Insights on Creativity: Do Ideas Choose You?

I originally listened to Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert on audiobook, then recently read the paperback for Craft Chat Book Club (you should join!). Despite time passing, I still think about the book’s wisdom and our club conversations often. As my high school English teacher said, “If you think about a book for longer than it took you to read it, then it’s something special.”

I couldn’t agree more. If you haven't read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. It’s an inspirational look at creativity and its power in the universe.

Through Big Magic, Gilbert convinces readers that everyone is creative or capable of creativity. She discusses how the universe puts treasures of creativity (ideas) inside of us, but we have to be courageous enough to search for them and engage with them.

One section in particular truly changed my perception and understanding of creativity and the connections it makes in our universe. Gilbert personifies ideas when she describes how they move through the universe, seeking a “human collaborator.” Sometimes we take advantage of an idea’s inspirational visit and get to work. Other times, the ideas get tired of waiting on us and move on.

Illustrating this concept, Gilbert talked about meeting fellow author, Ann Patchett. They reunited sometime after initially meeting and began chatting about their ideas for novels, as authors often do. Gilbert shared the plot of a book that she’d set aside. Turns out that Patchett had pretty much the same plot as the one Gilbert described! In their meeting, they discussed the eerily similar plots. Gilbert and Patchett traced their writing timelines, and Gilbert thinks the idea hopped over to Patchett when they first met!

Photo of the Big Magic provided through Amazon.

WOW! Did that give you goosebumps?!

This parallel plot was not a case of theft. And both Patchett and Gilbert took the situation of this shared idea in stride. Reflecting on the experience, Gilbert chose to view this situation as affirmation of personified ideas. The plot idea Gilbert had abandoned her to find another human collaborator—Ann Patchett. And Patchett later published the book. (It’s State of Wonder if you were curious.)

Gilbert shared her insights:

“I saw this incident as a rare and glittering piece of evidence that all my most outlandish beliefs about creativity might actually be true—that ideas are alive, that ideas do seek the most available human collaborator, that ideas do have a conscious will, that ideas do move from soul to soul, that ideas will always try to seek the swiftest and most efficient conduit to the earth (just as lightning does).” -Big Magic

What a beautiful way to make the most of a seemingly bad situation.

And how cool that ideas could choose us (humans) as collaborators!

Gilbert had let go of the idea that had hopped from collaboration with her to collaboration with Patchett. But most importantly—Gilbert didn’t give up writing entirely. After Big Magic, Gilbert listened to the universe. She engaged with creativity and moved on with other ideas. And she was and still is successful!

Revisiting Gilbert’s ideas from Big Magic has inspired me to at least try to uncover the hidden treasures within me. And I hope that you’ll consider and celebrate the treasures that exist in you!

Creativity demands a lot from us—an open mind, grit, and courage. It’s not easy to engage with creativity, but it’s worth it.

I’ll end with one of Gilbert’s inspirational quote (though Big Magic is stuffed with nuggets):

“Most things have already been done—but they have not been done by you.”

So seek out those creative treasures and collaborate with the universe’s ideas. Good luck, my writing friends!