big magic: creative living beyond fear - elizabeth gilbert

published by riverhead books (20016)

i came across this book in kind of an… unusual way.

i’m obsessed with the mcelroy boys of my brother, my brother, and me fame, and listen to the podcast nearly religiously. which is stupid, because its three white dudes making jokes about batman, or shrimp, or fast food press releases, or whatever. anyway.

elizabeth gilbert happens to be a friend of the podcast, and justin mcelroy happens to be one of liz gilbert’s biggest hypemen. i’d heard him refer to things as “an example of big magic” before, and he’d made the reference just enough times that i got curious.

which is wild, because after reading this book, i’ve realized that that in itself, is big magic.

i love that this book is not a self-help book, or a how-to, or a memoir, or really any traditional way of delivering this kind of perspective on creativity. elizabeth gilbert has made herself an example, by maintaining curiosity, exploration and commitment to the pursuit of unfolding what exactly “big magic” is.

for those of you who haven’t read the book or are curious, here’s my quick definition TLDR:

big magic, in its essence, is the spiritual/internal energy or flame that exists within us all to create. there are many things that can dampen big magic; like fear, obsession, or addiction to the image of the starving artist. but there are two things that keep your personal genius fueled with big magic; curiosity, and commitment.

i’ve loved how much these concepts have affected my approach to learning and creating, but it has also changed the way i approach community and being a friend, a sibling, a teacher, a co-worker, a stranger, etc. approaching everything with curiosity means everything has an opportunity to unveil itself to you. knowing that not everything will unveil itself to you, and being alright with that, is exactly what makes big magic... magical.

lastly, i love how gilbert makes no attempt to appeal to this neurotic, analytical, skeptical reader. for big magic to work, just like any other magic or faith, you just have to trust it. and if you are unable to trust that which you cannot see, then thats your first step.

overall i loved the writing, i loved how friendly and welcoming and accessible the form was. gilbert writes in chapters, headings, subheadings, subsubheadings, etc., which for my obsession with format and organization, was just brilliant.

i look forward to applying the concepts of big magic to use, like the large piece on practice i hope to someday write (and that you can be a part of by clicking here). much love and gratitude, and embrace of the contradictory and unmundane to come!

Related Stories