A “Big Magic” ‘Thank You’ to my Biggest Supporters

A “Big Magic” ‘Thank You’ to my biggest supporters

Last week I was lucky enough to get tickets to see the ever-impressive Elizabeth Gilbert, in London, give a talk entitled “Love and Life”. It was ostensibly an event to promote her latest novel, City of Girls but, as with everything Elizabeth does in the world, it was more than just a promotional-marketing onslaught. It was a soulful, heartfelt discussion about her approach to living and her creativity.

I know a fair bit about Elizabeth’s views on how one should live a creative life without fear, because I have read her book ‘Big Magic’, and I would recommend everyone else who wants to put a bit more meaning and joy into their lives to read it too.

This book was one of several pivotal moments that pushed me, finally, into living my own creative life and to write my first novel. It wasn’t the biggest permission giver for me to walk tall and begin the exciting, nerve-wracking, hang-your-heart-out-on-the-line journey that being a writer of books is (my husband Steve is that permission giver), but Elizabeth’s advice did remind me to treat my creativity with a joyful lightness and to relish the act of creation for itself, without placing too much burden upon it regarding, for instance, how it might be judged.

In short, Big Magic is a great book. And It was a great talk.

I got to thinking though; how can I pass this forward? How can I acknowledge my privilege at being able to see Elizabeth and also my gratitude for my supporters and readers who continue to enable my dream of having a writing career?

And this is what I have decided upon – I have decided to give a gift to my greatest supporters.

I figured I needed to pick some kind of metric to help me analyse who these people are – so, for better or worse, I have decided to use the amount of ‘engagement’ that has been done on my Facebook page posts over the last 6 months.

It’s not a perfect metric, possibly it is a bit of a ‘blunt tool’ – I do know that there are many who support me and my writing but who just aren’t on social media. On the other hand, if you are liking, or even loving my posts, making comments and sharing my content amongst your own friends then you are definitely helping spread word of my books and my themes and helping me to find new readers.

So, these are my top three supporters – please imagine a drumroll playing - Gay Harrison, Catherine Greene and Jeff Rand.

I want to express my deep gratitude for your interest in my writing. It means such a lot to me that you are taking practical, generous actions that support my writing career.

I am giving these three lovely people a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic book so that everyone’s creativity can be encouraged and Elizabeth’s own contribution to my author story can be celebrated in a small way.

Gay, Catherine & Jeff – I’m going to contact you each individually to find out what choice of format you’d like to receive the book in, and of course if you’d prefer for someone in your friend/family group to receive the book instead (because maybe perhaps you’ve already read Big Magic) then let me know.

I hope you love the Big Magic read, and once again a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support.

Finally, to all my readers, every single one of you, even though you may not have won a ‘best-supporter-award’ this time, I want you to know how much I deeply appreciate you. The books are only really ‘finished’ when they come to life in your imagination.

With much heart. Rachel.