The 'Big Magic' in designing a new career

In ‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ Elizabeth Gilbert explores what it means to lead a creative life. While she describes this in terms of her own experience as a writer, I was immediately struck by the parallels with creating a more fulfilling career.

The phrase that first made me sit up and take notice was the idea of creating ‘an amplified existence’. This may sound a bit grand on a cold Monday morning in the middle of a global pandemic, but I have to admit my spirits took off in recognition.

This is exactly why I set up Freestyle Careers and focused on career change coaching – I want to help anyone who is on a quest for work that gives them a sense of purpose, that aligns with who they really are and uses their true strengths to know that search is worth the effort and yes, that it can succeed.

Even the chapter headings in ‘Big Magic’ have clear resonance with redesigning a working life. Ultimately, her message (and mine) is about igniting talents, working hard towards mastery in your profession or art, and honouring the magic (or WHY) that drives this endeavour.

Let’s dive into these chapter headings and see what they mean for creating a fulfilling career.

1.     Courage 

‘Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?’ (Big Magic, p 8)

No doubt about it – courage is part of the deal. Moving from a comfortable, reliable profession into the dream of an inspiring new career requires a certain amount of bravery. There’s undoubtedly an element of risk. And it’s only when the tipping point between fear of continued stagnation and the hope of a more resonant working life is reached that most of us are ready to take our own happiness seriously.  

Some of the treasures you might uncover during a career change include your hidden strengths, unused talents, unspoken ambitions and unexpressed values. You might have buried this treasure in the distant past, but believe me when I say that it’s waiting to be rediscovered.

When the call to do more, be more and expect more from your working life can no longer be ignored, it’s time to dust off your courage and face what you really want. This is what Elizabeth Gilbert calls ‘living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than fear.’ 

Rather than being trapped by that fear, surely it’s better to harness it, acknowledge the risks and seriously balance them against what you have to lose by doing nothing. By following that curiosity, you’ll uncover the future that becomes your very own treasure trove.

2.     Enchantment 

‘Work with all your heart, because  - I promise you - if you show up for your work day after day after day, you might get lucky enough one random morning to burst into bloom.’ (Big Magic, p 63)

Are we more than a little suspicious of magic? Might there be a whiff of the magical thinking that cynics are all too ready to douse with their cool water of ‘reality’?

But what if magic happens when skills are honed, hours dedicated to mastering our profession, when the reason for these efforts matters to us deeply? You have only to think back to a time when you produced something you were surprisingly proud of – a better process, a more inspiring design, an article that flowed (magically) onto the page. Did you say something like: “I don’t even know where that came from?” (EG, p66)

Will you find that magic in a soul-sucking, repetitive job that leaves you cold? It’s unlikely. But what might happen when you reconnect with your talents, interests and energising tasks that create the opportunity for you to be ‘in flow’? Well, the chances are higher for sure!

[To find your own version of flow, request my guide to ‘Discover Work that Sets Your Alight’ here.]

In the career change world, magic happens when an individual recognises how they can harness their talents for a cause that aligns with their values and gives them a sense of purpose. Some call it your WHY – and by activating that energy, career change magic happens.

3.     Permission 

‘You do not need anybody’s permission to lead a creative life.’ (Big Magic, p 86)

Plenty of things get in the way of exploring what might be possible, not least a nagging voice that drip feeds the lie that we’re not clever / young / experienced / imaginative / or savvy enough to even contemplate such a different future. 

In some hidden recess or our minds we may be unconsciously waiting to get the green light to explore another way of living and working. We need permission. And the truth is that no one is going to give it to you.

But there is another way – give it to yourself. That permission slip to roam freely, follow your curiosity, ask big questions about yourself and your life is actually in your back pocket. What’s stopping you from getting it out and taking advantage of that vote of confidence? Yes, that obstacle (sadly) is probably you. 

So here’s another way. Life is short - it can be a wonderful, magnificent, meaningful, rewarding and exciting thing, but sometimes we need a nudge to believe it. We need permission to go after that bigger life. So here it is. Now go. Use your permission slip.

‘you are allowed to be here, and – merely by being here – you are allowed to have a voice and a vision of your own.’ (Big Magic, p 92)

4.     Persistence 

‘nobody ever told us it would be easy, and uncertainty is what we sign up for when we say we want to lead creative lives.’ (Big Magic, p186)

No, it’s not easy. Each career change I’ve made for myself or supported others in designing has required hours of work, reflection, research, validation, intuition, questing, boldness, evaluation, brainstorming, prototyping, creativity and persistence.

Career change (like living a full life) is not for the faint hearted. But don’t let that put you off. You’ve achieved difficult things in your past haven’t you? Picked yourself up again after setbacks, tragedies, and pitfalls? Yes, we all have, because that’s part of being alive. We learn to survive and carry on.

When we know WHY our career change is so vital to us, what rewards it will bring and how fully ourselves we will be in this new working life, persistence becomes second nature. We know why we need to keep going, and the costs of giving in.

Those many rejection letters, silences, and dead ends are part of the journey. Each offers some vital piece of learning if we are able to look and understand it – you were rejected from the job that looked perfect for you and it felt like the end of the dream. But what happened next was that you discovered another vital piece of the puzzle – and that that job was not yours, but this one really is.

So soldier on, come back to why, eat another bowl of porridge and set off again. If you give up now, you might never know just how close you were to creating that wonderful and inspiring new career.

5.     Trust

‘What interests you is a clue. It might seem like nothing, but it’s a clue. Trust it. See where curiosity will lead you next.’ (Big Magic, p238)

The future is invisible. For many people, fears and doubts obscure what they really want in life – and what they might share with the world. 

You can’t see the future, no, but you can envision it. And that is a conscious choice and a conscious act.

When you can conjure up a vision of a future that inspires and energises you, that you inhabit as yourself, where you can make a positive impact and find fulfilment and happiness, it’s not a dream, it’s a roadmap. 

So yes, there is work involved (see above re. persistence), but it’s worth it when that effort takes you towards something more meaningful, more exciting, more you – surely?

And perhaps the biggest work of all is trusting that this can happen. Trust yourself. Trust in possibility. Trust in ‘Big Magic.’

If you’d like to start exploring what your fulfilling career looks like - and how you can create it - just get in touch using the button below and we’ll set up a free 30-minute chat. I believe in this kind of magic!