Big Magic

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I talk to people about Liz Gilbert, they have very strong, visceral reactions. People loved or hated "Eat, Pray, Love" - I was a hater who became a lover. People who love Gilbert feel inspired and liberated by her self-expression, her unapologetic dedication to pursuing her passions, and her unwillingness to settle. People who hate Gilbert find her self-indulgent and unrealistic. When I stopped seeing Gilbert as someone who was giving advice and rather as someone who just invited me along her "Eat, Pray, Love" adventure, I found truth in her experience much the same way that I found truth in Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" or Jeanette Wall's "The Glass Castle". All that to say that people who love Gilbert will like this book, but be mildly disappointed because she spends so much time actually giving advice rather than staying focused on her own anecdotal experiences and lessons with creativity. People who hate Gilbert will still find her self-indulgent, but she gets to be - it's her book, you bought it, you need to stop being surprised that she writes about her own whims and desires (too harsh?).

As for me, I was less enthralled with this book, but I still love Gilbert's honesty and I love her premise about pursuing the life you want to live without fear. So many of us wait for life to happen instead of going out and creating opportunities to be who we've always wanted to be. I can always use good reminders to be my best self, especially on the eve of a new school year.

Happy reading~