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tnaomai's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Wonder inspiration for why to be a creative and why not to allow any one or anything keep you from your passion.
niakayjones's review against another edition
olivia rodrigo said to read it so i did.
theresa_mysteries_and_mayhem's review against another edition
3.0
If you read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert for pure creative inspiration, you will find exactly that within the pages. If you were led to read it because you think it might help with inspiration to be more enterprising with ideas at work, you might be a little disappointed. While everything within this book can be translated to the working world, Gilbert tells us quite often not to quit our day jobs to pursue creativity. To read her words, it almost feels like creativity isn't something that blends well into our work.
I beg to differ.
I did find creative inspiration in Big Magic. At the same time, in places throughout the book, the concept of creativity and inspiration felt so boiled down by Gilbert it almost felt trite, which ironically is quite the opposite of creativity.
A couple of sections in the book that spoke to me were near the beginning of the book where Gilbert discussed overcoming fear and perfectionism. I made a few action items for myself to follow when attempting to follow my creative path based on what I read. Now I just need to follow them!
But isn't that always the most difficult part of self-improvement books? It's easy to read about what I should do and how life altering it can be. Actually getting over the fear and perfectionism to put those steps into action is something else entirely. At any rate, I read this at a good time with new beginnings on our doorstep with the new year.
I landed on 3 stars for Big Magic. It's inspiring, but I took what I needed from the first quarter of the book. The remainder of the book either didn't quite speak to me, or felt a bit repetitive. As with any book (especially when they're geared toward self-improvement) opinions may vary wildly from person to person. I still recommend it to anyone looking for some extra creative inspiration!
I beg to differ.
I did find creative inspiration in Big Magic. At the same time, in places throughout the book, the concept of creativity and inspiration felt so boiled down by Gilbert it almost felt trite, which ironically is quite the opposite of creativity.
A couple of sections in the book that spoke to me were near the beginning of the book where Gilbert discussed overcoming fear and perfectionism. I made a few action items for myself to follow when attempting to follow my creative path based on what I read. Now I just need to follow them!
But isn't that always the most difficult part of self-improvement books? It's easy to read about what I should do and how life altering it can be. Actually getting over the fear and perfectionism to put those steps into action is something else entirely. At any rate, I read this at a good time with new beginnings on our doorstep with the new year.
I landed on 3 stars for Big Magic. It's inspiring, but I took what I needed from the first quarter of the book. The remainder of the book either didn't quite speak to me, or felt a bit repetitive. As with any book (especially when they're geared toward self-improvement) opinions may vary wildly from person to person. I still recommend it to anyone looking for some extra creative inspiration!
soule_full_soph's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
It’s a lot of the same thing over and over again, but the message is great and I liked some of the stories included.
laurad_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I really love this book. It is a nice wake up call that being creative doesn't have to be pain and darkness but can be light and love! And that it is just about the making not the outcome. I like that.
megnavoy's review against another edition
3.0
this was a fun one. listened to it on audiobook very quickly. I love her perspective on creativity, really inpsiring
lunsbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
cryzll91's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author is witty and perceptive. I love her fresh takes on several stereotypes associated with the creative life. It's not every day that one encounters a writer with this level of pragmatism that elevates her artistic sensibilities. There were definitely many points at which I paused and reflected on my own approach towards living and creativity. I found it particularly interesting that she personalises several concepts like creativity, ideas and inspiration. I love how she embraces being slightly delusional and being choosey about being the positive kind. There's so much to learn from Elizabeth Gilbert. That being said, there were parts that were kind of repetitive that spoilt the pacing for me a bit. However, it still remains deeply insightful.