--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,'…" description: "\"I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I'll be a writer after it's over. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.\" — Elizabeth Gilbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/elizabeth-gilbert-131_eat-love-pray_i-was-a-writer-before-eat-pray-love-and_3176028.jpg" --- # I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I'll be a… ![“I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I'll be a writer after it's over. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/elizabeth-gilbert-131_eat-love-pray_i-was-a-writer-before-eat-pray-love-and_3176028.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/elizabeth-gilbert-131_eat-love-pray_i-was-a-writer-before-eat-pray-love-and_3176028.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/elizabeth-gilbert-131_eat-love-pray_i-was-a-writer-before-eat-pray-love-and_3176028.jpg) > “I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I'll be a writer after it's over. It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She emphasizes lifelong commitment to writing despite fame and other pursuits. **In simple terms:** Writing is her lifelong passion. Key Takeaway Keep writing regardless of fame. Themes passion career identity creativity longevity Mood reflective determined Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - publishing - blogging - teaching writing - personal memoirs Key Concepts self‑actualization artistic identity purpose Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect your core passion amidst success? - What routines keep your creative identity alive? A Different Perspective Fame can distract but not replace core purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eat love pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat-love-pray/) [Eat Pray Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat-pray-love-2/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Giulia Melucci has written a wonderfully funny and moving book. It's like Eat, Pray, Love, with recipes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs-2/giulia-melucci-has-written-a-wonderfully-funny-and-moving-book-it-s/) [A. J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs-2/) > [But I loved making Eat Pray Love, and I loved working with Julia Roberts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/but-i-loved-making-eat-pray-love-and-i-loved-working-with-julia/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [There were times, especially when I was traveling for 'Eat, Pray, Love,' when, I swear to God, I would feel this weight of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-times-especially-when-i-was-traveling-for-eat-pray-love/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Tis' better to live your own life imperfectly than to imitate someone else's perfectly.” (Eat, Pray Love)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-j-collins/tis-better-to-live-your-own-life-imperfectly-than-to-imitate-someone-2/) Christine J. Collins > [I went out to Bali, and I cast all of these supporting roles. I love that stuff. I just love actors. And then, Ryan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-gomez-rejon/i-went-out-to-bali-and-i-cast-all-of-these-supporting-roles-i-love/) [Alfonso Gomez-Rejon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-gomez-rejon/) > [Read! When your baby is finally down for the night, pick up a juicy book like Eat, Pray, Love or Pride and Prejudice or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/read-when-your-baby-is-finally-down-for-the-night-pick-up-a-juicy/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/look-for-god-look-for-god-like-a-man-with-his-head-on-fire-looks-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we are afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/we-all-want-things-to-stay-the-same-settle-for-living-in-misery/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-m-here-i-love-you-i-don-t-care-if-you-need-to-stay-up-crying-all-3/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-you-re-brave-enough-to-leave-behind-everything-familiar-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [When you're lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/when-you-re-lost-in-those-woods-it-sometimes-takes-you-a-while-to/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/a-true-soul-mate-is-a-mirror-the-person-who-shows-you-everything-that-2/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart. That's where you need to go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-only-place-the-mind-will-ever-find-peace-is-inside-the-silence-of-2/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Most of all, I can choose my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/most-of-all-i-can-choose-my-thoughts/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? Any of us who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-buddha-taught-that-all-human-suffering-is-rooted-in-desire-don-t/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/learn-your-way-around-loneliness-make-a-map-of-it-sit-with-it-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Eat love pray quotes > [Giulia Melucci has written a wonderfully funny and moving book. It's like Eat, Pray, Love, with recipes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-jacobs-2/giulia-melucci-has-written-a-wonderfully-funny-and-moving-book-it-s/) [A. J. Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-jacobs-2/) > [When you're lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/when-you-re-lost-in-those-woods-it-sometimes-takes-you-a-while-to/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Be ordinary, but bring a quality of awareness to your ordinary life. Bring God to your ordinary life introduce God into your ordinary life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-ordinary-but-bring-a-quality-of-awareness-to-your-ordinary-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There were times, especially when I was traveling for 'Eat, Pray, Love,' when, I swear to God, I would feel this weight of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/there-were-times-especially-when-i-was-traveling-for-eat-pray-love/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [But I loved making Eat Pray Love, and I loved working with Julia Roberts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/but-i-loved-making-eat-pray-love-and-i-loved-working-with-julia/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-m-here-i-love-you-i-don-t-care-if-you-need-to-stay-up-crying-all-3/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we are afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/we-all-want-things-to-stay-the-same-settle-for-living-in-misery/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/look-for-god-look-for-god-like-a-man-with-his-head-on-fire-looks-for/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Most of all, I can choose my thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/most-of-all-i-can-choose-my-thoughts/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I went out to Bali, and I cast all of these supporting roles. I love that stuff. I just love actors. And then, Ryan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-gomez-rejon/i-went-out-to-bali-and-i-cast-all-of-these-supporting-roles-i-love/) [Alfonso Gomez-Rejon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-gomez-rejon/) > [If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-you-re-brave-enough-to-leave-behind-everything-familiar-and/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Music is what I want to do for the rest of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bonsall/music-is-what-i-want-to-do-for-the-rest-of-my-life/) [Brian Bonsall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bonsall/) > [“Okay, I can see that you’re set on this bat shit crazy adventure. You want to go Eat Love Pray, I can follow that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-vance-perez/okay-i-can-see-that-you-re-set-on-this-bat-shit-crazy-adventure-you/) [Kathryn Vance-Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-vance-perez/) > [A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/a-true-soul-mate-is-a-mirror-the-person-who-shows-you-everything-that-2/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Browse all 20 Eat love pray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat-love-pray/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was a writer before 'Eat, Pray, Love,' and I'll be a writer after it's over. 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