Big Magic

Starred review from June 15, 2015
Gilbert (The Signature of All Things) offers an empathetic and inspiring guide to mustering the courage to live a creative life. That doesn’t necessarily mean a career in the arts, she’s quick to point out (“If you’re alive, you’re a creative person,” she states); instead, she proposes a life fueled by curiosity rather than fear. Gilbert, more than most, can understand how a big success can make one feel as if the follow-up must not disappoint, writing that “I can’t tell you how many people said to me during those years , ‘How are you ever going to top that?’ ” She notes that this kind of pressure can be an instant creativity killer and encourages readers to let go of perfectionism and embrace being good enough. This mind-set, in her experience, leads to the willingness to take chances, live life to the fullest, and act on risky ideas. Gilbert divides her book into six sections, each devoted to a quality she believes necessary for living without fear: courage, enchantment, permission, persistence, trust, and divinity. In each section, Gilbert peppers sound advice with personal triumphs and failures. Nearly anyone who picks up this self-help manual should finish it feeling inspired, even if only to dream of a life without limits. Agent: Sarah Chalfant, Wylie Agency.

June 15, 2015
The bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love reflects on what it means to pursue a creative life. At the beginning of her latest book, Gilbert (The Signature of All Things, 2013, etc.) writes that creativity is "the relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration." Then the author explains how individuals can live that relationship on a daily basis. First and foremost, she writes, people seeking to live creatively and pursue the things that bring them satisfaction must be prepared to live courageously. Only then can they "bring forth the treasures that are hidden within [them]." Gilbert also suggests that the ideas on which all creative acts are based do not come from a person: they are "disembodied, energetic life-form[s]" that seek human hosts who can make them real. This is part of what the author believes makes creativity itself a "force of enchantment-not entirely human in its origins." To actually manifest ideas requires what Gilbert sees as the ability to give oneself permission to engage in creative acts regardless of what anyone else may think. It also requires persistence and being able to stomach the many "shit sandwiche[s]" of disappointment and frustration that so often go along with creative endeavors. Having a burning passion for the work involved-the intensity of which Gilbert likens to a "hot...extramarital affair"-is also crucial. So is trusting in the creative process-no matter how eccentric and/or nonlinear it may seem-and in the idea that "the work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you." Not all readers will embrace the New-Age way in which Gilbert discusses the creative process, but the sincerity, grace, and flashes of humor that characterize her writing and insights should appeal to a wider audience. Not earth shattering but warmly inspirational.

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July 1, 2015
For anyone who has ever dreamed of writing a novel, painting a still life, sculpting a statue, or choreographing a dance but hasn't done so, Gilbert has just one question: What's stopping you? Doubt, denial, demands: you name it, the obstacles are many. The world is teeming with people who have a creative passion yet never pursue it. For Gilbert, the best-selling author of the surprise hit Eat Pray Love (2006), such dithering was never part of the equation. As early as she can recall, she knew she wanted to be a writer. Wanting and doing can be two very different things, however, and Gilbert has not been immune to the reality of having to earn a living versus the dream of pursing a freely creative life. As bright, breezy, and conversational in tone as a long, heart-to-heart talk with one's most supportive friend, Gilbert's wise and motivating book of encouragement and advice will induce readers not only to follow specific artistic dreams but also to live life more creatively, fully, and contentedly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015

Gilbert, of Eat Pray Love fame, aims to encourage lives more strongly driven by curiosity than by fear. Having the courage to do that, says the author, will lead to an enchanted existence. Readers start the process by daily respecting their inclinations and creative instincts then running with them. Persistence and trust in oneself through failures are necessary challenges--the only way to find hidden internal treasure--that will result in discovering a divine spirit within. VERDICT Gilbert serves as an enthusiastic coach for readers who want more out of life. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 3/9/15.]

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Gilbert, of Eat Pray Love fame, aims to encourage lives more strongly driven by curiosity than by fear. Having the courage to do that, says the author, will lead to an enchanted existence. Readers start the process by daily respecting their inclinations and creative instincts then running with them. Persistence and trust in oneself through failures are necessary challenges--the only way to find hidden internal treasure--that will result in discovering a divine spirit within. VERDICT Gilbert serves as an enthusiastic coach for readers who want more out of life. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 3/9/15.]

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015

Eat, pray, love, and now get creative with Gilbert, who's stepping back from her formidable nonfiction and fiction best sellers to take a look at her own creativity. How does inspiration work? How do we determine what we love and conquer what we fear? How do we hone our attitudes and our habits so that we can find what she calls "the strange jewels" within us? Touching on the spiritual while remaining resoundingly grounded, Gilbert aims broadly at everyone from artists to office workers.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.