Hello, creative beings!
We are all housing Big Magic; let’s tap into it.
Have you read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert?
This book is a gold mine for creative beings, and in case you aren’t aware, that’s you! You are a creative being and capable of your own Big Magic.
Gilbert speaks to us from personal experience on fear, permission, persistence, divinity, and more. She guides us through anecdotes and actionable steps towards connecting more deeply with our creative nature. Like me, Gilbert believes we are inherently valuable and gifted.
I happen to believe we are all walking repositories of buried treasure.
Elizabeth Gilbert
Reading Big Magic reminded me of a vision and purpose workshop I attended with Spring Washam. In it, we studied ourselves as children. Washam said, “Our true nature doesn’t actually change very much; it just gets buried.”
We often receive well-intentioned messages growing up (don’t be too loud, follow the rules, fit in) that end up muddling our true nature, our creativity. Our passion gets lost because we are too busy making sure we ‘fit the mold.’
Once it’s been buried and we grow up, it’s our job to look for clues, then excavate our treasure (read: authentic self, creativity, passion, etc.).
If you’re struggling to find your creativity or passion, be patient and be persistent.
Elizabeth reminds us this is not always an easy task, “If you don’t have a clear passion and someone blithely tells you to go follow your passion, I think you have the right to give that person the middle finger.”
Passion is a neon sign for some and quite elusive for others. We might even use different words to describe it.
In Big Magic, Gilbert quotes Seamus Heaney:
The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only halfway down a well coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense, but you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into waters that continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.
Heaney was awarded a Noble Prize in literature. He has a way with words.
I share this quote (I love this quote) because it’s relevant no matter your vocation or path. The aspiring anyone will likely have this frustrating experience, and if we stick with it, we will break through and find our greatest treasure -self.
Don’t give up on yourself.
Gilbert also normalizes our relationship with fear and creativity. Yes, Elizabeth!
She explains her tactic of creating space for fear in her life – acknowledging the fear, but not allowing it to weigh in on decision making.
She states, “Fear and creativity need to peacefully coexist.”
And goes on to say, “When people try to kill off their fear, they inadvertently kill off their creativity in the process.”
Whoa, Elizabeth! This is one place where Gilbert and I disagree. I was surprised to read as Gilbert has previously shunned universally accepted beliefs that creatives are people who suffer or anguish to produce quality work. In her TedTalk Your elusive creative genius, she shares these dangerous assumptions shouldn’t perpetuate into the future.
While it is essential to make space for and include your fear, it’s also fair to say many of them are programmed to be there. Our most pressing fears are often established in childhood and automatically replay during different life circumstances.
We can resolve our automated fears through NLP coaching, family constellations, or various other avenues. When mindfully ‘kill off’ our fear by revising our patterns, we can tap into our creative wells with ease and delight.
We do not need fear to create.
Without the nagging fear, we are free to enjoy bliss and calm while tapping into our creative nature.
We are all the chosen few. We are all makers by design
Elizabeth Gilbert
What are the ways you create out in the world? Are you an artist or writer? A parent? Do you cultivate joy in your community? We are all creating, all the time. Share with us in the comments below!
If you’d like to read the book (I highly recommend it), purchase it here or check it out for free at your library. With Hoopla or Libby, you can stream titles like Big Magic on your reading device with a library card.
Big Magic is chock-full of intriguing ways to relate to your creativity. It’s worth the read, but if you’d prefer an overview, I found an excellent synopsis of some of its big ideas here.
Stay curious,
Caroline
Caroline Exner is a Healing Conversationalist and Ceremony Facilitator supporting her clients on their journey inward. Find out more about her work or schedule a session with her here.
Featured image by Gather Goods Co.
In-text image by Ian Schneider. Seattle, United States.
