Big Magic

by the author of the international bestseller Eat Pray Love

I added the subtitle because, in this instance, it was the subtitle that made me pick up the book. I knew of Elizabeth Gilbert of course, but I did not make any connection in my mind between a book titled Big Magic and the author of a memoir turned into a successful movie. This is where the extra info helped.

Then the actual book subtitle had me completely: Creative living beyond fear.

Fear is a constant companion and I strive to create while living, so the book sounded like it was written for me. So home it came!

It is an easy, great read, like a glass of cold water on a warm summer day. I really enjoyed it. Did it make me write more? Be better? I cannot say, there were no earth shattering changes in me after reading it, but I do think it added value to my knowledge landscape.

I liked that it is so accepting, and as the acceptance paradox works, it is freeing. Accepting your own way of being will free you to be who you are.

As with many writers, it has some interesting concepts about where ideas come from and how stories come to life, this is the magic element, which I enjoyed, but I do not know for sure if I agree. The great thing though is that I do not have to, and that is ok.

I have met this idea before, that stories and characters already exist and they just attach themselves to a creative or other, but I honestly do not know, my experience has been quite different. I usually have to dig deep, they do not come to me, I build them from bits an pieces until they come alive.

Another intriguing idea was that of ‘multiple discovery’, meaning that a story can try a person and if that person does not get a move on and write it, then the story will get on and find another person to write it. I found this very scary, I do not want my stories to leave me and go to other people.

‘Multiple discovery’ was borrowed from science, and it points to the situations where scientists/researchers from different places of the world discover the same thing more or less at the same time. This theory would explain how two writers can have very similar ideas for a book or story.

It is really interesting though to read about other writer’s experiences and theories as it helps think about my own and give them shape.

I totally recommend this book, it is enjoyable and an easy read, it might prompt some new ideas and for sure it shares an interesting view point.

If you do read it, let me know what you made of it.