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"Question: What is Creativity?
Answer: The relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration."
Introduction
Title: Big Magic
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Genre: Self-help
Pages: 189
Language: English
About the Author
Image Source: Wikipedia
Born in 1969, July 18, she is a renowned American journalist, author, and inspiration. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert has cashed in many book awards and nominations. She is the writer of the number one best-selling fiction and non-fiction books. Her notable works include- ‘Eat Pray Love, the New York Times Bestseller, ‘Pilgrims’- PEN/Hemingway Award finalist, ‘The Last American Man’- National Book Award and National Book Critic Circle Award, ‘Stern Man’- listed in Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction, ‘Signature of All Things’- listed in Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
One of her best-selling books- Eat Pray Love, was also converted into a movie the same year.
Gilbert traveled around the world to store experiences for her mega inspirational writing as she believed writers found stories not in a seminar room but by investigating the world.
About the Book
‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert is a self-help motivational book that talks about fears, failures, and the mystery of creativity. The writing is playful and conversational. Liz shared her experiences through the words and pages. Words are not enough to describe the beauty of Big Magic.
Readers have fawned over it high and low but it is a book that you have to experience yourself. The author tells you that it’s okay to be afraid, that fear is part of living a creative life, but it shouldn’t inhibit you. She talked about ideas as a part of the living world. Ideas are a disembodied, energetic life-form.
It has no material body, but they do have consciousness and certainly a will. Ideas manifest the world in collaboration with a human partner. The idea will try to wave you down. The human mind is a firewall. It tries to intercept messages. But magnificently- there comes a day when you’re open and relaxed enough to receive something. Otherwise, that idea will move on to someone else once it realizes there is no scope.
Liz explained magic happened in her life. Magic twirled and twinkled in her creative space. She kept her day job to pay bills and worked on writing alongside. A vow to do something passionately and consistently do wonders. The themes in the book involved, 'never give up, 'magical accidents', 'magic', 'ideas born', 'creativity', and ‘inspiration’.
My Reviews
“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.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
‘Big Magic’ is a voyage to unleash your most creative and prosperous life. And our captain is none other than the legendary Elizabeth Gilbert. She will make you dive deep, sail against the storm, and find your hidden treasure.
Every person is gifted with a unique talent. Every person is an artist. But only a few of them are titled, artists. They achieve this by overcoming their fear and mastering the mystery of creativity. They keep going through creativity resistance. Some people say they don't have any talent. Well, I don’t believe it and neither does the author.
You barely know but probably have caught glimpses of what a gem you are. Gilbert’s words soothe and heal your soul. She made the magic happen through already known true words and actions that are always present in the back of our minds but we keep forgetting.
Consistency, perseverance, creativity, authenticity, accumulating knowledge, and experience are things every successful person writes in his success story. Through the book, we see glimpses of positive and inspirational words to keep us grounded.
Significant Intakes from the Book
1. You dare to bring forth the treasures hidden within you.
2. Creative living will vary wildly from person to person but it is an amplified life.
3. Stop defending your weakness.
4. Find creativity adventurous and fear boring like others.
5. Able to build an entirely new personality.
6. Differentiate between the fear you need and the fear you don’t need.
7. Having a job is not dishonorable but scaring away from creativity to pay for sustenance.
8. Life is short and rare and amazing and miraculous; so make it very interesting.
9. You can look after yourself in this world while looking after your creativity at the same time.
“When courage dies, creativity dies with it. We all know that fear is a desolate boneyard where our dreams go to desiccate in the hot sun.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
The Bottom Line
You want to read this book slowly and savor each page to cherish all the words. If you don't want to devour the entire book, I would suggest reading the chapter Scary, Scary, Scary where Liz listed most of our fears that are so true and realistic. It’s extremely comforting and affirming to read. Big Magic is truly special and I’d recommend this book to anyone who needs that little nudge in the back. To motivate you to restart or keep going, go for it without an ounce of doubt.
This book is a YES, YES, YES!
“You do not need anyone’s permission to live a creative life.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
My Ratings for the Book - 5 on 5
Grab Your Copy at - Big Magic
For More Such Reviews Visit - Eat My News
Written By - Arpita Singh Chauhan
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