*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: Big Magic
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
ISBN: 9781594634710
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Readers of all ages and walks of 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.
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Big Magic is a collection of Elizabeth Gilbert’s advise on acknowledge and accepting, and embracing creativity and to find one’s ability and passion. She invites an exploration into our creative souls, to understand our creative selves and to try to embrace our ideas. This collection of writings is structured to explain to the reader the things needed in order to invite in the wonderful inspiration she has coined “Big Magic”: courage, enchantment, permission, persistence, trust, and divinity. Gilbert invites her reader to think about what’s holding them back from their inspiration and their passion. Her thoughts are based on her experiences with writing and creativity. She talks about what worked for her and what didn’t, hoping to pass on some of the knowledge she’s built up from the time she was a young girl and throughout her career as an author.
This book has an absolutely stunning cover. I knew from the second I saw it, I had to read this book. As a writer, and artist, and a musician especially one who’s found less inspiration in recent years, Gilbert’s book was a thought-provoking journey. I wouldn’t say that I’m bursting with storey ideas after reading it, but it definitely made me think about how I’ve approached my own manuscripts. I think it’s great that Gilbert wants to reach out to other artists to show them that failure is a part of success, that the struggle to produce an idea–any idea–occurs with everyone. But it’s such a wonderful concept to think that inspiration and Big Magic might strike at any time. Gilbert really struck a cord with me and she was spot on with some of her analyses. Fear, for instance, of putting an idea to paper. There’s so many reasons to not embrace creativity. Big Magic acknowledges this and encourages us to persist through the difficulties. To find that thing we love and to pursue it for all we’re worth.
Although I am personally not a fan of Gilbert writing style, I think she has something valuable to offer to the artistic community. Big Magic is an honest look at her own career and her own experiences. She shares her own trials and successes with her reader so that we might be able to embrace our own creativity. If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, or just something to get the ball rolling, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic just might be the right place to start.
Worn Pages and Ink 