I entered a contest on Instagram a while back and I actually won. It happened to involve winning not one but three books from one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert. I simply had to post a picture of my copy of Eat, Pray, Love. My original copy of the book is long gone. I gave it away to charity along with the rest of my books when I was “cleaning house” so to speak back in 2011-2013. I picked up another copy last year at a consignment shop for $2 and this one I will keep. So, I was randomly selected and won a 10th Anniversary copy of EPL along with the new book, Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It. I have not had a chance to look at the new one yet but I gather it is a collection of essays written by women who were inspired by Gilbert’s story and went on their own quests to find themselves. I cannot wait to read it. Besides those two books, I received a copy of her last book called Big Magic. This is the third copy I have owned of Big Magic. I bought one copy and gave it to a friend after I went to see Liz speak in Nashville last fall and received my second copy with her autograph. Are you following? If I lost you I apologize. I am explaining all of this because it is a bit of a big deal to me.
I am inspired by so many courageous women (and men!) who share their stories of truth with grace, humility, and complete vulnerability. I was scrolling IG today and saw a post from someone I connected with last year from SheSpeaks and the picture was a sight of pure joy. She had a smile from ear to ear and the caption read, “I just finished writing my first book!!!” It made me smile just as big seeing her happiness…because I GET IT. I am on a similar journey. Maybe you are too? You might not be writing a spiritual memoir but possibly you are in the middle of a different kind of creative endeavor. I smiled and imagined myself posting a similar selfie with a big toothy, well-deserved grin.
I am always hesitant to share my blog with people I know in “real life” because I have this fear they will think I am crazy after reading a few entries. And unlike my connections in the Internet world, I have to face these people again at some point. That can be a scary thought! But everyone is not everyone else’s cup of tea. Not everyone will relate. I don’t expect them to. And you know what? It doesn’t matter if they approve or not because I am still going to continue. If my words, grammar, spelling, message, etc. aren’t perfect at least I am trying and by doing so I am growing.
I read the quote on the back cover of Big Magic and it spoke to me. “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. The work wants to be made, and it wants to be made through you.” ~E. Gilbert
Yes it does. Good or bad, it wants to be made and I have no explanation other than God placing a calling on my heart to do this thing. The fact that I have had my hands on three copies of this book in the last six months could be a sign? “Do your ‘thing’, create your magic.” I hear similar whispers from readers nudging me to continue. Well, I nudge you right back. Let’s all do what we feel in our hearts that we NEED to do…not just what we have to do to get by. Creativity is not easy. It requires discipline and hard work. But we are not here long and we each have the power to contribute so much. The world needs US. Are you willing to do the work? I sit in the middle of a pile of papers almost daily. Sometimes I don’t accomplish much. And sometimes I accomplish a lot and it ends up in the trash can. It is a constant process and it is not going to create itself.
The people we love, cherishing every moment and expressing gratitude for everything, and leaving a positive footprint behind us are the most important things in life, to me. I got fired from a job in January four days after I started. I have been in the workforce fulltime since 1996 and I have never been let go from a job. I was still in training and mostly observing and hadn’t done a lick of work other than breaking my back cleaning walls on my last day for 12 hours straight. God didn’t want me to have that job. I don’t exactly know where I am going to end up from here but my WORD for this year is definitely coming to fruition. FREEDOM to do what I love rather than being stuck in a nowhere position is a gift I am not taking for granted. I might end up working at McDonalds in order to pay my bills and if so, that is where I will be. Wherever God places me that is where my soul will grow. Where you are is where you are supposed to be. And that is where the magic happens. 🙂
Blessings,
Stacey ~ iamalive