Hello WordPress, recently I have been reading a book written by Elizabeth Gilbert called “Big Magic.” There are hundreds of reasons why I would recommend this book to an artist but I want to talk about the few reasons why I would recommend it to anyone.
Reason #1.
- Elizabeth Gilbert helps frame fulfillment.
The first reason why I would recommend this book is because It helps me frame and understand the concept of fulfillment. Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how she decides that she wants to dedicate her life to writing and creativity. She claims that creating things brings her the most joy and fulfillment. Her writing is more for herself than anything else and she warns that there is a great chance that nobody will care about the thing that you create and care for. Fulfillment stems from weather or not the thing you care about brings you true happiness and fulfillment.
Reason #2.
- She offers a valuable perspective on dedication.
The second reason why I would recommend this book is because Elizabeth Gilbert does a fantastic job of explaining that dedication is not all sacrifice. She paints this portrait of a starving artist; being someone whose best creative works come from moments of addiction, sorrow, depression and stress. She warns that too many people pursue a dream and then end up significantly damaging themselves through tunnel vision. It is important to remain mindful when working towards your dreams because often times as humans we tend to become irrational whenever we grow passionate about something.
Reason #3.
- She talks about the utilities of failure.
The third reason why I would recommend this book is so that readers can acknowledge how Elizabeth views failure. Elizabeth Gilbert’s resolve remains static throughout the whole book because she knows that her success stems from commitment. She talks about books that she finished and never published and how she would immediately move onto her next project rather than grieving over the time “wasted.” The trick within the statement is that Gilbert doesn’t view this time as wasted but rather as time spent training. Prior to reading these parts of Big Magic, I would worry that any time spent not writing was time wasted. If I wasn’t being productive I would worry about my well-being. I recognize this as the path of the starving artist. Perhaps the most important takeaway for me is that I should never strive to become a starving artist. I want to build a mutually beneficial relationship with creativity and I want our relationship to remain healthy. All in all, Big Magic is now one of my favorite reads and I am incredibly grateful to have read it.
Semi-Poetic 