I Am Art

A poem inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic

Background:

Hi there.

Today I’m sharing a playful poem inspired by my recent reading of Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Of all the books to prioritize reading, I never imagined I’d get around to one by the author of Eat. Pray. Love. (which I have nothing against, except by osmosis of the literary hipsters’ backlash to such a mega-best seller), but here we are.

It was a recommendation of my therapist that really paid off in offering healthier ways to think about my writing, respecting and making clearer commitments to the myriad ideas I interact with on a daily basis. Rather than adhering to the cult of artistic suffering and getting grumpy I’m not already making the money I might like to from my creative work, I’m taking Gilbert’s prescription not to put so much pressure on art to pay my bills — which really, really takes the fun out of it. She’s also helped me appreciate that, despite all the trials and doubts (though I was going to say tribulations, didn’t you?) involved, creative writing is one of the things in life I most love doing. What’s more, it loves me. Shouldn’t we all strive to feel the same about the work we love doing, the work we’d do even when no one is paying for it?

I could go on, as I always could once I get started about another’s work of art that really resonates with me. But now I’ll let this poem, which sprung up in response to one particularly inspiring chapter of Big Magic, speak for itself. I’ll also tease that I have…