Shaking off old burdens

Breaking free from the stereotypes reigning a life in a stalemate requires a vast amount of courage. Whatever is out of balance, is often easier endured in a state of paralysis. Elizabeth Gilbert – the writer – went for the first option and travelled the world for an entire year to escape from a life that wasn’t hers any longer. In Italy, she indulged in good food and fully enjoyed „la dolce vita“, found her spirituality in India and a new love in Bali. Her memoir „Eat, Pray, Love“ remained on the NY Times Best Seller list for sensational 187 weeks; Julia Roberts starred in the book’s film version. Elizabeth Gilbert delivers a brilliant talk, eloquently describing how she tackled the effects of failure – and of success! The two are not as easily distinguished „by the hinterland of our psyche“ as one might think, she says. Her urgent message is: never give up on your creativity!

Elizabeth Gilbert is a magazine writer as well as a novelist and author of short-stories. Her books include the story collection Pilgrims, the novel Stern Men (about lobster fishermen in Maine) and a biography of the woodsman Eustace Conway, The Last American Man. Next to Eat, Pray, Love, the movie Coyote Ugly is also based on her book. Committed and The Signature of All Things are recent publications.

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com

Copyright header photo: Christina Feyerke