Big Magic

by Elizabeth Gilbert

[Hillary]

Big Magic is blowing up in the creative industry circles. I feel like I am probably the last one to read it. I finally got to it and I was blown away. There were some things that I needed to hear in that book. I know my mom and friends are all supportive but they would be no matter what. Hearing a WRITER document her success and failures really made me feel less alone. I learned a few things from this book. I have listed them below in no special order.

 

You don't need permission to call yourself a writer

I so needed to hear this. I have been a freelance writer for two years now and I  STILL hesitate when people ask me what I do and I am always like well..ummm I am a writer cough I feel like a fraud most days. Gilbert says that all writers feel like this so I guess in a way i really AM a writer. Still after reading this I will attempt to stand up tall and proud and tell people in a clear strong voice that I am a writer.

It is ok to fail

I honestly thought Gilbert had a runaway success with Eat, Pray, Love. Ok ok now I know better. She had many failures before she wrote that book. I had no idea she wrote other books although now I know I put them on my TBR list on Goodreads. I feel better about all my failures now. I will just keep failing until I get a YES!

Ideas are living things and they go to the person that is ready to bring them forth into the world

I know this sounds all hokey and wishy-washy but think about it. Have you ever had an idea then you put it off and when you went to write it, it was all gone. I know I have. Now I know why.

you can have a creative hobby that is just for fun

for me this is photography. I love to take pictures and experiment but I refuse to put pressure on myself to make money from it. Yes I love Instagram but it is a hobby only., I WOULD like to get good enough that I could use my pics on my blog but that is it.

I really loved this book. I read it on a day I was feeling REALLY discouraged. I was feeling like the last two years have been a waste. Then i read her story and I felt better. I understand now that all creative people have days where they feel like their create has got up and gone. Hearing a "successful" writer tell her story about her failures and how she handled them really gave me the boost that I needed.

I also found this book to be totally inspirational. I know some people out there have cruised this book for being really "out there" but to me, I found it soothing like a balm on my withered creative soul.

 

 

 This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land