Self-help · Similar reads
Books like Big Magic
The best books like Big Magic are The War of Art, The Creative Habit, and The Artist's Way. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is about creativity, fear, creative work. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- The War of Art
01
Steven Pressfield · Self-help
The War of Art is Steven Pressfield's short, blunt manual for anyone who creates — or wants to create — and finds themselves blocked, procrastinating, or unable to start.
Shares creativity and creative work with Big Magic.
Read the summary → - The Creative Habit
02
Twyla Tharp · Self-help
The Creative Habit is legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp's account of how creativity works in practice — not as inspiration but as habit, discipline, and preparation.
Shares creativity and creative work with Big Magic.
Read the summary → - The Artist's Way
03
Julia Cameron · Self-help
The Artist's Way is Julia Cameron's twelve-week program for recovering and developing creative ability, originally published in 1992 and still widely used in studio groups and classrooms.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary →
- Bird by Bird
04
Anne Lamott · Self-help
Bird by Bird is Anne Lamott's guide to writing and the creative life, grown from a course she taught at UC Davis and developed over years of writing novels, essays, and journalism.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary → - Steal Like an Artist
05
Austin Kleon · Self-help
Steal Like an Artist is Austin Kleon's short, illustrated guide to the creative process, built around the premise that nothing is truly original — all creative work is built from and inspired by what came before.
Shares creativity and creative work with Big Magic.
Read the summary → - Show Your Work!
06
Austin Kleon · Self-help
Show Your Work!
Shares creativity and creative work with Big Magic.
Read the summary → - Leonardo da Vinci
07
Walter Isaacson · Biography
Walter Isaacson's biography of Leonardo da Vinci is built around a simple and provocative claim: Leonardo's genius was not a supernatural gift but an extreme version of a learnable quality — curiosity.
Shares creativity and curiosity with Big Magic.
Read the summary → - Do the Work
08
Steven Pressfield · Self-help
Do the Work is Steven Pressfield's shortest and most directly operational book about creative resistance.
Both dig into creative work.
Read the summary → - Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within
09
Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within
Kenny Werner · Self-help
Effortless Mastery is jazz pianist Kenny Werner's account of what he calls "the space" — a state of relaxed, fearless attention that produces music of genuine quality, and that most musicians, including Werner himself for much of his early career, never reliably access.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary → - Hyperfocus
10
Chris Bailey · Self-help
Hyperfocus is Chris Bailey's second book, narrowing in on the attention piece of his earlier productivity triad.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary → - Keep Going
11
Austin Kleon · Self-help
Keep Going is Austin Kleon's third book in his series on creative practice, following Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary → - Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers
12
Making Music: 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers
Dennis DeSantis · Self-help
Making Music is Dennis DeSantis's catalog of seventy-four specific problems that electronic music producers encounter, paired with concrete strategies for addressing each one.
Both dig into creativity.
Read the summary →
Books like Big Magic: quick answers
What are the best books like Big Magic?
The best books like Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert are The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with Big Magic, such as creativity, fear, creative work.
What should I read after Big Magic?
A natural next read after Big Magic is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Shares creativity and creative work with Big Magic. Other strong choices are The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
What books are similar to Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert?
Big Magic centers on creativity, fear, creative work. Books with a similar feel include The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
