I started with the podcast: Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert, which I loved so much that I ordered the book that prompted it – Big Magic (Amazon).
In the podcast, Gilbert takes people one at a time through their creative block, following up with a call to someone else who she thinks will be helpful. It was so reassuring, after having a long struggle with creativity myself, to hear people echoing the same fears, and finding a way through them.
The book is more Gilbert’s manifesto for what she calls a “creative life”. It’s a little bit out there in some ways (ideas floating around the universe waiting for the right person) but in some ways refreshingly pragmatic. She talks about showing up consistently, and expecting nothing in the way of material success, accepting brutal edits, and letting go of what you put out in the world.
I loved it, really. The book was exactly the pep talk I needed, the podcast the context and empathy that validated my struggle. Definitely recommend if creativity is a topic you’re interested in.