63 pages • 2-hour read
The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life
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Symbols & Motifs
Alchemy
The word “alchemy” appears in the title of the book, and the idea is an important motif throughout. Alchemy is the seemingly magical process of transforming one material into another, and Jaouad suggests that creativity is akin to alchemy. The final chapter is dedicated entirely to the explanation of this idea as well. Bookending the sets of essays and prompts with references to alchemy is a significant narrative choice—it serves as a reminder of where the journey of the book began, and helps establish a narrative and thematic thread.
The motif of alchemy embodies The Cathartic and Transformative Quality of Creativity. In some ways, the book functions as a journal geared towards helping one develop a creative process; however, Jaouad also presents it as more than just that. This book offers a way to access creativity in a bid to transform lives. This is important in the context of the personal struggles that have informed Jaouad’s work. She is a writer, but one informed by her experiences with leukemia, which is reflected in her writing. Thus, alchemy is a deeply personal and powerful idea for Jaouad, reflecting how creativity has not only allowed her to make sense of the complicated things in her life, but has also transformed them into something that is bigger than the experience itself—bigger than an individual life, more enduring, and vastly connected. This is the hope that she offers through the creative process, and so the use of the word and idea in both title and throughout the book signals this central hope.
Writing
The act of writing is a key motif throughout the book. This is a book meant for creative practice, and while it boasts a range of contributors—writers, filmmakers, visual artists, and more—ultimately, every single prompt that each one of them contributes holds some element of writing. Firs, this is because writing is personal to Jaouad herself: Journaling is the personal practice which kickstarted her personal journey of meaning-making, and her key to Finding Resilience Through Recollection and Reflection. Thus, while she also has dabbled in art, writing has personal resonance for Jaouad.
However, in the larger context of the book, writing and language also form the most straightforward medium of communication to a larger audience, and this is the ultimate aim of this book: To communicate to a large audience, and to suggest practical ways of incorporating writing into their own life. As a contributor in the book notes, plenty of people believe that they cannot draw or paint, but many people will not find journaling for themselves intimidating. Writing thus serves both as a motif with thematic and personal significance, and a tool through which Jaouad can both communicate to and connect with her readers.
A Daily Practice
The idea of a daily practice is another motif. Born out of and modeled along the 100-day project, this is what Jaouad originally undertook when in hospital and undergoing treatment, with journaling as her medium of choice. Fittingly, she also has the originator of the project, Yale professor Michael Bierut, contribute to the book. In this way, the concept of a daily practice first becomes a device that influences the structure of the book, generating 10 chapters with 10 prompts each.
However, it is not just the number of days or the medium of choice, but also the idea of a daily practice that is equally important: The idea of showing up every single day, despite the circumstances, helps to build resilience and greater self-confidence. In this manner, the daily practice is both a motif and technique in the book.
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