Big Magic

I read this book on a recommendation from members of a creatives group. The title is not one I would have intuitively chosen to read or pick up in a bookstore. What I found in its pages was a lighthearted and self-aware description of the flow of creativity from the perspective of an idea looking for a home. This immediately resonated and while the examples are almost always those of writers, it was clear how this applied to visual arts as well.

Gilbert proposes an idea may come and settle with you for a while, but if you don’t act on it or have the capacity to make it your own, it will likely move onto the next person to try them on for size. This prompted me to think about the creative ideas I collect, the ones that I intend to do something with one day, and the ones that I’d be entirely happy to see move on to someone else.

Creativity should be playful and joyful rather than the angst-ridden image of the tortured artist. She urges us to cultivate a lighthearted attitude towards our creative pursuits, to approach them with a sense of curiosity and wonder rather than burdening ourselves with unrealistic expectations or self-imposed pressure.

Through her experience as a writer she encourages us to look for the hidden treasures of our creative selves. At the heart of Big Magic is the importance of embracing curiosity, pursuing creativity for its own sake, and, perhaps most importantly, letting go of our attachment to our ideas. She encourages us to approach our creative endeavours with a spirit of openness and generosity, trusting that the universe will provide us with an abundance of inspiration if we are receptive to it. This challenges the conventional wisdom that creative success is contingent upon fiercely guarding our ideas and protecting them from theft or failure.

Letting go was my key takeaway from reading this book. It is a profound lesson if, like me, you fill sketchbooks or notebooks with ideas. An ever growing list of ‘one-day’ projects. Gilbert argues that clinging too tightly to our ideas can stifle their potential, suffocating them before they have a chance to bloom. Instead, she encourages us to trust in the cyclical nature of creativity, to recognise that ideas are fluid and transient, flowing in and out of our consciousness like waves on the shore.

This gave me permission to let several of my ideas go. Decluttering the ‘one-day’ list was liberating and made time for the creative ideas that I realised I would be sad to lose. I learned that by relinquishing my attachment to my ideas, I freed myself from the fear of failure and open myself up to new opportunities and discoveries.

Highly recommend Big Magic* for anyone whose creativity feels stifled by fear or whose ideas lists are in perpetual states of growth. Learning to approach our creative endeavours with a spirit of curiosity and experimentation allows us to embrace the process rather than fixating on the outcome.