On Magic and Creativity

Creativity. Curiosity. Wonder. Magic. Destiny. Self awareness. Steady. Creativity. Simplicity. Forward movement. Self forgiveness. Creativity.

These words are some of my key takeaways from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. I’ve been listening to the audio book during my commute.

The only other book from Gilbert that I’ve read is Eat, Pray, Love. I read it after my own journey of self discovery led me to leave my corporate public relations agency job and move to Prague to teach English. I related to her. I even met my love and partner on that adventure, as she did.

Big Magic came to me, or perhaps I sought it out, at a time when I am struggling to reconnect with my creativity amidst a life of work, family and commitments.

I don’t fancy myself a writer, in the official sense. I am someone who enjoys writing as a means of self expression. I write for myself and not for anyone else. I never have had big hairy writing goals. That’s why this blog is, for anyone who doesn’t know me, seemingly disjointed and all over the place. I don’t mind. I write what strikes me in the moment and that makes me happy.

From this book, I think it would also make Gilbert happy that I do this. From the perspective that she says, more or less, go forth and create. Don’t be a martyr. Don’t get bogged down by it or do it for the money. Do it for the enjoyment, the creative self expression and because you enjoy it. I dig that.

She presents a new paradigm for creativity. And while I don’t agree with each of her ideas, and I’m not a big believer in some of the magic she espouses, I appreciate it.

What strikes me most about the book is that she seems to really walk the walk. A basic online search of Gilbert revealed some details to me about her life that show me she does indeed follow her own curiosity, listen to her heart and explore her own path to creativity. She doesn’t just write the book, she walks the walk.