And while the paths and outcomes of creative living will vary wildly from person to person, I can guarentee you this: a creative life is an amplified life. It's a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life. Living in this manner - continually and stubbornly bringing forth the jewels that are hidden within you - is a fine art, in and of itself.
Because creative living is where Big Magic will always abide.
Wow, sign me up! Sign us all up to ride that creative living, big magical train. Who doesn't want that?
But wait...what is it that I feel holding me back from embracing the Tove Jacqueline Ghent brand of Big Magic? What is it? Speak up!
FEAR!
The real reason my National Novel Writing Month 50,000 word first draft called Soul Cloud has spent the last two years trembling under my bed. After a few blog posts where I kept mentioning it, I got a little cocky, and dragged it out to start editing it. My son and I made a writing date and spent a couple of hours in our folding chairs down by the lake - and as usual he was full speed ahead. I was laughing out loud at the internal monologue I created for my protagonist. My son appreciated it too, as I read bits of it out to him, and then I got to page 12 and stopped. That was eight days ago, and I have not looked at it since then. I could make excuses, I have added things into my life that were not there before, like a part time job and a pretty intensive baby sitting gig with my great niece, who is an exceptionally energetic four year old. But those are just excuses my fear is making for me.
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert addresses fear right out of the gate:
It isn't always comfortable or easy - carrying your fear around with you on your great, ambitious road trip, I mean - but it's always worth it, because if you can't learn to travel comfortably alongside your fear, then you'll never be able to go anywhere interesting or do anything interesting.
When I was reading those first few pages of Soul Cloud, I was really impressed at how funny the main character was. I am practically the J.D. Salinger of my day. But when you model your main character on your son, and his mom on you, it starts to feel pretty uncomfortable, especially given that you detail real life events that were incredibly distressing to you and your family. And my fear saw that coming, and stopped me from reaching those painful pages. And maybe that's okay, for now. I did get to glimpse my creative living, my Big Magic. And I have to believe it is still there.
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert addresses fear right out of the gate:
It isn't always comfortable or easy - carrying your fear around with you on your great, ambitious road trip, I mean - but it's always worth it, because if you can't learn to travel comfortably alongside your fear, then you'll never be able to go anywhere interesting or do anything interesting.
When I was reading those first few pages of Soul Cloud, I was really impressed at how funny the main character was. I am practically the J.D. Salinger of my day. But when you model your main character on your son, and his mom on you, it starts to feel pretty uncomfortable, especially given that you detail real life events that were incredibly distressing to you and your family. And my fear saw that coming, and stopped me from reaching those painful pages. And maybe that's okay, for now. I did get to glimpse my creative living, my Big Magic. And I have to believe it is still there.
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