I recently finished Elizabeth Gilbert’s (author of Eat, Pray, Love) book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Amazon, Bookshop) and I had to share it as a Friday Favorite!
It’s all about the creative process, and I completely understand why it became a New York Times bestseller.
I decided to make this the first book I read this year because I thought it could be inspiring as I try to write regularly on this blog – and I’m so glad I chose to read it first! It feels a bit like having your best friend rallying you on to do the thing you know you love to do with the added bonus of having a bonafide bestselling author give you a glimpse into her real creative process. In her book, Gilbert is completely open about the self-doubt and fears she feels at times even though she’s a rockstar of an author and is *so* incredibly gifted… and I can’t even explain how liberating and reassuring that is to hear.
She’s super honest about how writing can be grueling at times and super exhilarating at times, and everything in between. She talks about what helps her face down the fears she knows will pop up every time she starts to write another book, and how she shows up again and again for the craft that she loves so much.
But mostly, she talks about how fun writing is for her – and it really shows. That’s the part that sticks out most to me after reading her book… that for sure, doing something you love has parts that are hard and scary at times, absolutely – but that the reward is doing the thing itself. Doing that thing you love. I love that she goes back to this idea again and again. It’s so clear that she loves writing and finds it to be so fulfilling and exhilarating and that she can’t imagine life without. So inspiring!
I’m so glad I read this book to start off my year!
If you could use some encouragement with any creative projects you’re thinking about, or know anybody who could, I highly recommend this book. 😉 (Amazon, Bookshop)
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