Just finished...

 

So, I finally finished Big Magic!

I've been reading it for quite a while and life just kept getting in the way.

Even though it took me like a year (seriously) to read this book, 

I really love it and recommend that everyone read it.

Whether you are a hugely creative person,

or you believe you don't have a creative bone in your body,

you should read this book.

First of all, I love Elizabeth Gilbert and have ever since I read Eat Pray Love.

I love her style, wit, and way of writing.

 I also love that I have experienced everything she writes about in this book,

but never imagined to articulate it or look at it the way she does.

For example, she talks about the Muse or Inspiration being an actual entity.

You know, like angels or spirits.

God created Inspiration for the sole purpose of bringing creative works forth into the world.

The Muse's job is to find willing souls to contract with for particular jobs.

If the Muse gives you an idea and you think, "Yes! That sounds awesome. 

I'm totally going to make/write/sew/create that...", then you have 

contracted with the Muse.  If for any reason you then renege on your contract,  

the Muse can then cancel your contract and take your idea to someone else

that will actually fulfill the job.

According to Gilbert, this is why we see lawsuits claiming "They stole my song!  I started

that song years ago but never finished it!" Well, you didn't finish it, 

so Inspiration took that song to another person.

I have experienced much of this in my creative life, so as soon as I read her explanation,

it was like my soul said, "Yes!"

Years ago when I was heavily blogging, it was like I had a daily date with the Muse.

I worked nights and early in the morning toward the end of my shift,

I would start getting ideas flooding me about the blog I was to write that day.

Sometimes whole ideas and sometimes specific wording.

The key was to take notes and write down what was coming to me,

because if I waited, I would never be able to capture 

the same emotion or sentiment that I was feeling at that time.

Also, there was that time that an entire book was downloaded into my head 

while driving down a snowy highway.

In a matter of minutes, I had a whole idea for a book...plot, characters, setting.

I agreed to try and write this book and the words poured out of me.

I completed around 150 pages and got a whole shitty first draft completed.

But then life got busy.  I moved across country, got a divorce,

got into another crappy relationship, and moved across country again.

The book sat there...and the Muse was silent.  She was gone.  Even when I thought

about working on the book, the inspiration was gone.  I just couldn't get into it.

I think she took my idea elsewhere.  Not only that, but ALL of my writing seemed to

have dried up.  I didn't even blog for a few years.  I just had nothing to say and no

inspiration to do it.

However, I began talking to her and to God and letting it be known that I knew 

that I had not held up my end of the bargain and I would love another chance.

I asked for the Muse to please  come back and give me another chance.

And I haven't fully convinced her to move back in yet,

but I think we're at least dating again.

I have little ideas and inspirations coming.

Oh, and I found a long-lost copy of my book hidden in the archives of my email.

I thought I had lost it, but here it is.

I re-read the entire thing, and the funny thing is that it has been so long

since I've worked on it that I pretty much forgot most of the things I had written.

I read it with fresh eyes... and it was GOOD!

I was so excited and kind of proud of myself.

I mean, it is only a SFD and not a finished product,

but it has good bones.  Now, I am thinking of sitting down and working

on it here and there.  Whether it ever gets published or not,

I can say I finished it and didn't give up.

I saw it to fruition... at least that's the plan at this time.

xoxo v.