Elizabeth Gilbert's Blog, page 88
February 25, 2014
LANDED! Hey guys! A mere blink of a flight, and I’ve landed safely in Austalia…
LANDED!
Hey guys!
A mere blink of a flight, and I've landed safely in Austalia.
I will see you over the next few weeks in:
Adelaide
Melbourne
Brisbane
Sydney
and Wellington, NZ
Sorry I couldn't do more stops (stop yelling at me, Perth!) but jeez, I've tried my very best!
All the details here, mates:
Elizabeth Gilbert - The Official Website | ElizabethGilbert.com.
February 24, 2014
MY MOTHER’S MOTTO… I’ve shared the expression “Done is better than good” on t…
MY MOTHER'S MOTTO…
I've shared the expression "Done is better than good" on this page before, when talking about how how perfectionism can murder creativity. I always credit my mother with teaching me this important lesson — that it's better to have something completed than something immaculate.
I'm so grateful to a friend of this page named Shannon for making this quote up into such a wonderful, shareable illustration!
In my family, we applied this motto to everything in our lives. As my mom always joked, "I get the dishes done faster than anyone in this house…just don't look at them too closely when I'm finished!"
The notion of "Done is better than good" has guided me in my writing life for years — most of all, when I was struggling to write my first novel (which has tear stains on every page, because I was so insecure back then about my work.) There were many times when I wanted to quit, because the writing was simply not as good as I wanted it to be. But I remember one particular day, fighting back against my frustration with a fierce resolve, saying to myself: "I will finish this book, no matter what it takes. Because I would rather publish a mediocre novel than go to my grave with 50 pages of an unfinished manuscript hidden in the back of my desk drawer. Everyone I know has 50 pages of an unfinished book in their life, and I will not be that person. And if critics don't like what I wrote, they can write their own damn books."
So I finished. Good enough.
Even with THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS (which I loved writing and felt I had finally earned the chops to write) there are still flaws in that novel. I know exactly what those flaws are, but I decided not to struggle and waste time fixing them all, because it would slow down my life too much, and perhaps even interfere with the flow of the story, which has its own energy. Think of it like a carpenter looking at a house he has just built, and noticing that the foundation is two inches crooked on one side. Could he tear down the whole house and start again, make it perfect? Sure. But he could also decide, "It's good enough. The roof is sound. The slight tilt is part of the structure's particular charm. Let's move on and build the next house."
I don't want to spend my life fussing over making any one thing absolutely perfect (whatever perfection means, anyhow.) I want to make as many things as I can, taking on as many projects as I can possibly tackle. Each one exciting. Each one good enough. Each one DONE, to make room for the next, and the next, and the next…
Love,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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…and Alma Whittaker and THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS visit their first Brooklyn…
…and Alma Whittaker and THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS visit their first Brooklyn laundromat! Thanks for this, Jessica!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
Oh, how I wish I had a sexier or more postcard worthy backdrop, but I knew I had to be real with you. Brooklyn laundromat real. Your magnificent book has been the best company these past few weeks, especially during ordinary errands in the middle of this unforgiving winter.
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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WOW…Alma Whittaker and THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS are visiting their very fir…
WOW…Alma Whittaker and THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS are visiting their very first glacier. Amazing!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
Alma Whittaker… El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Glaciar Perito Moreno. — with Laura Covaro at Elizabeth Gilbert - The Official Website | ElizabethGilbert.com.
February 23, 2014
AUSTRALIA!!!!!!! I’m coming back! …and this time I’ll be going to New Zealan…
AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!
I'm coming back!
…and this time I'll be going to New Zealand, too!
I'm leaving tomorrow to head to these fine cities over the coming weeks:
Adelaide
Melbourne
Brisbane
Sydney
…and: Wellington, NZ!
It's going to be wonderful fun!
Click here for a full schedule:
Big heart, and off we go,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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Sunday matinée… Dear Ones — It’s been a while since I showed the “book trail…
Sunday matinée…
Dear Ones —
It's been a while since I showed the "book trailer" for THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS on this page…thought you might enjoy it — along with amazing footage of the actual Philadelphia mansion that White Acre is based upon.
Happy viewing!
Elizabeth Gilbert - The Official Website | ElizabethGilbert.com.
I know some of you don’t like it when I use this word (the word “darling”, I mea…
I know some of you don't like it when I use this word (the word "darling", I mean, of course) but I'm going for it, anyhow.
Because: YES!
Go kick this day's butt,
LG
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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What a cool and sweet story — I wonder where that photo came from!
What a cool and sweet story — I wonder where that photo came from!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
Found a treasure Liz! When eat, pray, love first came out, I considered it my bible…my comfort food. Taking it in little by little, other times devouring it. Is it possible that someone could write a book that you could see yourself in? All I know is that when I need comfort I reach for this book. I am not sure how many times I have read it, or referenced it for a quick deep breath moment. My book was highlighted and corners turned with all my favorite quotes. After our house fire last year my book was gone. I quickly replaced it with a paperback. But look what I received in the mail Liz.I found a first edition, signed hardcover, with a picture of you to boot! Life is good, and when it proves otherwise…I take a deep breath and read. Blessings!
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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February 22, 2014
Forza, forza, forza!
Forza, forza, forza!
via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall
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A beautiful HAPPINESS JAR testimony — Hooray for stolen moments of joy!
A beautiful HAPPINESS JAR testimony — Hooray for stolen moments of joy!
Photos of Elizabeth Gilbert
It's only February and my happiness jar seems to be almost full. I think I will need more of these. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this great idea, Liz! Thanks for your poetry, thanks for the inspiration you give me. They say time flies away but by filling my jar with my daily tiny moments of happiness I feel like I succeed to catch the time and keep it as sweet memories forever. As one of your fans said, the more you write and put in the jar, the more you got to write… The more happy moments appear!The little changes in our life are the ones which make great possitive difference. Thanks again, keep on spreading your ideas and inspiration, Liz! And you guys keep on converting your pickle jars to a magical way of catching and storing your happiness! God bless you all! :*
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