Creating a Magical Start to the Year

Late last year I picked up a copy of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t love Eat, Pray, Love so even though Big Magic had been appearing around every corner, I was avoiding it. I just didn’t think I wanted to read any more from this author. One day, however, I stopped denying what the universe was trying to tell me and I grabbed a copy at the library. And I wondered why it had taken me so long to do so.

I read the book, I listened to the book on audio, and I subscribed to the podcasts. I couldn’t get enough of Elizabeth Gilbert’s voice or her stories. I absorbed in her beliefs on creativity and inspired by everything she was saying.

As someone who works with brilliant creative people every single day I learned a lot about the process of writing and as someone who is creative in my own right (as an entrepreneur, editor, and agent) I took a lot in.

This is not a book about how to write. I think there’s enough of those around. This is a spiritual and inspirational book on creativity. This book takes a look at your creative self and at ideas and inspiration with a new eye. It inspires one to grab onto what you need to grab onto and trust in the process and the universe. It shows writers, and anyone who is creative, that sometimes the process is slow and plodding, but allowing it to happen in its own way is key to making it happen.

If you’re looking for inspiration, or a kick in the pants, in 2018 I think this is a book that can do it. If anything, it feels like a warm hug that sets you on a beautiful contemplative path. And if that doesn’t inspire you to read this book, you need to at least read the story about Ann Patchett. That alone is worth everything.