Interesting read but I truly cannot understand the hype. There are quite a few things I don’t agree with. And while it’s fine for everybody to have a different opinion, it’s the preaching tone of the book that’s probably put me off the most. Nevertheless there are also a couple points that ring a bell and might be worth contemplating over a bit more. Overall a quick and easy read.

I was hesitant to read this book for a while. All the raving reviews left me doubtful if it would deliver all the encouragement and inspiration that other readers seemed to find between its pages. Well, what can I say - I loved it, I did feel encouraged and inspired and delighted. All the things, really. Liz Gilbert has a unique perspective on creativity and what it means to live a creative life and she makes it sound just wonderful and - to me the most important thing - actually achievable. So yes, if you find even the most tiny longing to create something or to read this book- do both!

"We must understand that the drive for perfectionism is a corrosive waste of time, because nothing is ever beyond criticism." I did enjoy did book and highlighted many sentences from this book. However I sometimes struggled to follow Gilberts argumentations, because she believes that ideas are "a disembodied, energetic life-form" that have a "consciousness" and a "will". And she also thinks that nature has sentience. Which... I don't believe. So I just ignored those statements, but it was still a bit weird to me. This book is kinda spiritual and so it might not be for you. It's a nice book for people that enjoy creativity and are somewhat open to spiritual content. "Done is better than good."

This book had been a gift from my friend, which I glady read during my vacation. It was an inspiring inside into the mind of a fairly interesting and creative person and it gave me a few new perspectives on creativity and on creating things. Truly- making things and failing is better than not creating at all and finding new perspective in things can be absolutely wonderful. I loved Gilbert' thoughts that ideas are beings as well and that they find us and try to be born through a person into this world. That's definitely a view I will try to adapt without taking anything too creative too serious. A few passages might have been a little bit long though, but still it had been a wonderful read.

3 out of 5 stars because it felt like I haven't read something new. It just made the points stronger that I've heard before and made me feel more motivated, but that's it. I can recommend it because that book is easily readable within a day and makes you feel better about yourself after you've finished it. Elizabeth Gilbert strongly writes about the creative part as of being a writer, which makes her more relatable for me, but for some other people it might be off-throwing.

4.5 stars! I know many people didn't like this book. I, however, thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm absolutely in awe with Gilbert's writing style and the way she talks about creativity. Also it totally motivated and helped me :). There were some points I strongly disagree with though, as for example her stance on academics. Sure studying the arts certainly is very paradox but completely encouraging readers to drop their studies? I don't know. Other than that I'd say it was a brilliant read.

The good thing I can say about this book is that there were a few great lines about how even bad finished work is better than not finishing (or even starting) something at all, and I really needed that reminder. Apart from that it was mostly fighting to urge to throw the whole thing out of the window and/or into the river I was sitting at while reading. Yeah, really not my thing at all.

"Big Magic" ist das erste Buch, das ich von Elizabeth Gilbert gelesen habe und ich fand es wirklich toll! zum einen ist es sehr einfach zu lesen, zum anderen dabei aber auch trotzdem sehr inspirierend. Tatsächlich bekommt man wenig konkrete Tipps für die Implementierung in das eigene Leben, was ich sehr angenehm fand, da das Buch dadurch nicht so belehrend wirkt. An manchen Stellen hat es sich etwas gezogen, aber alles in allem, ist "Big Magic" auf jeden fall eine Leseempfehlung!

Mixed feelings about this one, It started of great telling me things how one should be more creative but slowly and steadily it became more about creative living and not choosing creative living as a living, if I understand what I mean? She kept on saying that she isn't against people going out to study creativity but pointed out so many things where it felt she actually frowned upon people who are creating art for living. I am a designer and I don't agree with you at all, for me to to creative yes I have to study and look for art and also grasp things that are around me but I also need proper guidance and mentoring and focus, I cannot be working three jobs and come back home and be like oh let's be creative because that's the purpose of human life. NO. The only thing I liked about this book was - ideas being free spirits, that was new and interesting to me, else this book was more talking about Elizabeth's journey as a writer and how pleased she is about the kind of person she is and how she urges others to live a life like her because apparently that's the best way to live. (rolls eyes)

"Big Magic" ist das erste Buch, das ich von Elizabeth Gilbert gelesen habe und ich fand es wirklich toll! zum einen ist es sehr einfach zu lesen, zum anderen dabei aber auch trotzdem sehr inspirierend. Tatsächlich bekommt man wenig konkrete Tipps für die Implementierung in das eigene Leben, was ich sehr angenehm fand, da das Buch dadurch nicht so belehrend wirkt. An manchen Stellen hat es sich etwas gezogen, aber alles in allem, ist "Big Magic" auf jeden fall eine Leseempfehlung!