Big Magic Discussion Questions (+ February’s Book Club Pick!)

It’s time for the very first Lake Shore Lady Book Club post!!! YAY YAY YAY!!! Of course, I wish we could all chat in person every month, but I’m hoping that this is the next best thing. As most of you know, January’s Book Club Pick was Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Below you’ll find some of my thoughts on the book, plus 3 sets of discussion questions. Feel free to print out this page and bring it to your local book club meetings, share some thoughts in the comments here, or participate in the discussion in my Lake Shore Lady Community Group on Facebook!

February’s Book Club Pick

Before we dive in, it’s time to announce my February Book Club Pick… Husband Material by Emily Belden!!! Emily is a Chicago author that I met back when she wrote her first book, Eightysixed. After that, she debuted her first novel, Hot Mess, in 2018. Emily and I actually hosted a small in person book club meeting with readers because I loved that one so much! I mean, a book all about an up and coming chef opening a restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop? That is FOR ME. Needless to say, I was SO EXCITED when her third book came out, and even though I haven’t finished yet, I think you guys are going to love it, too. Will you be reading?!

Back to Big Magic

To quickly recap, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear was written by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the beloved Eat, Pray, Love. I know it might be easy to think “I don’t have a creative career, so I won’t get anything out of this book“, but I truly think her words are for every single one of us. After all, her main point is always about “living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.” 

That being said, some chapters might resonate more with you than others. The book is broken down into six sections: Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust and Divinity. If you are searching for creativity inside of you, the Courage section might impact you the most. On the other hand, if you’ve been pursuing something creative for a long time, the Persistence and Trust sections offer incredible perspective. Like I said, something for everyone.

If you’re wondering what resonated the most with me, I actually wrote a reaction to this book when I first read it! Instead of repeating it all here, I started all 3 discussions in my Facebook Group so you can read my answers/chat with me about them there. Also, each thread starts with *Big Magic Book Club*, so if they aren’t at the top of the group when you read this, you can easily search for them and engage!

Big Magic Discussion Questions

Discussion 1:

Have you ever pursued (or thought about pursuing) a creative endeavor?

Are you still doing it? How’s it going?

Have you stopped doing it? Why?

If you never started, what held you back?

Discussion 2:

Was there a concept/chapter that really resonated with you? Why?

Was there a concept/chapter that didn’t resonate or that you disagreed with? Why?

Discussion 3:

Do you think that fear holds you back from doing something creative or risky?

Has there been a time when you let curiosity win out over fear? Did it work out or did you “fail”? What did you learn?

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I know some of you are planning to get together in person, but I’d love to hear some of your answers in these comments or in the Facebook Group! And don’t forget to pick up Husband Material by Emily Belden so we can discuss that next month!!!

PS. You might also like 6 Things I Learned From Big Magic, Book Club Intro, What I Read Last Summer, and 30 Things I Learned Before 30.