--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact, it was all I could do to stop…" description: "\"In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work …\" — Elizabeth Gilbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/elizabeth-gilbert-131_big-fan_in-fact-it-was-all-i-could-do-to-stop-my_1443611.jpg" --- # In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying… ![“In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work …” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/elizabeth-gilbert-131_big-fan_in-fact-it-was-all-i-could-do-to-stop-my_1443611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/elizabeth-gilbert-131_big-fan_in-fact-it-was-all-i-could-do-to-stop-my_1443611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/131/elizabeth-gilbert-131_big-fan_in-fact-it-was-all-i-could-do-to-stop-my_1443611.jpg) > “In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work …” [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 struggled to restrain admiration for a creator, recognizing the need to maintain personal voice and boundaries. **In simple terms:** Control admiration to preserve your own voice. Key Takeaway Set boundaries to keep your creative identity. Themes creativity self‑esteem boundaries Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - writing - artistic collaboration - self‑reflection - mentorship Key Concepts influence personal voice Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance respect for mentors with your own style? - When does admiration become limiting? A Different Perspective Over‑identifying can stifle originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big fan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fan/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Fact Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-stop-5172716/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fan Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fan-work-757650/) [Fans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fans/) [Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop/) [Stop Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-saying/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I am doing a show with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I am a big fan of his work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/i-am-doing-a-show-with-nawazuddin-siddiqui-i-am-a-big-fan-of-his-work/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [I've been watching the 'Richard Pryor Show' for NBC made during the '70s. 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I am a huge fan of her work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-malhotra/i-am-very-glad-that-i-got-to-work-with-vidya-balan-i-am-a-huge-fan-of/) [Sanya Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-malhotra/) > [And I would like to work with Eminem. Because I've always been a fan of his work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabolous/and-i-would-like-to-work-with-eminem-because-i-ve-always-been-a-fan/) [Fabolous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabolous/) > [I'm not a fan of my own work. People ask why I do it, but it's because I actually love what I'm doing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauro-ranallo/i-m-not-a-fan-of-my-own-work-people-ask-why-i-do-it-but-it-s-because/) [Mauro Ranallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauro-ranallo/) > [Marty Scurll is fantastic, and I am a big fan of his work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-waltman/marty-scurll-is-fantastic-and-i-am-a-big-fan-of-his-work/) [Sean Waltman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-waltman/) > [I'm not a huge fan of my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tea-leoni/i-m-not-a-huge-fan-of-my-work/) [Tea Leoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tea-leoni/) > [Working with Thalia was a dream come true as a longtime fan of her work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natti-natasha/working-with-thalia-was-a-dream-come-true-as-a-longtime-fan-of-her/) [Natti Natasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natti-natasha/) > [To me, Joss Whedon is a god. I'm just a huge fan of his work; I love his work on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/to-me-joss-whedon-is-a-god-i-m-just-a-huge-fan-of-his-work-i-love-his/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Violet Chachki - I'm a huge fan of her work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-edwards/violet-chachki-i-m-a-huge-fan-of-her-work/) [Alyssa Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-edwards/) > [“What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: 'Hello, God. How are you? I'm Liz. It's nice to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/what-i-said-to-god-through-my-gasping-sobs-was-something-like-this/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Its the time to stop saying I wish Now start saying I will. If you do not believe in yourself, then nobody will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/its-the-time-to-stop-saying-i-wish-now-start-saying-i-will-if-you-do/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## 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. 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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. 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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 Big fan quotes > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. 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I started out playing goal, but there wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarome-iginla/i-was-a-big-fan-of-grant-fuhr-i-was-a-big-oilers-fan-growing-up-i/) [Jarome Iginla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarome-iginla/) > [I'm a big fan of Tom Stoppard's work, and have been since I was in school where I studied him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelaide-clemens/i-m-a-big-fan-of-tom-stoppard-s-work-and-have-been-since-i-was-in/) [Adelaide Clemens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelaide-clemens/) > [I'm a really big fan of Bill Murray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hartman/i-m-a-really-big-fan-of-bill-murray/) [Phil Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hartman/) > [ I'm a big fan of \[Frank\] Sinatra, he was the best at what he did. The last thing I do is model my career… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/i-m-a-big-fan-of-frank-sinatra-he-was-the-best-at-what-he-did-the/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [I'm not really a big fan of doing interviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-m-not-really-a-big-fan-of-doing-interviews/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [I direct with energy. I believe in energy. I think energy is an electric thing in actors. I try to inspire, encourage, and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lillard/i-direct-with-energy-i-believe-in-energy-i-think-energy-is-an/) [Matthew Lillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lillard/) > [I'm a big fan of doing 'Triple D.' But I don't want to do it forever, don't get me wrong! 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