Reading is an art form, and every man can be an artist.

The line treats reading not as a passive act of decoding words but as a creative practice requiring attention, taste, and skill—much like painting or music. Calling reading an “art form” suggests that meaning is partly made by the reader: interpretation, imagination, and moral discernment shape what a text becomes in one’s mind. The second clause—“every man can be an artist”—frames this artistry as broadly accessible rather than reserved for an educated elite. In Cole’s motivational register, the statement also implies self-improvement: by choosing worthy books and reading them well, an ordinary person can cultivate judgment and character, turning private study into a disciplined craft.