'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert - Book Impressions

About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth is a journalist and author. She has written many books and appeared on several TED talks.  The book for which she is best known is ‘Eat, pray, love’’ - this was a #1 best seller in New York for over a year.  It was also made into a movie.  She writes fiction (short and long stories)  and non-fiction books. 

My Impressions:

I heard about this book from a YouTube clip by the Retirement Travelers, John and Bev.  Bev had been inspired by the book following her retirement.  Normally I would not read a book that scored less than 4 on Goodreads.  However, Bev spoke so highly of it that I decided to ignore my own rule.

Big Magic is about finding the hidden jewels that lie within you - placed there by the universe.  We uncover the jewels by creative living.  This means following our inspirations, loves, curiosities and overcoming fear. These can be artistic or non-artistic curiosities.  The outcome of our hard work is the Big Magic. 

I loved Elizabeth’s style of writing.  I found it conversational. The book was a delight to read.  I also liked the way she added additional opinions in brackets within the main body of the text.  There are many examples throughout the book to bring home her many messages. 

There is a lot of Elizabeth in the book.  She uses personal examples, from childhood to the present day, to help explain her ideas to her readers. The book is written in a very kind, caring, and compassionate manner designed to support the reader on their journey.

I enjoyed the way she dealt with curiosity v. passion.  Her preference was to encourage others to look for what they were curious about, even if it was only a vague curiosity, and to follow their curiosity trail to see where it might lead.   

Elizabeth embraced the idea of putting out work now rather than waiting for it to be perfect (which might be never!). Then understanding that once it was out there the creator could not control how it was received.  

Elizabeth encouraged us to accept that if our work reached levels of fame beyond our expectations, then not to be stomped into silence feeling that nothing else that we did could match it.  Her advice was to keep on putting the work out there - whether it was well received or not. 

I found the book inspirational and certainly took away valuable lessons from it.  I also found myself laughing while reading. It is written in a very light hearted manner. It left me with a sense of joy, wonder, and the motivation to follow my own curiosities.

It was a shame that there was no reference section to the mentions made in the book.  

Whilst I enjoyed the style of writing, some of the ideas did not resonate with me.  In particular, the idea that ideas come to us through the universe.  If we decline them or don’t act on them quickly, then they move to another person.  Also, the idea that ‘genius’ is not due to an individual person but merely that person acts as a conduit for ‘genius’ derived from the universe. 

This is a personal development book with a spiritual component.  I think it would benefit anyone who wants inspiration regarding which path to take in life.  For those who feel stuck where they are currently at.  For those who are at a new stage in their life, for example, newly retired. It is for creatives and non-creatives.

I would definitely recommend it to others.  It is likely a book that I will read again when I need inspiration. 

My 10 favorite lessons:

1. If you want ‘Big Magic’ you have to find the treasures buried deep within you. These treasures are your gifts, talents, joys, and interests.  You can find them by leading a life driven by your curiosity.  

2. You can find your curiosities by being open to what you love; doing things that bring you to life; following your fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions.  Take baby steps in your chosen direction.  Follow the trail and see where it takes you. It may lead to a passion or, simply, a more interesting, happier, expansive person.

3. You don’t have to be the best or the expert on what it is that brings you joy.  It is enough to enjoy it, feel deeply connected to it, and want it in your life, even in a small way - even if that means grabbing 15 minutes here and there to do it.

4. Notice when you catch yourself defending your weaknesses [e.g. too old] as a way of explaining why you can’t do something. Instead,  embrace your strengths and the reasons why you can do it.

5. Fear is there to protect us.  However, in day to day living, we need to ensure that fear is not in the driving seat.  If it is, then we will remain in our comfort zone.  We need to edge into the unfamiliar if we are to grow.  

6. Write for your own purposes; your own healing; your own understanding of a journey you have undertaken; for your own interest and pleasure; to help you meditate on a topic you enjoy. Do not write for other people - it will blacken your soul.  However, other people may inadvertently benefit as a side effect of your story anyway.

7. Let people have their opinions, but never believe that you need their blessing or permission to make your creative work.  People’s judgments about you are none of your concern. Just keep on doing what you love doing.

8. When you put work out into the universe that speaks your truth then don’t be surprised when others read it if they then speak their own truths.  

9. If you love doing something, you have to be willing to eat the ‘shit sandwich’ that comes with it!!  If not, let it go and find something else to do. (Idea from Mark Manson, Blogger and Writer)

10. There is no such thing as perfect, everything is open to some sort of criticism. So, aiming for perfection is just a waste of time.  

My 10 favorite quotes:

“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.  The hunt to uncover those jewels - that’s creative living.  The courage to go on that hunt in the first place - that’s what separates a mundane existence from a more enchanted one.  The often surprising results of that hunt - that’s what I call Big Magic.” (p. 8)

“A creative life is an amplified life.  It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life.” (Loc 105) “

“....fear is a desolate boneyard where our dreams go to desiccate in the hot sun.” (Loc 117)

“Most things have already been done - but they have not yet been done by you.” (Loc 854)

“...once you put your own expression and passion behind an idea, that idea becomes yours.” (Loc 860)

“For most of human history, then, the vast majority of people have made their art in stolen moments, using scraps of borrowed time….” (p. 156)  

“If you dare to create something and put it out there, after all, then it may accidentally stir up a response.  That’s the natural order of life: the eternal inhale and exhale of action and reaction.  But you are definitely not in charge of the reaction - even when that reaction is flat-out bizarre.” (p.123)

“We all spend our twenties and thirties trying so hard to be perfect, because we’re so worried about what people will think of us.  Then we get into our forties and fifties, and we finally start to be free, because we decide that we don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of us.  But you won’t be completely free until you reach your sixties and seventies, when you finally realize this liberating truth - nobody was ever thinking about you, anyhow.” Advice given to Elizabeth Gilbert by a woman in her mid-seventies.

“...when I’m being criticized and I notice myself reacting with outrage, heartache, or defensiveness. It’s just my ego, flaring up and testing its power… It is merely my ego that has been wounded - never my soul…… It is merely my ego that wants to start a Twitter war against a hater, or to sulk at an insult, or to quit in righteous indignation because I didn’t get the outcome I wanted.” (p. 250)

“What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?” (p. 257)

If you enjoyed this, you may enjoy my other book impressions.

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