I recently read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Gilbert is of course the author of the mega-hit Eat Pray Love. I enjoyed this other book by her even more than the bestseller. Her take on the creative process can be helpful for writers as well as for those in other creative fields or for those who just enjoy being creative.

If you are thinking about publishing something or are already part of the world, some of Gilbert’s observations and advice could be quite helpful. I’d recommend you read this book.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

On the creativity that lives within you and how to get it into the world:

And you have treasures hidden within you — extraordinary treasures — and so do I, and so does everyone around us. And bringing these treasures to light takes work and faith and focus and courage and hours of devotion, and the clock is ticking, and the world is spinning, and we simply do not have time anymore to think small. (p. 27)

On getting over perfectionism:

We must understand that drive for perfectionism is a corrosive waste of time, because nothing is ever beyond criticism. (p. 169)

On actually producing something creative (and not just tinkering forever!):

You do what you can do, as competently as possible within a reasonable time frame, and then you let it go. (p. 177)

On curiosity:

Curiosity is the truth and the way of creative living. (p. 237)