. Artists like these guys who had depth, intrigue, and some vulnerable grit in their writing inspired me early on. Plus, sometimes you just need the energy behind rock music.
“Everything is Alright” by Motion City Soundtrack: I’ve always been a fun-loving guy, and this song has been one of my go-to, quintessential “feel good” songs.
“Time” by John Lucas: This song is gorgeous and super special. I’ve got a handful of songs I call my “anchor songs,” and this is one that carried me through my valleys and still does. I play it on repeat when I need to feel, need to cry, need radical acceptance, or need some hope for my faith.
“Deep Magic” by John Mark McMillan: I wouldn’t be true to myself if he didn’t make the list. This track is a nod to the “deep magic” C.S. Lewis mentions in his writing, The song keeps the meaningfulness of spirituality in a physical world real and worth living for. And not in some arbitrary way of needing God the same way our bodies need magnesium or something boring like that. Even on the bad days, it paints the brilliance of the day-to-day walk with a perfect God that involved Himself in an imperfect world.
“I Want to Know You” by Jesus Culture: This song might reflect some of the biggest parts of my connection to music. During my college years, we would have “Monday Night Prayer” at our chapel. It was several hours of student-led prayer and worship with just a guitar, piano, and no agenda. It was an honest and sacred space for people to come whenever, leave whenever, sit, pray, rest, pause, reflect or even just nap. This song was one of our anthems and captures so much of how I use music as a means to spend time with God.
Steve: I was literally praying that there will be a nod to the punk/emo years, and you did not disappoint! That’s one of the best Underoath tracks, and there’s this chaotic dance between lyrics that could read as a ballad but have the visceral emotion in the vocals. “Everything is Alright” has a vibe that definitely suits you. “Deep Magic” by John Mark McMillan is such a great choice for this list. You are someone who has seen “deep magic” firsthand in faith, have reverence for it, and find ways of connecting it so tangibly to daily life. This brings to mind another phrase that I’ve come across in your writing that I wanted to know more about. On your Substack and Instagram pages, you conclude every post with “He’s just that good.” How did that phrase come about and what does it mean to you?
Joel: Yeah! So, I’ve always had a deep inclination to my faith from a very young age. But I’ve also experienced a lot of church hurt, wrestled with my own doubts and skepticism about God, and fought my fair share of fights in order to stay sensitive to Jesus. But it's been a beautiful and worthy war.
But I had to spiritually decompress from a lot of what happened at the last church I was on staff at. I also needed to be honest with how I was wrong. I eventually still found my way back to church after all that ended, but that wasn’t necessarily what I was shooting for.
I wound up hitting rock bottom, and the unshakable and fundamental things about the nature of God were still there when I looked up… And one of those beliefs was that God was good. I’ve come to believe that the word “good” doesn’t mean pleasant or nice, because life had been anything but that. It means pure and wholesome. Even when I’m wrong, a goodness that is this robust can make its way into hardship and even God’s correction and conviction. It's spiritual ground zero for me.
And it has come to mean so much that it began to color a lot of my writing and showed up in this signature. My content isn’t overtly for those who feel ostracised from religion or for those who profess to be very devoted. But I’ve found that this connects with many different people because the fact that God is good, is something most of us WANT to believe, but sometimes we feel like we can’t.
Steve: There’s so much depth behind that phrase. “He’s just that good” is just a word or two short from being a 6-word memoir in itself for your own life. When I read it in your writing, I see it as a sign-off or signature of sorts, but it points back to God, the Creator and the embodiment of what goodness means. It’s a phrase that is encouraging—to both yourself and the reader—and isn’t preachy. It’s also invitational to everyone. When I read it, I imagine you casually seated at the table and offering to share what that goodness means to you with anyone who shares that curiosity.
I would love to dive into some of your writing. Is there a poem that you are particularly proud of? What’s the story behind the poem and why do you think it holds such impact?
Joel: I’d love to! I love writing free verse, but this is one of my favorite traditional pieces, and it comes from Matthew 6 where Jesus begins to teach about worry. I struggle with this as much as the next person, and I’ve always been inspired by this chapter.
Jesus is pure empathy, but His prompt to not worry, to me, always felt cliché or like it didn’t have any substance because I always misunderstood it. Cliché is the last thing Jesus is, and I was grateful when I realized He was giving me a recipe for how trustworthy He was.
Jesus interestingly starts that chapter talking about lust for money because when we worry, we reach for things that help us control life instead of trust Him (e.g. money). At the root of our need to control is our propensity to believe the lie that God is not looking out for us because we’re fearful that we are insignificant to Him and easy to forget about. It’s hard for me to trust Him if I believe that lie, so I resort to controlling my life, which keeps me locked in worry. Trust still needs faith, but it's not a gamble on a cliché God. Jesus actually cares immensely for us, and I often forget this and need to be reminded. This is why this poem means so much to me, and it culminates with that epiphany. (Also, I’m particularly proud of this one because it has extra internal rhymes you’ll notice in the even-numbered lines).
“Of Sparrows and Lillies” by Joel Adcock
Steve: This time, I’ll say it for you: “He’s just that good.” You evoke such a sense of peace in this poem. From the onset of the writing where anxiety is present and builds, there still is this rhythm that implies that we are taken care of, even if it looks different than we were expecting. Thank you for sharing that poem. It really was soothing for the soul.
The title “Written Within Co” presents that you are without a doubt a writer. As I’ve gotten to know you, I’ve seen that you are a multi-faceted creator. One of the other ways in which you create and connect with your faith is through music. How is the creative process different for you between the two different mediums? Is there something special for you that is expressed in your music that differs from your writing?
Joel: Yeah! So, in addition to writing, I’m a musician and singer-songwriter. The church scene has been a big influence on me and is where I grew up playing guitar, drums, bass, and singing. My bedroom was just as influential though. I easily could disappear with my guitar and a closed door.
When it comes to the songs I write and music I create, it would commonly fit the worship genre well. I understand it more as prayerful music though. I see it as a Psalm. If you read the book of Psalms, they’re not educational documentaries about God. They’re conversations with God that make space for how we feel, but they still major in the beautiful and awe-inspiring things about God.
I’ve got handfuls of original songs that I’ve written like this. They’re really special and most often they weren’t something I set out to write. They would organically happen because I was praying with a guitar in my hands. This is how writing songs is distinct from how I approach my writing. My poetry and prose usually start with an idea, feeling, thought, or inspiration. My songwriting usually starts in a conversation with God, that winds up getting squeezed into music.
I’ve always known I would want to share my songs somehow, but I’m not sure what that looks like right now. I’m new in my creative journey, at least in sharing my art with others. I’ve got a lot of things I’m so excited to eventually turn into creative projects, my music being one of them. But right now, I lead worship at my church, and you’ll see me post covers of songs that are prayerful to me when I play them. If any of the readers have connections to producers looking to resource songwriters… I won’t be mad if you connect us.
Steve: Maybe a big shot producer will be reading this, and this interview will be your big break! The first time that I saw one of your videos of you covering a worship song, it was quite mesmerizing. It caught me off guard because I didn’t know that you were a musician as well. But, what I found captivating was how peaceful you were. You were in your creative space, expressing your faith in a way that was completely unique to you. I’m going to circle back to that word that I used prior to describe your music: invitational. It is evident that music holds a very special point of connection to you in all aspects of your life. That invitational intention really connects with me, as that’s something that I strive to create in my art as well. I think that there is power behind sharing your story with humility and authenticity, and inviting others in to see the road that you’ve traveled, only to find that they have been on a similar path themselves.
It’s been said before that “creativity breeds creativity.” Who have been some profound influences on your writing and have shaped your faith? Is there a specific Scripture that has been an anthem for your life?
Joel: Yeah, we’ve all got our own signatures and flavors, but we’re still a culmination of the people who inspire us. I totally agree with this. I’ve got several influences that I can think of.
For writing, I think of Dick Brogden. He runs a missions outfit in the Middle East called Live Dead and has written several devotional journals that largely inspired me. His writing didn’t necessarily have to be profound, but it was always meaningful. This has often been said about my writing and a big part of that is from reading the journals he wrote.
For poetry and music, though there are a lot, I would have to say John Mark McMillan, Amanda Cook, and the contested author of the poem “Footprints in the Sand.” John Mark and Amanda both are incredible writers that never compromise on rhyme, substance, or melody, and their lyrics are always original and not predictable. I’ve always admired that. Also, I often borrow from the style of “Footprints in the Sand,” specifically with how it culminates into its sentimental epiphany at the end. My grandmother had that poem hung in her house growing up. And even though I was very young the first time I read it, I could still recognize how moving and powerful that “wow” feeling was in the last lines, and I often try to emulate that in my poetry.
For my faith, the youth pastor that I served under for a few years in college was a huge influence. He was a grade-A model of someone whose faith was meaningful and who loved people. He also lived out the life of someone who didn’t take themselves too seriously and was down to earth. I always admired that, and hoped I could reflect it in my own life and writing. I would also have to say C.S. Lewis. I haven’t read all of his work, but I’ve read a lot of it, and I’m constantly inspired by how he comprehensively relates to God with both intellect and passion. I’ve always thought we needed both and he shows that.
The verse I’ve found myself coming back to over and over in life has been Hebrews 4:15-16. The fact that it tells us Jesus, though He’s a perfect God, chose suffering so that we could relate with God when we need to pray about our own suffering, just blows me away. It makes the part that says “Come boldly to the throne of grace” so special when you understand what it's telling us about Jesus. It helps me stay motivated to pray.
Steve: I hear you with the “wow” factor of the “Footprints in the Sand” poem. I had that poem plastered all over my house when I was younger, from framed images to bookmarks in the Bible. I think you achieve your goal and execute these epiphanies really well in your poetry. This was present even in the poem that you just shared, “Of Sparrows and Lillies.”
When I first came across your Instagram page, something that immediately stood out to me was that the majority of your writing was presented in a style that emulates a “notes document” that one would find on their phone. How did that aesthetic come about? Is there a meaning behind that creative decision, and do you see it being a style that you’ll maintain for the future?
Joel: Yeah, so a funny story about that. One of my goals with my page is to make space for my words no matter what form they might take. So, my working bio is “Devotional language for our curiosities of God.”
I’ve got poetry, music, and a Substack. But I also have these little bite-size one-liners that often come out in my journaling and prayer, and I’ll always write them in my notes app. I really love to share these when I feel like there is some substance to them. When I would write them down, I noticed they were brief enough that they could be shared exactly as they looked in my notes app. So, I started posting them that way.
It started as a convenience for my brain and has wound up being somewhat more intimate and reminiscent of my thoughts and words in their natural habitat: my notes app. So, for now, I think I’ll keep that format.
Steve: This resonates with me as an artist. A lot of the rough sketches that I did growing up were doodles on the margins of the pages of my schoolwork: a sketch on a simple white background. This is why I seldom create backgrounds for my art; it just comes natural and fits with what I’ve always known. I think there’s a message there for creatives: don’t try to box in your creativity in ways that don’t fit. If your poetry comes to you on a notes app, then own that process. I’ve been honored to have gotten to know you as a friend, and we have shared stories with one another about what finding sacred in the ordinary can look like. On your Substack, you have a writing titled “My Friend Who Happens to be an Atheist Veteran,” and I think that it speaks volumes about the type of person you are. On Instagram, my favorite poem that you’ve written is “Graveyard Shift.” You aren’t afraid of the messy things that life can bring our way. In fact, I would dare to say that you embrace it. Has this always been true for you? What keeps you motivated to keep going when the challenges of life meet you on the journey?
“Graveyard Shift” by Joel Adcock
Joel: The feeling is definitely a mutual one and swapping stories, sharing art, and finding that solidarity with people like yourself is gold in this superficial age. And you’re going for the jugular with this question, and I like it.
Honestly, the faith I try to hold on to in the middle of the mess has not always been something I’ve embraced. I also still drop that faith from time to time. But the fact that my humanity does not disqualify me from the love of Jesus is so meaningful to me and makes it worth getting back up for. I remember a phrase that got popular years ago that said: “God is not afraid of your mess.” It’s powerfully true because a lot of people have taught the opposite for so long. I loved the way it felt when it rolled off my tongue, but I didn’t have to wrestle to believe that until I actually walked through some of my worst valleys. Suffering is the bitter-sweet but necessary ingredient to prove what you believe.
I often think of this moment in the gospels where a lot of Jesus’ followers abruptly leave, and Jesus asks the disciples if they’re going to leave too. Peter says, “Where else are we going to go? You alone have the words of life.” It feels like a radical acceptance that everything else in life has failed him except God. And there is a difference between “God never fails you” and “God never fails you when everything else has failed you.”
When you hit rock bottom, sometimes it can drive you away from God. Suffering is hard. But if you can stay sensitive to Jesus, oftentimes rock bottom is very revealing. When everything else falls apart, everyone leaves, and life brings you to the end of yourself, and you look up and find Jesus is still standing with you… That does something incredibly powerful to a person.
I had to learn to stop looking for ideal circumstances and look for Jesus. It would be superficial if His purpose was just to do a quick-fix of our unideal circumstances. He’s more concerned with healing.
This is essentially what has helped me get through my valleys. When I had to walk through my hardest losses, pains, and changes, I wound up needing to take a third shift job while I figured out life again. The poem you mentioned, “Graveyard Shift,” is essentially my version of this. He was awake in my midnight.
I have a lot of empathy for people in their loss, pain, and sufferings. Life is brutal sometimes and is not a respecter of persons, and I validate the doubt and skepticism it provokes. So, I’ll also say to the creatives, let your suffering color your art. This whole “finding God in the night” premise is a book I’ve got buried within me somewhere for some appropriate day. But for right now, I try to practice vulnerability in my art, and I feel like I can glean from the courage of others when they do as well.
Steve: I need to hit pause here for a second and make sure that all of the readers caught that phrase that you shared: “my humanity does not disqualify me from the love of Jesus.” I can confidently wager that every person reading this has been there before: feeling not enough or worthy. For you to offer a resolution to that feeling of allowing the suffering to color what we create is inspiring. If I were to circle back with you a year from now and do this interview all over again (which I would love to do!), what do you think will have changed for you? What areas do you hope to grow in and are there goals that you are hoping to achieve?
Joel: I’m still so new to the online creative scene and new to the process of sharing my work with others. At the time of this interview, I haven’t even been doing this for a year, but naturally, it brought to life some of my creative goals and hopes.
Within a year I really think some things are going to change for me to reestablish myself in a career. This will allow me to focus a lot more on some priorities in my personal life, but also give more thorough attention to my creative goals. That will be a big change across the board for me.
I’ve got a big heart to write magazine-issue-styled devotionals, record and capture my original songs, and write books. But for the next year or so, I first want to give myself time to develop as a creative. I want to get more established in my creative outlets, crystalize what I’m passionate about saying and creating, and connect with more people that might find something worthwhile in my words and who might know more than me. I want to prove to myself that I can be consistent and authentic in the simple joy of creating in these ways, and I believe that will set me up well to keep those values alive in my bigger creative dreams.
Steve: Those are some fantastic goals. I would love to see a magazine-style devotional in your style with some of your encouragement and poetry in there. I want to also affirm those personal development goals as well. I’ve had a similar goal over the past year with trying to show up authentically and consistently with my work. And, to your point of simplicity, it doesn’t need to be complicated. We all are created unique, and there isn’t a level of performance that we need to show up with. Coming as we are and with our own experiences can never be replicated, and we need one another’s stories. Where are the best places for us to learn more about you and connect with you? Do you have any upcoming projects that you're working on?
Joel: Instagram and Substack are the best places to find me, both with my handle @writtenwithinco. My blog-style articles are on Substack, but I’m hanging out mostly on Instagram. That's where I share my shorter form writing like my thoughts, poetry, and bite-size reflections.
A project I’m currently dreaming about right now is a YouTube channel. I’m trying to get a creative process ironed out there where I can share the worship sessions I like to capture, covers I might want to record, and eventually my own original music, too. That might be another place people can find me one day and hopefully will enjoy.
Steve: I cannot wait for that YouTube channel to come to life and see that dream come true!
Joel, thank you for hanging out and opening up about yourself. You are a rockstar in many ways. I think I’m going to head down to Kentucky to have some coffee, listen to some Underoath, and watch some Ancient Aliens with you. Who knows, maybe you’ll even write a poem about it!
“Be Still” by Joel Adcock
Joel Adcock
Joel is an avid writer and poet who writes in a prayerful expression that connects to people’s curiosities about God, life, and themselves. He recently started Written Within Co. as a digital catalog and a community for those who value meaningful language in their walk with God. Born and raised in small-town Kentucky, he enjoys running, writing music, a homely cup of coffee, and watching nerdy documentaries.
Contact Joel through his Substack (Written Within Co. | Joel Adcock | Substack) or Instagram (@writtenwithinco).
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