Recently I read the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. She’s also the author of the mega-bestseller Eat, Pray, Love and the novel The Signature of All Things.
Big Magic is kind of like a manifesto for living and cultivating a creative life. Although it can apply to all sort of creative work, the author talks a lot about the writing life.
So I thought I would share some my favorite quotes/passages that you might also enjoy:
“Never delude yourself into believing that you require someone else’s blessing (or even their comprehension) in order to make your own creative work.”
“It’s a simple and generous rule of life that whatever you practice, you will improve at.”
“How you manage yourself between those bright moments, when things aren’t going so great, is a measure of how devoted you are to your vocation, and how equipped you are for the weird demands of creative living.”
“There’s no dishonor in having a job. What is dishonorable is scaring away your creativity by demanding that it pay for your entire existence.”
“Do what you love to do, and do it with both seriousness and lightness. At least then you will know that you have tried and that—whatever the outcome—you have traveled a noble path.”
“During my own periods of misery and instability, I’ve noticed that my creative spirit becomes cramped and suffocated. I’ve found that it’s nearly impossible for me to write when I am unhappy, and it is definitely impossible for me to write fiction when I am unhappy.”
“So how do you shake off failure and shame in order to keep living a creative life? First of all, forgive yourself. If you made something and it didn’t work out, let it go.”
“Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege.”
“Love over suffering, always.”