big magic by elizabeth gilbert
written by Jasmine Irven
introduction
This has been recommended to me time and time again, and now that I’ve read it I can say I will definitely be recommending it to others moving forward, especially creatives (and, as I’ve mentioned in blog posts in the past and as Elizabeth Gilbert reaffirmed in this book, everyone is a creative!).
The book’s subtitle, “creative living beyond fear” really spoke to me, as someone who is consistently having new and exciting ideas, but also often finds excuses why not to do them: “I don’t have the knowledge”, “I don’t have the reach”, “I’m not good enough”, “it’s not the right time”, etc., etc. These excuses are really just covering up deep-seated fears I have.
Fears about what others will think. Fears about potential judgement or criticism. Fears on not being able to show up authentically. Regardless of the root or how they manifest themselves in my life, I’ve allowed these fears to cloud my judgement in the past, causing me to believe I’m incapable or not worthy, and forcing me into a terrible pattern of overthinking, and subsequent inaction.
Big magic opens the door on so many of these fears. Discrediting them. Giving me back my power. Giving me permission. And proving that there’s no reason not to be creative. Because creativity should at its core just be for you. A way to express yourself and your ideas. A way to unearth the gems within us and live a more fulfilling, intentional, and passionate life. And who doesn’t want that?
I’ve captured my key takeaways from the book below, and hope they’re a helpful resource for you as you begin to uncover your creative spark, or further navigate your creative journey.
the concept of big magic
Gilbert believes that the universe buries jewels within us, 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.”
Throughout the book she describes ideas & inspiration like they are spiritual beings of their own accord, rather than inanimate objects. These ideas are constantly floating around our universe looking for a worthy home: a creative who will be able to take the idea and present it to the world in their own beautiful way.
Have you ever had a great idea but told yourself you would get to it later, only to find that a few days - weeks - months later someone else has brought that same idea to fruition? That’s exactly the proof Gilbert uses to illustrate this concept. Ideas are looking for someone who will bring the idea to life, and if you aren’t serious about the idea or don’t take the time to cultivate it, the idea is going to leave. To find a new home in someone who recognizes the beauty and power of the idea and will put their effort into it.
Think about the ways inspiration is trying to send you messages in your own life: through dreams, coincidences, deja vu, ideas that keep you up all night, chills that run along your arm, etc. Are you allowing yourself to be a vessel for these ideas or are you shutting them out? Are you allowing inspiration to work through you or are you rejecting it? Are you giving yourself opportunities to experience more of this inspiration or are you constantly filling your mind and schedule with tasks that cloud your judgement and leave you closed off for new ideas.
Instead of worrying about a lack of ideas or inspiration, try to cultivate those that you have. Have trust that when an idea or stroke of inspiration is right for you, it will come to you. All you need to do is work with it. Those that stress about creativity, complain about how difficult and tiresome it is to be creative, you’re scaring away inspiration:
“It’s almost like inspiration puts up its hands and says, “Hey, sorry, buddy! I didn’t realize my presence was such a drag. I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
Instead, try leaving yourself open to ideas and inspiration. Instead, lean into the smaller ideas and take action on them, showing inspiration that you’re willing and prepared. Instead, look at how inspiration is already showing up in your own life. Instead, try saying to yourself “I enjoy my creativity. I’m open and willing to receive inspiration whenever it’s right for me.”
Living in a creative life means your life is amplified, more interesting, expanded, happier, because there’s always something else to search for. Because there’s always another idea waiting to find a vessel, inspiration waiting to be had, you just need to be open for it, accept it with open arms, love the idea, cultivate it, and give it back to the world.
on fear & courage
Gilbert also talks about how even when we know an idea is right and good and we’re the right person to cultivate it, we can often avoid taking action on it because of fear. She describes fear as inevitable, but also boring. Fear offers the same thing every day. It shows up every day with the word “stop.”
“I noticed that my fear never changed, never delighted, never offered a surprise twist or an unexpected ending. My fear was a song with only one note—only one word, actually—and that word was “STOP!””
Is that how you want to live your life? With this same boring thing dictating what you can and can’t do? Pigeonholing you into the same life you’ve always had with the same limitations? Would you rather be a beautiful failure (having never taken a risk) or a deficient success? As Gilbert writes, and as I’ve come to realize as well - it’s far more honorable to stay in the game - even if you’re failing, than to excuse yourself from participation.
In order to stay in the game, you need to let go of this fantasy of perfection, which is an unachievable standard.
“Perfectionists often decide in advance that the end product is never going to be satisfactory, so they don’t even bother trying to be creative in the first place.”
Perfectionism is just another fear. Fear of not being good enough. But the reality is this is a complete waste of time, because nothing is ever beyond criticism. And doesn’t that give you so much freedom?
Just create. Push those fears aside. Sometimes inspiration will strike and sometimes it won’t. Sometimes you’ll find flow and things will come easily, and sometimes creativity will cause you frustration and will be challenging. Regardless, create. If these things were easy everyone would be doing them. Remind yourself why you want to continue to cultivate creativity, and work assisted or unassisted - “because that’s what you must do in order to live a fully creative life.” Show your genius that you’re serious about it, show up for it, and it will show up more for you.
on permission
Another reason we stop ourselves, another fear wrapped in fancy paper, is this idea that we’re not qualified to produce this work. To step into this creative world. Or that what we want to do has already been done.
Whether that’s because of comments we’ve received in the past, or critics we’re afraid will show up when we start creating, we let the external world dictate whether or not we’re worthy to create, and further to judge our work once it’s out there.
In reality, as Gilbert illustrates, you are free. Because:
If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.
People are mostly just thinking about themselves. People don’t care about you as much as you think - they’re not waiting around for you to do something so they can criticize because they’re caught up in their own dramas.
Most things have already been done - but not by you. “Everything reminds us of something, but once you put your own expression and passion behind an idea, that idea becomes yours.” Share whatever you are driven to share. If it’s authentic, it will feel original.
“Everything sucks, some of the time.” Not every piece you create is going to be incredible or brilliant but it doesn’t matter. Because if you don’t put it out there how will you ever know how it makes you feel? Make whatever you need to or want to and throw it out there. Let other people pigeonhole you however they need to. You’re allowed to create and they’re allowed to critique. Try repeating the following to yourself:
“The results of my work don’t have much to do with me. I can only be in charge of producing the work itself. I am allowed to speak my inner truth, then my critics are allowed to speak their inner truths. That’s the natural order of life: the eternal inhale and exhale of action and reaction.”
You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life. Let inspiration and intuition guide you. Show up for yourself.
on motivation
“You are not required to save the world with your creativity; what you create doesn’t have to be important.”
If you put too much pressure behind your work, it’s going to be less enjoyable for you, and less relatable for the audience. Instead, create for yourself. If it ends up helping others, that’s great, but that shouldn’t be the goal.
Do what you do because you like it, and by following your own fascinations, your own pursuits and interests, you may end up helping others.
on success & why you need to keep trying
“Done is better than good.”
At the end of the day, success is irrelevant because it’s unpredictable in the realm of creativity. “The goddess of creative success may show up for you, or she may not. Probably best, then, if you don’t count on her, or attach your definition of personal happiness to her whims.”
So, instead of putting everything into this impossible outcome, do what you can do to the best of your ability and then let go of it. This doesn’t mean to not try - in fact, it means quite the opposite. It means putting your effort and vision forward and bringing the idea to light; sharing the inspiration with others, but not holding onto it so long that you become prey once again to fears and ideas of perfectionism. At some point you need to let go. But after you let go, you can continue trying. On new projects, on new creative ideas or inspiration.
“What you produce is not necessarily always sacred, I realized, just because you think it’s sacred. What is sacred is the time that you spend working on the project, and what that time does to expand your imagination, and what that expanded imagination does to transform your life.”
Further, whether or not we make a profession out of creativity, “we all need an activity that is beyond the mundane… something that helps us to forget ourselves for a while… [and] through the mere act of creating something - anything- you might inadvertently produce work that is magnificent.”
Give your mind a job to do, or else it will find one - one that you may not like as much, and one that won’t bring you as much joy.
“It has taken me years to learn this, but it does seem to be the case that if I am not actively creating something, then I am probably actively destroying something (myself, a relationship, or my own peace of mind).”
on passion vs. curiosity
I love this contrast of passion and curiosity when it comes to creativity. It reminds me a lot of conversations I have about the difference between motivation and discipline. The reality is, even if you’re pursuing something you love, passion won’t always be there, in the same way that when you’re trying to cultivate a new habit like working out, you’re not always going to be motivated to exercise.
However, the alternative, curiosity, is accessible to everyone. Curiosity only ever asks, “is there anything you’re interested in?” Follow that clue, trust it, see where it will lead you.
“Curiosity is what keeps you working steadily, while hotter emotions may come and go. Whatever it is you are pursuing, whatever it is you are seeking, whatever it is you are creating, be careful not to quit too soon. Don’t rush through the experiences and circumstances that have the most capacity to transform you.”
moving forward
So, my hope for you after reading this recap, is that you recognize your creative potential. Everyone is creative, but some put more effort and time into pursuing their creativity. Yes it can be hard, and effortful, but then again, isn’t everything worth pursuing?
Here are some of my favourite final takeaways from the book:
“Forgive yourself. If you made something and it didn’t work out, let it go. Forget about the last project, and go searching with an open heart for the next one.”
When you’ve released something into the world, “stay busy. Find something to do—anything, even a different sort of creative work altogether—just to take your mind off your anxiety and pressure. And any motion whatsoever beats inertia, because inspiration will always be drawn to motion.”
Ask yourself, “what do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?” Pursue this.
What creative endeavours have you been putting off? How can you move more from fear to courage? From ideas of perfectionism to pursuing joy? Follow your intuition. Lean into curiosity. Create for yourself.
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
