Big Magic Book Review

This book is written by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of eat, pray, love. In this book, she talks about her beliefs to her career and her…

Introduction

This book is written by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of eat, pray, love. In this book, she talks about her beliefs to her career and her perspective of life and creativity.

Though her thoughts are far from mainstream's and there are lots of criticisms about the book, I still find it worth reading. I disagree with some part of it, but it does trigger me to reflect on my life. For me, her answers are correct or not doesn't matter, it's a quest for everyone to search for their own answers.

Shit Sandwich

"What's your favorite flavor of shit sandwich?"

No matter how wonderful and exciting and glamorous the work may initially seem --- comes with its own brand of shit sandwich, its own lousy effect. So the question is not so much "What are your passionate about?" 
The question is "What are you passionate enough about that you can endure the most disagreeable aspects of work?"

The definition of Success

I knew that conventional success would depend upon three factors — — talent, luck, and discipline — — and I knew that two of those three things would never be under my control. The only piece I had any control over was my discipline. Recognizing that, it seemed like the best plan would best work my ass off. That was the only card I had to play, so I played it hard.

Hard work guarantees nothing in realms of conventional success, so she measures her own success by her devotion. Whatever the outcome, she takes her shit sandwich and believe she has traveled a noble path. Success or not, she’s already getting out of this.

Passion v.s. Curiosity

We don’t always get hot feeling, but I don’t sit around waiting for passion to strike me. So how to find the inspiration to work when your passion has flagged?

Curiosity is the secret.

Though passion can seem intimidating out of reach at times, curiosity is a milder, quieter, more welcoming, and more democratic entity. It’s a clue.

Is there anything you are interested in? Anything? Even a tiny bit? No matter how mundane or small?

I might be struggled without having a passion, but I can trace my source of curiosity and come closer to things I am interested in, inch by inch.

Done is Better Than Good

“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

Because the truth of the matter is, most people don’t finish things. They begin ambitious projects with the best of intentions, but then they get stuck in a mire of insecurity and doubt and hairsplitting… and they stop. So if you can just complete something — — merely complete it — — you’re already miles ahead of the pack, right there.

Perfectionism and procrastination is always my enemy. I recall the 5/5/5 principles which 5 indicates 5 days, 5 months, and 5 weeks. I heard that if a project was planned without executing in 5 days, there was a slim chance that it would be done. For example, this might not be a good book review, but at least, I am done! Well done!

Addicted to Suffering Contest

A beloved English teacher once told me, "You are a talented writer, Liz. But unfortunately you'll never make it, because you haven't suffer enough in you live."

Some artists mistook self-destruction for a serious-minded commitment to creativity. Many young jazz aspirants pretending to be heroin addicts. But maybe it's easier to do heroin -- or even to romantically pretend to do heroin --- than it is to commit yourself wholeheartedly to your craft.

"Any artist who is an alcoholic is an artist despite their alcoholism, not because of it."

I believe that our creativity grows like sidewalk weeds out of the cracks between our pathologies --- not from the pathologies themselves. But so many people think it's the other way around.

Besides the field of creativity, I also feel I often meet someone who is cling to their suffering, such as staying up late deliberately, taking too many jobs, or learning in a martyr way. They worry that if they never go of all that anguish, they feel that they are not hard-working and improving fast enough. However, I believe in the opposite direction as the author said. I am driven toward play, toward curiosity, toward the excitement of taking challenges. For me, suffering is not equal to commitment, nor does it lead to achievement.

I work with Stubborn Gladness

The author works with stubborn gladness no matter how external world reacts to her.

I worked for years with stubborn gladness before i was published. 
I worked with stubborn gladness when I was riding high on a giant best seller. 
I worked with stubborn gladness when I was not riding high on a giant best seller anymore.
I worked with stubborn gladness when critics praised me, and stubborn gladness when critics make fun of me.

And here comes the most memorable story in the book.

Many years ago, an American writer, Ford, give a talk at a book store. During the Q&A session, a man in the audience stood up and said," You and I have much in common.I have been writing short stories and novels my whole life. The only difference is that you have become a celebrated man of letters, and I -- despite decades of effort --- have never been published."

Ford replied," Sir, I am sorry for your disappointment. Please believe me, I would never insult you by simply telling you to preserve. In fact, I will tell you something else --- something that may surprise you. I'm going to tell you to quit."

The audience froze.

Ford went on: " I say this to you only because writing is clearly bring you no pleasure. Our time on earth is short and should be enjoyed. You should leave this dream behind and go find something else to do with your life. But don't write anymore, because it's obviously killing you."

There was a long silence.

Then Ford smiled and add, almost as an afterthought,

" However, I will say this. If you happen to discover, after a few years away from writing, that you have found nothing that takes its place in your life --- nothing that fascinates you, or moves you, or inspires you to the same degree that writing once did... well, then, sir, I'm afraid you will have no choice but to persevere."

So I decide to keep doing what I love anyhow, stubbornly :)