The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller“A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life… I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious.” —PopSugarFrom the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from … life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
more
Elizabeth Gilbert helps you get out of your own way and clear the road blocks to your creativity. She takes on that discouraging voice that lives in all our heads like a shining hero by addressing the excuses we make to avoid or hide from our creativity and potential.
If you are scared or simply in your own way, let her words be a lighthouse that guides you to living your creative life.
Elizabeth Gilbert seems to be one of those authors whom readers either love or hate and I’m in the camp of the former. I think this is an essential book for authors, no matter what stage of their endeavours, career author or hobbyist. She covers the whole gamut of issues that writers grapple with, from writers block, fear of failure and criticism to the joys of inspiration, finding your muse and the hard work of sitting down at a computer day after day.
Her writing style is warm and conversational, full of down to earth advice and humour – and she can laugh at herself as well. She can go from whimsical to practical and back to whimsical in a short space of time, but even though she may be a little esoteric for those who are very rational and pragmatic (the titular Big Magic refers to the creative process – she believes that ideas for stories are entities unto themselves which float around the universe looking for the right people to infiltrate – an engaging notion!) I love the dichotomy and it means there’s never a dull moment.
I happened to be at a low ebb in my writing when I read this book and afterwards I felt immensely cheered up, motivated and inspired.
A lovely read to inspire us all to find our creative outlets and to give that piece of ourselves true time and attention. Bravo!
Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my favorite writers. I was looking forward to Big Magic when it was first released and I was not disappointed! I couldn’t even put it down when I started. I have read it several times and feel like I pick up something new each time. Never gets old!
This was an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it and seeing her life. I laughed in several parts. I would definitely recommend this book.
It was easy to translate Gilberts perspective to my personal and work lives and extremely easy to read. I read this book in sections with 4 other women and we discussed each new section every two weeks. Reading in sections, letting the content percolate, recording my own thoughts, and discussing with a group was ideal. It’s wonderful to read a book that inspires positive change in one’s life.
I bought this book almost two years ago and dove right in. I read several chapters, and as Elizabeth Gilbert describes in BIG MAGIC, life interceded. It was 2019, and if you know me, you know what happened to me. So there the book sat on my nightstand for eighteen months, untouched and collecting dust. On a whim, I picked it up two days ago, brushed off the cover, flipped through the pages, and got sucked right in. I believe things come into your life when the moment is right. I wasn’t ready to read BIG MAGIC when I first picked up the book. But two days ago I was, and I’m so grateful I finished. I needed this.
I listened to this on audio book while driving cross country. It was an engaging, motivational bit of inspiration, exactly what I needed to put one foot in front of the other with my writing projects. I had been sucked into writer’s block for some time, and this was helpful getting me back into the groove.
I have come late to reading Big Magic but it was worth the wait and probably showed up just when I needed it. The concept that ideas are seeded into the universe is one I have had for many years. I love how Elizabeth has elaborated on that theme. There is so much to love in this book. If you are a creative searching for answers or a companion on your journey, you need to read this book.
Let me say this first: the author sounds all bright and shiny while I’m currently all dark and twisty (Caitlin isn’t out of the woods, yet, so even my writing is a little darker than usual). So perhaps I took the whole “don’t let pain and suffering make you a better writer” thing in the wrong way… Some of my best writing comes from pain.
Okay, so the book is all about seizing the magical creative awesomeness around you and letting it guide you while not making too big a deal of it all, or it will all fall apart. And you shouldn’t let ideas linger, you have to immediately pounce upon them and complete the work or the idea will find someone else and become theirs.
Right.
These two quotes had me shake my head, though I do understand what she means:
“My creative expression must be the most important thing in the world to me (if I am to live artistically), and it also must not matter at all (if I am to live sanely).”
“You might be offered rewards on a silver platter, even as the rug is being simultaneously pulled out from under you.”
I don’t think I’ll be able to ever get to a point where my writing doesn’t matter at all – sanity is overrated and subjective, after all. And I don’t believe that awards are offered on silver platters: you work your arse off to earn them. But rugs? Oh, they get pulled out from under you no matter how hard you work or how carefully you’ve scanned the room for danger.
Sure, there’s a lot of great pieces in the book to inspire you to be amazing (I especially like how she had to cut 30% from a short story in order to get it into a specific edition of a magazine – there’s a lesson there), but talking about throwing out books that don’t work just doesn’t sit right with me (I like to know why something isn’t working – and usually I can fix it with enough hard work even if the result is something different from what it was before I began turning it into a true masterpiece.)
I enjoyed the anecdotes – especially the last one about Bali. I like the idea of being a trickster instead of a martyr, though I do think there should be balance. I do like the idea of stopping when something is “good enough” instead of “perfect”.
But… some of her personal writing stories (submitting to magazines) were familiar because it is something Stephen King had written about in “On Writing”: sometimes stories get rejected when you’re invisible just to get published when you are already “there”.
Did I find it inspiring? Meh. Did I find it entertaining – as in laughing, shaking my head or rolling my eyes? Yes. Do I think creatives should read it? Only if they’re still in the delusional state of thinking they need permission to be creative.
As far as self-help books go, it’s good.
If you are engaged in any creative activity or would like to lie a more creative life you must read this book. The author provides the voice for the audiobook if you prefer.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I love Gilbert’s understanding of creativity and ideas, and have never seen, read, or heard anyone refer to them quite like she does – like ideas are entities looking for the right human to bring them to life.
I got much more out of this book than I thought I would. I hoped it would be motivating, maybe even inspiring, but on top of those things she has shown me how to let go. I’m in love with the idea of taking vows to my creativity – something she did when she was a teenager (I think). It sounds like a private ritual between me and my imagination, and I think I might just copy her and do my own.
She has this beautiful spiritual understanding of creativity, and I feel lighter for having listened to her. I might even buy a physical copy so I can come back to my favourite paragraphs!
If you’re a creative of any kind, even if you don’t want to be a professional – maybe you write for yourself rather than to be an author, or maybe you want to try figure-skating for the joy of it – then I urge you to read this book.
Not just for writers!
I love Elizabeth Gilbert, but this book didn’t inspire me or do much for me.
Another book on creativity that blew my mind. I’d like to be able to read this book once a year because I know I’ll see new things and be inspired all over again.
Elizabeth Gilbert cuts to the quick here. Inspiring, insightful, witty, practical, empowering. Essential reading!
Our fears (subconscious or known) impose boundaries that can cut our compassion and creativity short, but it doesn’t have to be that way…get ready to expand!
Writers will find loads of gems to spark creativity in this book.
In her wisdom she details how an artist can be happy just doing what they love. Maybe, if the artist is lucky they will find a tribe. The artist will have those that share in their interests and give support. Together supporting and praising each other. However, for those of us who do not have such tribe, well we can do it anyway.
“Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you must, but stop whining and get back to work.” -Werner Herzog
I’m not a film maker but I can still relate to that quote. I have done my fair share of whining. Many times when an idea has come to me, I have turned to my family almost pleading for approval. There is no doubt I have looked for the ok to do whatever the idea is wanting me to do. How dare I really ask anyone else. The idea came to me after all. It is my idea and my job to work it out and to share my progress. Who cares if anyone really digs it. As long as I am happy with my end result.
My disappointment has probably shown itself too often when my ideas were not liked by anyone else. That is probably why my daughter recommended Big Magic to me.
Art is art, be it a video for youtube, a poem, a photograph or trying to get on with a book. So many times I ask myself why do it? Why write the blog post that no one will read? Why take so long to create and edit the video that only a few if any will see? Why? Why create?
After reading Big Magic, I feel that an answer of sorts has been presented to me. I do it because it makes me happy! Living creatively makes life worth living. That is enough. It truly is and especially so since listening to this audiobook. I want to live creatively. It is as simple as that.
Share this:
“Be the weirdo who dares to enjoy.”
I SO LOVED this book! I could read it over and over and over. It was nothing new, nothing earth-shattering. No new information that hasn’t been told hundreds of times before, about how to live a creatively successful life. But, it was told in such a way that I understood it; it sunk in and I owned it.
Ms. Gilbert said things like finished is better than good, and life hides jewels for us, we just have to find them. Hmm, I’m pretty sure she said those things much better, but you get the point – it’s a self-help book. A get out of your own way and just do what makes you creatively happy, type of read. And it resonated.
Maybe it resonated because I was ready. Perhaps the words were arranged just so that my brain glommed onto them and said, “Hey, she’s speaking a language I understand.” Whatever it was, Big Magic was well worth the price I paid for the book.
I would recommend this to anyone who needs to get out of their own way.
Way to go, Ms. Gilbert!