This is my fifth (or maybe sixth) book on personal/creative development that I’ve been reading over the past few months. I will admit it was the subtitle that initially drew me into purchasing the book: “Creative Living Beyond Fear”.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Image: Amazon.com

I loved this book, for the straightforwardness and whimsicalness reasons she gave for everyone to just embrace their creative side, and if nothing else—create something for yourself, and not the world.

It has seemed like I let life get in the way of my creativity, and now maybe just maybe I’ll pick up those projects that I’ve set to the side when I was putting in the sixty to eighty hour work weeks, and apologize for neglecting them and finish.

Creativity is what gives us sanity to survive in this chaotic, stressful world. Not all will make millions off of it—but create for the joy, not the money.

I give this book five stars and highly recommend it to anyone who troubles creatively as a reminder that creative living should be fun and joyous.

One of my favorite quotes from the book: “You don’t need anybody’s permission to live a creative life”.