This book and this moment in this picture above were exactly what I needed. It was something that felt quintessentially “summer”. Reading by the pool today was just perfect. Like “the moments I see on Instagram” kind of perfect. The kind that I do not even attempt to achieve. The words from Big Magic are running through my head, the shouts of the kids saying “Marco!… Polo!”, and the smell of sunscreen… My heart feels full today.
I don’t always make space for summertime. I think because we live in the desert and it feels like it is just “the normal season”. I get stuck in the draining summer heat. Like it does not deserve celebration, special smells, and decorations. I typically enjoy making space for fall and winter holidays. I changed the decor in my house, I make different types of meals, I buy special foods and I make baked goods. I use special pumpkin spice candles and evergreen hand soaps.
But this summer, I’ve decided to set it apart as something different. I bought water balloons and they had a water balloon fight on the driveway. Swimming, splash pads, the backyard sprinkler, and we set up the kiddie pool. I went to the grocery store and bought popsicles, fudgesicles, and ice cream sandwiches. I am strategically choosing activities that feel like summer, slowing down, and enjoying the moment.
My writing has changed how our schedule looks this summer. In the past, summer was about household projects, signing up the kids for community center classes, and lots of school planning. This is my second summer of dedicating time to writing. I am finding my rhythm in daily writing and making progress on my blog goals. Starting this creative process has been challenging. I have been writing for myself for a long time. But switching to the mode where I am publishing my words has had many bumps in the road.
So, in the search for inspiration to push forward, I found this amazing book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. The tagline is: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Man do I need that!! Elizabeth Gilbert has written over 8 books and her most famous Eat Pray Love could have stopped her writing career. Yet she continues to work on the craft and move forward whether her books have amazing reviews or barely make a splash.
She guides us through the process of owning our creative calling and pushing forward with diligence and perseverance. Gilbert defines Big Magic as creative inspiration.
Some quotes that stopped me in my tracks and made me think:
“..living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.”
“Creativity can survive its own failure”.
“I am going to spend as much time as I can creating delightful things out of my existence, because that’s what brings me awake and that’s what brings me alive.”
“Well, yes, it probably has already been done. Most things have already been done – but they have not yet been done by you. So what if we repeat the same themes?”
“…the results of my work don’t have much to do with me. I can only be in charge of producing the work itself.”
“It is a simple and generous rule of life that whatever you practice, you will improve at.”
“learning how to endure your disappointment and frustration is part of the job of a creative person”– Big Majic by Elizabeth Gilbert
“..the vast majority of people have made their art in stolen moments, using scraps of borrowed time..”
She is brilliant, funny, creative, and down-to-earth. This book was a breath of fresh air.
I am thankful that Elizabeth Gilbert has encouraged me to move forward in my writing without getting stuck in the quicksand. There are so many spots where writers can get trapped by their own thoughts. The creative life is very unique and not easily defined.
My writing is pushing me to grow in big new scary ways. Some days writing feels like I am being carried by the wind, or pushed in a crowded subway station, others it’s a counseling session, or sometimes a long day of farm chores. Whatever my next writing session holds, I am in this for the long haul. (more articles to come about this)
I am realizing how many ways I have been a writer for so long and I just did not have words for it. I am coming home to myself after a long time away traveling difficult roads and dusty trails. I am Embracing Home in my soul and with my time this summer. It feels right and this book was just what I needed.
I hope that whatever you are reading this summer is doing the same for you. I hope that the smells of barbeque, sunscreen, and monsoon storms give you the feeling of summer. That the books you are reading (or articles you enjoy online🙂) bring you back to what matters to you. We all need to take the time to slow down and make space for the things that matter to us.
Questions for you –
- What are you reading this summer?
- How do you spend some extra free time?
- What are some typical summer activities that you do with the kids?
- What do you enjoy about summer reading?
- Are you a beginning writer as well? Are you using some space in your schedule to do some journaling?
- Creativity comes in many forms, how will you practice Big Magic this week?
- How will you chase inspiration in this season?
- Are you making space for your kids to try new things?
- What simple things are helping you feel grounded in this season?
- How can you “keep making your work, regardless of the outcome?” (p.258)
- “What would you do even if you knew that you might very well fail?” (p.259)
More from Elizabeth Gilbert –
I hope that you are having a beautiful summer and that what you are reading makes you feel grounded in who you are. I would love for you to share what books are helping you move forward in growth!
Happy Reading – April
