Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

A Nonfiction, 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing, 288 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

• Some parts are a little out there, even for me. It feels silly to talk about your creativity as something you actually speak to and even sillier to imagine it jumping from one person to another. But that’s a personal thing, obviously. Reviews are subjective. 
• The outdated query and discovery process Elizabeth went through could actually be MORE frustrating for any listeners who are actively in the query trenches now. The way she was discovered worked for her and it is what happened, but it’s just not the way things work now. 
• Name dropping. I’ve said before that my least favorite part of many nonfiction works is when an author name drops other famous people they know or have had contact with. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of that in this particular book. 

What I Did Like:

• Dealing with fear. The author’s take on how to conquer fear in writing is actually pretty cool. If you’re a creative person who suffers from a fear of continuing or a fear of failure, she may have a good message for you. 
• Martyrdom. Similarly, her message about suffering for your art is great and inspiring. If you’re someone who believes you have to suffer for art, you may be inspired to try another way. 
• In general, it’s pretty inspiring stuff. Taken as a whole, the book makes good points about feeding your creative energy. The author gives you permission to take chances and write. It’s a quick read, worth the time if you are struggling with something creative right now. 

Who Should Read This One:

Any creative individual struggling with finishing a project, getting started, or giving themselves permission to keep going. 

My Rating: 3 Stars. 

This one has a pretty niche audience, but it does a good job of getting some inspiration out there for the readers it’s targeting.