Elizabeth Gilbert
Here is the next woman in my series for the women that influenced my life.
Next up is Elizabeth Gilbert.
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Elizabeth is best known for her world-wide bestseller Eat, Pray, Love.
And for her recent novel City of Girls: A Novel.
But it might surprise you that it’s not these books that I’m writing about inspiring me.
The book that most influenced me is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.
Big Magic is a powerful book about getting beyond the fear that is keeping you from being your most creative self.
She described how she does her creative process and provided inspiration for how to tap into your inner creativity and work with your muse to take what the universe is offering you.
She notes that if you don’t take on a big idea and run with it, the Universe will assume you aren’t interested and will give that idea to someone else.
Talk about a motivation to get to being creative. In my case it was get to writing my nonfiction book!
“Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn’t matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us. Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul, and I promise—you can make anything. So please calm down now and get back to work, okay? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.”
“Elizabeth Gilbert talks BIG MAGIC” on the Barnes & Noble YouTube Channel:
“Anyhow, the older I get, the less impressed I become with originality. These days, I’m far more moved by authenticity. Attempts at originality can often feel forced and precious, but authenticity has quiet resonance that never fails to stir me.”
“Elizabeth Gilbert on Life” and Love on How To Academy YouTube channel.
“It seems to me that the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back. If I can relax, fear relaxes, too.”
Interview with Elizabeth:
“Sometimes someone magical comes on The School of Greatness”
“What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?”
Elizabeth has a beautiful writing style that makes it easy to open up and hear what she has to say about being your own creative.
I highly recommend Big Magic to inspire you to tap into your own creativity and connect with your muse!
Granting Elizabeth my Athena Award!
