Lessons from Big Magic: Practical Insights for Finding Balance, Overcoming Perfectionism, and Living Authentically

I've been diving deep into Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love), a book that, on the surface, is all about creativity.

But honestly, it's so much more than that.

It’s packed with wisdom for anyone feeling stuck in the rat race of life.

Here are some of the most powerful lessons I've taken away from it, and I think they might just change the way you approach not only creativity but life itself.

1. Pursue a Life of Creative Living

Let's get one thing straight: creative living doesn’t mean you need to quit your job, enroll in art school, or start a career as a painter.

In fact, Gilbert advises against that.

Instead, she encourages us to find that one thing that breathes air into our lungs.

It could be something as simple as skating, reading, or even gardening.

The key here is that it doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time.

Just a few minutes a day doing something that brings you joy can make your life feel more worth living.

2. Done is Better than Perfect

This one hit me hard, especially as someone who struggles with perfectionism and the all-or-nothing mindset.

A lot of us get so caught up in trying to make everything perfect that we end up with a pile of unfinished projects.

Gilbert emphasizes, “Look around you, the evidence is everywhere: people don’t finish! So you finishing something is a rarity.”

Now, this doesn't mean you have to settle for mediocrity.

It just means that you should work on something until it’s about 90% done and just let go of that last nagging 10%.

Maybe there's an underdeveloped character in your story or a minor tweak you could make, but ask yourself: is it worth the time and effort to perfect this one thing?

You might end up sacrificing the essence of the whole project.

As Gilbert wisely puts it, “You do what you can do as competently as possible within a reasonable timeframe, and then you let it go.”

3. Give Your Mind a Job, or It Will Find One You Don’t Like

This is for my fellow overthinkers, the anxious, the depressed, and the easily bored souls.

Trust me, I get it; I’m right there with you.

Gilbert offers this gem: “Give your mind a job to do or else it will find a job to do, and you might not like the job it invents.”

We’ve all heard the phrase “khaali dimaagh shaitan ka hota hai” (an idle mind is the devil's workshop).

If you don’t give your mind something to create, it might turn inward and start to destroy.

So, channel that energy into something—anything—creative, even if it’s small.

4. People at the Gates of Your Dreams Are Just… People

As Pakistanis, we have a habit of putting our elders and authority figures on a pedestal, giving them almost god-like status.

But here’s a reality check: these gatekeepers of your dreams?

They’re just regular people.

Gilbert learned this after submitting a manuscript that was rejected, only to have the same manuscript accepted years later—unchanged—simply because she had a better-known agent.

The lesson? “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.”

But more importantly, remember that these gatekeepers are humans, just like you.

It reminds me of a question I asked the Executive Director of K&Ns, Adil Khali Sattar, after his talk at PIBT last semester.

I asked him how his father, the founder of K&Ns, kept going despite facing multiple rejections when pitching his poultry farm idea.

His answer stuck with me: “Stay foolish, stay hungry.”

5. If It’s Sucking the Soul Out of You, Quit!

This one’s for those of you who’ve been slogging it out in the creative industry for years, facing rejection after rejection.

If a creative pursuit is draining you, Gilbert gives you permission to quit. Yes, you read that right. Quit!

But here’s the catch: if you still find yourself longing for it after you’ve walked away, then maybe it’s worth going back to.

Sometimes a break is all you need to reignite the passion.

6. Don’t Turn Your Creative Passion into Your Career

Here’s a piece of advice that feels almost counterintuitive in today’s hustle culture: don’t make your passion your career.

Why? Because it can suck the soul out of your art.

The harsh realities of finances and deadlines can weigh heavy on your creativity.

Gilbert suggests finding a job that pays the bills and doing what you love on the side—at least at the start.

Don’t burn all your boats for your passion project just yet.

7. Ideas Are Living, Breathing Entities

This one’s a bit philosophical but stick with me.

Gilbert believes that ideas are like living, intangible beings.

They’ll find the quickest way to manifest themselves, jumping from one person to the next until they find someone willing to bring them to life.

If you’ve ever had a great idea but didn’t act on it, only to see someone else execute it later, you’ll get what she means.

8. Nobody Cares (And That’s a Good Thing)

Here’s the cold, hard truth: nobody cares about you.

At least, not as much as you think they do.

Sure, people might think about you for a moment, but they’ll quickly go back to the most important subject in their lives: themselves.

Once you internalize this, it’s freeing.

You can stop obsessing over what others think and focus on what you want to do.

In the end, Big Magic isn’t just a book for artists and writers.

It’s for anyone who’s tired of the rat race, anyone who feels stuck, and anyone who wants to inject a little bit of magic back into their lives.

So go ahead, find your joy, finish that project, and stop worrying so much about what everyone else thinks.

Because at the end of the day, the only person who really has to live with your choices is you.