Big Magic

TLDR: If you are an artist in need of encouragement or someone who thinks they're not creative but wishes to be: read this book immediately. It's inspiring, funny, packed full of uncommonly good advice and utterly delightful to read.

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I absolutely loved this book.

I love anything about creativity and I'd seen this book mentioned somewhere, so I dutifully added it to my massive Want To Read list for some much later date. I happened to walk past a display table at the library where it was sitting out, recognized the cover and grabbed it (I've run out of books to read twice this year; a tragedy).

When I finally quit the terrible book I was previously reading and picked this up, I was surprised to discover how much I loved it. I've never read anything by Elizabeth Gilbert and have not seen her TED talk (that I remember). I enjoy light-hearted, personable writing, which she has clearly mastered (as evidenced by the fact that 99% of my notes were written down as direct quotes), and I couldn't put this book down. There's so much good advice here. As an artist who's also incredibly practical, it was refreshing to read someone who can tell it like it is while simultaneously being insanely encouraging and delighted to do all of it. This is a book I will eventually purchase to add to my personal library, and it would make an excellent gift.

I did see another review negatively mention her spiritualization of creativity. There's definitely a thread of that running throughout, particularly in a couple areas, but it didn't bother me. Some of it I would describe more as anthropomorphism. Regardless, it shouldn't be something that would prevent you from reading it. I don't believe you need to agree with every single point to enjoy a book - take what you need, leave what you don't. I also believe her advice in regard to education in the arts is sound as well as respectful.