Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

In Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert describes the life a person who is focused on creating. In her case she focuses on writing. She does not advocate people giving up their day jobs to write. It is a difficult path filled with the constant stream of rejection letters. She likens it to a tennis match, she serves up her writing and the Universe hits it back and Elizabeth sends it out again. She had one editor reject a story then accept it years later after Elizabeth had secured an agent. The editor had said there was something familiar about the piece but did not recall reading it earlier.

She also relates an idea for a story about Minnesota woman who leaves her job to go to work in the Amazon jungle. She never finished or published her story. Another author that she just me later writes a very similar story but had no idea about Elizabeth's original story.  She has a theory that ideas will visit a person and request that they be expressed. If individuals can not give the idea voice it will move on to another person who can. 

She feels that individuals need not focus on the hoped for revenue from creative pursuits or wait for a specific jolt of inspiration before starting a project. A better approach is to let natural curiosity lead you on a path of discovery and an opportunity for artistic expression. Curiosity is always available and is reliable source of creativity.

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