On Big Magic

“I wish somebody had told them all to go fill up a bunch of pages with blah-blah-blah and just publish it, for heaven’s sake, and ignore the outcome.”

- Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

The quote above saved me.

I had read it countless times when I wrote my first blog posts. Because if I didn’t, I would have crumbled. I would have listened to the voice saying, “You’re not good enough. Stop it. What would your friends and family say when they read your work? Save yourself from shame.”

The quote is just one of the quotes I harvested from Big Magic. Big Magic is a great book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read last year. It addressed my insecurities like an antidote does to a poison.

• I have nothing original to write about.

“You are not required to save the world with your creativity. Your art not only doesn’t have to be original; it also doesn’t have to be important.”

• I struggle finding the right words to express my ideas.

"...as I edit my sentence - sometimes immediately after writing it - I have to be willing to throw it to the dogs and never look back. "

• People will laugh at me, ridicule me, or think I'm an idiot.

“Whether you think you’re brilliant or you think you’re a loser, just make whatever you need to make and toss it out there. Let other people pigeonhole you however they need to. And pigeonhole you if they shall, because that’s what people like to do.”

How the book changed me.

The book helped me feel more comfortable exposing my flaws. As a result, I had the courage to start this blog.

Who should read it

Everyone should read it. Because we are all born creatives. Our unique set of experiences and influences is enough to create art. Even if it’s self-serving. Even if no one appreciates the result. The goal is self-expression, to create something from all the input we feed our mind. We need an outlet, an exhaust, to stay sane.