Big Magic

A few months ago my friend Care was reading Big Magic and mentioned how much she loved it and maybe I would enjoy it.  I thought "eh...not a big fan of Elizabeth Gilbert, so I don't know. Not sure"  Then others chimed in that they loved it too---and well, I can't be left out of knowing what's going on--and they all seemed to be 'in the know' about Big Magic, so I decided to give it a listen.

Here is what I thought:

I LOVED it!!

I have no idea why I thought I wasn't a big Elizabeth Gilbert fan...the only other book I've read of hers was "Eat, Pray, Love" and while not a hater, I didn't love it.  I was probably  jealous, because, to be truthful, most of us cannot run off to Europe to find ourselves, we just have to struggle thru-- BUT that was her story, not mine, so why  ?? 

I'm still unsure of what I didn't like, but  ??

(I really loved the Eat part!)

Anyway... BIG MAGIC.

Awesome!

Usually, I tend to shy away from self-help books as I think they are condescending a lot of the time, but this was not. 

I'm not a good enough writer to explain all the feels  (this is a new trendy word, and I'll just have to say it--I feel silly writing it. HA!) --Feelings, all the feelings this book gave me.  I listened to this on Audio, and while I absolutely loved the sound and rhythm of Elizabeth Gilbert's voice (she narrated it herself),  I was sorry not to have a hard copy to make notes and underline important passages.

(my friends tried to tell me so--but I wouldn't listen)

I so appreciated Gilbert's viewpoint of creativity. 

I have never thought of myself as creative, but guess what?

I AM!!

Her essays, her thoughts, her reasoning are inspiring.  And comforting.  And uplifting.

And yes---DAMN--I wish I had a hardcover book to keep notes in.

ARRGGGHHH!!

There is just so much good stuff in this book!

I love thinking that ideas are their own entity looking for a home--and if it's not going to be with you, it will be with someone else.

Okay, that's horribly paraphrased (I don't have the book in front of me, remember?) But you can kind of get it, right?

I am a creative being.  And so are you.

Go.

Read.

It.

Now.

From Goodreads:

Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.