Big Magic Summary (Plus PDF)

Big Magic is referred to as living a creative life. Elizabeth Gilbert says that whatever you love more than yourself is your dream and you should pursue it no matter what. Life is meant to live fearlessly, so go out and do what makes you happy rather than living in your comfort zone and wondering something will happen.

The book has 304 pages and it is a self-help book but it’s not a how-to guide. The author has shared some of her life stories along with how writing for 20 consistent years made her what she is today

Big Magic Summary

If you need the courage to work on your dream but you’re having doubts or you’re afraid of what might happen if you fail then The Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert will help you to overcome your fear and give you all the answers that you need right now.

As the author says “No one will come and rescue you from whatever you’re going through, you’re the only one who has the power to get up and do what makes you happy”

There are people who love to start something new but they’re afraid of what if something goes wrong and what people will say about it. Instant, just do it, why do you care about others opinions? 

One of my favorite quotes from the book is “It seems to me that the less I fight my fear, the less it fights back. If I can relax, fear relaxes, too.”

That’s what I took from the book as well, if you love doing something then what you’re afraid of. Maybe failure, maybe people’s opinions, maybe losing what you have, or something else.

But you know what, if you love something then it is worth taking a risk. If you don’t then what is the meaning of living life? You’re just an animal who eats and sleeps.

Now, let’s take a deep dive and see what the author says about living the life that you always wanted.

I’m keeping my promise, this is the mini-ebook of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. So download right now and read wherever you want for free. Happy Reading.

Find Your Hunt

I never knew that I would become a writer but here I am writing this article. Back in 2016, I started my first website, and like a new writer, I wasn’t good at all but day by day, I improved and now, I have written two books and a third one is coming this Diwali (2024).

Now, yes, I found writing interesting because I started reading books during my schooling days but for you, it might be difficult or it might be too easy.

So if you haven’t found your dream work yet then ask this question “What is the one thing that you love doing other than yourself”

It might be writing, playing any sort of sports, sales, marketing, or even starting a business.

Ask questions to yourself, so you can get an answer. Don’t wait for someone to tell you that, you’re good at singing and that’s why you should start a career in singing.

Get aware of the skills you have and the thing you love doing the most and try to do those every day.

Trust the process and the day will come when you will be more closer to your goals.

So go find your hunt.

Key to Success

An XYZ Person starting a business for the first time might find success and he might become a millionaire whereas an ABC person starting a business for the third time might face failure, yet again.

It’s not luck, this is life.

That XYZ person might be doing something different that the ABC person wasn’t doing. So no matter what happens, whether you see failure or things are not working out, the only thing you have to do is “Be Consistent”

In today’s world, most people want to become YouTubers but not everyone is getting the same views. In this case, uploading videos every day or even every week for the long term will give you views.

But if you stop uploading videos after a month then nothing will happen. As someone says, follow the process and don’t pay much attention to the end result. 

So be Consistent because that’s the only thing you can do if you believe in what you’re doing.

Limitation is Myth

I have seen people who say “Oh, I can’t do this, this is too hard and I don’t know whether I will able to do it or not”

This is all bullsh*t.

You have the power to do anything you want whether you want to become the greatest cricket of all time or chess player of all time. You just have to believe that you can do it and your brain will give you all the power you need.

So the next time, if you like something and at the same time, if you’re having thoughts like “I can’t do this” then ask yourself “Why not”

The “WHY” will solve every single problem related to that thing you want to do because now, you’re questioning your belief.

So don’t set a limit on anything. If you feel like doing it then do it and if you’re not able to do it properly then learn and get better because you can.

Don’t Be Perfect, Be Better

I was the kind of person who wanted everything to be perfect and then moved on to the next thing. This was wrong, I learned that from the books I read.

I understood this early on in my life, so it didn’t f*cked my life too much.

So if you want to start something and if that thing is not perfect or you feel this is not the perfect time or place to start then berry that feeling right away and start working on the idea.

There will be no perfect time or place to start something, the perfect time is right now.

Instead of being perfect, try to be better at what you’re doing every day. As James Clear says “Improve 1% every day”.

Big Magic Lessons

• You have all the answers you need, the only thing you have to do is to look within yourself.
• Being Consistent is the key to your dreams, so trust the process and don’t think too much about the results.
• Don’t set any sort of limits for yourself, you have unlimited power to do anything. You just have to believe in yourself.
• There is no need to be perfect at everything, instant, be better than you were yesterday.
• Fear is the only thing that is stopping you from achieving your goals. So face whatever fear you have and be free.
• Do what you love the most because this is the way to live a happy life.
• Thinking about starting a business won’t do anything, instant start a business and see what happens next.

Big Magic Quotes

“Be the weirdo who dares to enjoy.”

“Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.”

“Done is better than good.”

“What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?”

“Own your disappointment, acknowledge it for what it is, and move on.”

“living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.”

“Basically, your fear is like a mall cop who thinks he’s a Navy SEAL: He hasn’t slept in days, he’s all hopped up on Red Bull, and he’s liable to shoot at his own shadow in an absurd effort to keep everyone “safe.”

“Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?”

“the clock is ticking, and the world is spinning, and we simply do not have time anymore to think so small.”

“At some point, you really just have to finish your work and release it as is-if only so you can go on and make other things with a glad and determined heart.”

“You may want your work to be perfect, in other words; I just want mine to be finished.”

“Q: What is creativity? A: The relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration.”

“Every time you express a complaint about how difficult and tiresome it is to be creative, inspiration takes another step away from you,”

“in order to let go of the addiction to creative suffering, you must reject the way of the martyr”

Big Magic Review

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is not one of those books that you should read before you die but it is one of those books that will set you free from your fear.

What I am saying is, if you have read a few self-help books then you won’t learn anything new from this book but if you’re a new reader or want to explore new authors then do give this book a read.

It’s a beautifully written book that will for sure change the way you’re living your life.

Buy Big Magic:

Love What You Read, You Might Like These too…

By the way, we also have a WhatsApp Channel! If you love reading, this is the perfect place for you to join—and the best part? It’s completely FREE!