#16 BIG Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

#16 BIG Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

From the author of Eat, Pray, Love comes yet another New York Times Best-seller. While EPL was a novel that took the world by storm when it morphed into a movie starring Julia Roberts, BIG Magic is a book of another sort; yet equally as powerful in affecting your life. While reading, there were many moments where I had to stop and re-read portions. I needed to take notes on it; to savor an idea, let it sink in and percolate so I could make meaning of it for myself. 

BIG Magic is a guide to help us live more creative lives. According to the author, we all have the capacity for creativity partly because there are limitless forms creativity can take: baking, woodworking, music, writing, sewing, gardening, learning a new sport, decorating; anything that speaks to you and brings you joy.  The only limits are those we put on ourselves and our creativity. And let’s be clear about what it means to live a creative life: Ms. Gilbert is not talking about performing on Broadway or winning an Oscar. Which is good, because I get stage fright!

Through her own revelations and personal stories, Ms. Gilbert leads us on a journey towards our own creativity, passing through six areas of thought: courage, enchantment, permission, persistence, trust and divinity.  What she means is that we need to live our lives driven more by curiosity than fear. As I embarked on this journey with Liz, I was forced to think about some of my most basic fears; of being laughed at because I may actually have no creativity or talent to speak of. I’m often afraid that people will see me or my writing as ridiculous because it is something new that I’ve put into the world and it’s not something they associate with me or expect that I might even be any good at and secretly, I’m afraid that they might be right.  

I must confess, dear reader, that I’ve held these fearful ideas all of my life and that’s a sad thought. But I must also say that I haven’t let them control me either, at least not entirely. And that’s where courage comes in. We need courage to actually do the creative thing that speaks to us because life has a tendency to get in our way if we let it. And Lord knows my courage over the years has come and gone, sometimes daily it seems. 

Once we choose to be live more creatively, we need to allow inspiration to captivate us. Many years ago I had the thought that ideas are floating around us all the time and that all we have to do is reach out and grab one. If we don’t, the ideas keep floating around us until they find someone who is willing to catch it.  That’s inspiration and what Liz calls BIG Magic. She recounts moments, when she’s working on a project, how she’ll write as though possessed.  These are the moments inspiration has found her and also the moments when she’s been open to receiving it. 

I remember having similar experiences during the course of my own writing. Before I ever thought I could write a book, my character Kate just showed up one day and introduced herself to me by revealing snippets of her life.  Once I began paying closer attention, more ideas came; some details were presented on their own like a gift, allowing me to open it slowly, turning it over in every direction and really see it for what it was. Other ideas were almost stumbling over each other to make their presence known.  It was all I could do to keep up with them; scribbling them down so quickly some became difficult to decipher, so messy was my handwriting; margins over-flowing, arrows pointing in every direction barely connecting one idea to another.

I recall thinking that it was like being possessed but I didn’t dare stop. I didn’t stop to ask what was happening nor did I question what I needed to do. I just took notes from Kate as she dictated them to me completely unaware that what I was scribbling would eventually become a book.  After I had a basic outline and started writing I still didn’t question what I was going to do if or when I finished it, whatever it was. I simply wrote.  If I was stuck on a section, I’d leave it alone and move on to something else like vacuuming or gardening. You’d be surprised at how diverting your attention can refocus your thinking! 

Often I’d be writing and lose track of time.  When I first began my book I was teaching elementary music at the time, working most days from 10:30 to 2 at a school three blocks from my house.  I’d get ready for work in the morning, take my kids to school (oh how they loved having their Mom teach them Music) then come home and write for two hours while drinking copious amounts of coffee. There were many days where I was rolling into the parking lot as the recess bell was going, signalling the kids to return to class.  More days than I could count, they would arrive at my classroom while I was sneaking in through the side door.  Knowing how submerged I could become in the writing process, I got very good at making sure all my materials were ready the day before so that I could stroll in, take off my coat and begin class. 

Sometimes the missing piece presented itself to me during the day in which case I’d find time to scribble down the basic thought so that I could flesh it out later. Another technique that worked for me was to let the problem all but consume my thinking in the hours before bed. More often than not, the answer I was searching for came to me in my dreams and with any luck I’d wake in the middle of the night and quickly write it down on a pad I kept by my bed for that very purpose. Looking back, I did whatever it took to enable my creativity to be realized: I organized my mornings, skipped meals and lost sleep all in the pursuit of my work never knowing if it would be anything more than scribbles in a notebook and not caring if it ever saw the light of day.   This was my very own BIG Magic although I didn’t know what to call it at the time.

Liz (I feel like she and I are friends and she'd be fine with me calling her by her first name) goes on to say that once you are inspired, you need to begin creating the thing that will bring you joy. But here’s where we often get stuck. We ask for permission. What for? And who are we asking permission from?  Personally, I think it’s because I was brought up this way. Maybe it’s because I’m Canadian and I’m worried about being rude and that if I don’t ask for permission, I’ll get into trouble. Liz reminds me that I don’t have to ask anyone for permission. To say it loud and say it proud “I am a ______”. For me, my blank is “a writer”. For almost two years after my novel was published I had trouble admitting this. I was so worried about what people would say when they found out I wrote a book or heaven forbid they read it and had an opinion about it, positive or negative.  Repeat after me, replacing your creative action for mine: “I do not need anyone’s blessing to (write) nor do I need them to understand why I (write) or even understand the content.”  And remember, once it’s in other people’s hands, it’s out of your control. If they like it, great! If not, that’s fine too. But I’m going to do what Liz suggests: If they insult me or my work, I plan on smiling sweetly and tell them to go make their own f**king art!

Now that I realize I don’t need permission to be creative, I need to be persistent in my practice. This will improve the quality of my craft and keeps inspiration flowing.  Perfection is not the goal. If we wait until it’s perfect we’d either never start or never be finished which is a very defeating way to live. The big take-away here is be curious. Follow where your curiosity leads, track every clue and you may arrive at your passion and who knows where that will lead? My novel is proof of that!

And finally, trust the inspiration. I look back and think: How ballsy was it for me to not only think that I could write a novel but to actually write it? It took even bigger balls to get it published! Ok, so it’s not on the best-seller list…yet! (It should be, because it’s a really good story. As good or better as some of the books I’ve read. Check out “Erosion: A Novel by Julie M. Sorry for the shameless plug!) But being an international best-selling author is not the point.  The point is to trust my creativity as it comes and to be authentic with my voice, in whatever form that should take.  Maybe this year its writing but perhaps in the future, I might take up painting or gourmet cooking or even return to my first passion, music. I’ve always imagined myself singing in a coffee shop or little wine bar!  The point is, it doesn’t matter what it is. I just need to put my heart into it then share whatever it is that I’ve made without apologies, regardless of whether people say positive or negative things about it.  Just because it’s FUN! And who doesn’t need more fun in their lives?

I’m sure by now dear reader; you’ve deduced that for me, this was a powerful book.  It gave credence to some ideas that I’d had years ago and reminded me to listen less to the noises around me and listen more to the inner musings of my creative nature.  It also reminded me that I didn’t write my novel with the intent of becoming a world famous novelist. I wrote because of the sheer desire to write and in doing so, brought forth a brand new passion and gave to the world something entirely new and unique. 

Writing is my hidden treasure. Do you have the courage to find yours? Until next time, dear reader…have you read a book today?

Julie