TC 280: Cafe Book Club – Big Magic: Divinity

In this episode host Robin Masiewicz and her sister Amy Frost conclude their discussion part 6 of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. The last section is titled "Divinity". Robin says overall that Big Magic reaffirmed a lot of what she already knew about creativity, but that hearing someone say it "out loud" really gave her a chance to reflect on her own understanding of creativity. She particularly enjoyed "Accidental Grace", the story of the dancers in Bali that created a "secular" form of a dance for tourists, and in the process revitalized their sacred dances that they perform in their sacred rituals to keep the universe intact. So far it seems to be working. Amy's main take away from this last section was to learn to "lean in to curiosity". Many people talk about finding your passion, but if you don't feel passionate about any particular thing, then what are you curious about, even a little bit? Conclusion: Elibeth's conclusion to this section and to Big Magic is quoted below. Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn't matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us. Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul, and I promise--you can make anything. So please calm down and get back to work, okay? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes. Comments: We encourage you to leave your comments about this section and Big Magic in general in the Cafe Book Club forum. We also welcome your suggestions for future titles for the next Cafe Book Club.