BIG MAGIC
BY ELIZABETH GILBERT
Creative Living Beyond Fear
Contents
What’s it about?
You don’t need anyone’s permission to create
You must cooperate with inspiration when it appears
Creativity takes courage, which means addressing fear
To stay creative, you must be persistent
Suffering is not necessary to be creative
Create from a place of love
Final summary
Now read the book
Key takeaways
What’s it about?
There are those individuals in our world who seem to be blessed with an abundance of creativity. The ones who continually birth new ideas, projects and artworks—filling the world with vibrant life and color, while the rest of us look on in awe. These creative souls lead exciting and curious lives, awash with unique experiences and discoveries; lives so different from our own, it would appear there is a clear line drawn between such inspired individuals and us “normal” folk. But in reality, no such line exists: There is creative potential in every single one of us.
What generates such talent in people is not a unique combination of genes that bestow creative powers upon a select few, nor is it the result of a particular upbringing or lifestyle. To be creative is to possess the courage to search within one’s self, seek the imaginative spark that lies dormant there, and then reveal it to the world. When each of us does this, we’ll all find ourselves living lives full of the magic of creativity.
A creative existence takes work, and in Big Magic you’ll learn everything you need to unlock creativity in your own life. From developing certain habits and mindsets that will allow you to foster inspiration as it arises, to understanding the changes required in order to fully enjoy your creative process: Big Magic has it all. This is a reminder that it is never too late to explore your creative side. If you want to express yourself in ways you’ve only ever dreamed of, this journey is for you.