This week I’ve been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest book “Big
Magic-Creative Living beyond Fear”. I haven't read "Eat, Pray, Love" or "Committed: A Love Story" or "The Signature of All Things" but I may.
When I read, I’m not the sort of person that feels that they
have to agree or disagree or come up with some sort of pronouncement. It’s enough for me to get a golden nugget of
information or inspiration. I wasn’t
always this way, but I am now.
I got really excited by Gilbert’s description of herself as
a child. She describes herself as a very
fearful child that wished for example, when at the beach, that everyone there
would come out of the water and read so she wouldn’t have to worry for their
safety. That is familiar to me. My parents would agree that I shared some
traits with young Ms. Gilbert.
She goes on to describe her encounters with the creative spirit. She experiences an Idea as an entity that comes knocking, asking for you to help bring it to life, and if you pass on its offer, it’ll visit someone else. She has some examples from her own life that
are fascinating enough for you to go read them yourself. Again, after getting over the strangeness of
the concept, I had to agree that I have felt that sort of “magic” in my own
life. I found that after reading about
Gilbert’s experiences, that understanding creativity in this whimsical way, for
me, helps me feel less fearful as I step forward in my productivity, whether it
be painting, writing, or doing business or making new connections.
I feel more aware when an Idea comes knocking, more conscious as I accept a
project or turn it down. And I’ve been doing
it for years, but without the sort wakefulness that Gilbert has cultivated.