Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

I listened to this book on audible, largely because I think Liz Gilbert might have one of the most soothing voices ever recorded. There are many reasons this book gained critical acclaim as a New York Bestseller - it’s timeless. Liz weaves stories from her own life, both autobiographical and fictional, to guide the reader gently through her process of creative living beyond fear. It’s such a healing read for anyone with writers block, anyone afraid to start a creative project because it’ll never be as perfect in reality as it is in their head, anyone struggling to move past a setback, anyone reaching for a dream, and even (or especially) anyone who simply doesn’t try to make/bake/paint/create/perform/play, because it’s not ‘productive’ enough.

Gilbert openly dismisses the age-old notion of the suffering artist, favoring more pragmatic approaches that allow for healthy, holistic lifestyles. For some, Liz’s spiritual take on inspiration might read as cheesy, or too intangible to be useful. It’s true, this isn’t a guide with bullet-pointed lists, or a psychological reading on the brain’s right hemisphere. It’s musing and nuanced, conversational, perhaps even a little mystical - but it’s also raw, honest and delightfully funny.

But to yell at your creativity, saying, “You must earn money for me!” is sort of like yelling at a cat; it has no idea what you’re talking about, and all you’re doing is scaring it away, because you’re making really loud noises and your face looks weird when you do that.

In my opinion - this book should be a required read for every single human ever. The world would be such a better place with a little more magic in the everyday, a little more compassion and a lot less self-loathing.