Eat, Pray, Love author warns ‘follow your passion’ is misleading advice; reveals a stronger driving force for a better life

Renowned author Elizabeth Gilbert, best known for her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, is challenging the well-worn advice to “follow your passion.” In a dated video posted by Acumen Academy titled What is Creative Living, Gilbert urged audiences to embrace curiosity instead of chasing fleeting passion.

“A creatively lived life is any life where consistently, routinely, habitually, and constantly, you choose the path of curiosity over the path of fear,” Gilbert explained. “Passion is exciting if you happen to run into it, but it’s not always there. Curiosity, however, taps on your shoulder every single day.”

A Life of Small Clues

Gilbert described curiosity as a gentle guide, a “little tiny clue” that quietly nudges people toward exploration and discovery. Unlike passion, which she likened to a “tower of flame” or “lightning in a bottle,” curiosity provides a steady, reliable compass for living creatively.


“You will have a creative life because your curiosity is different from everyone else’s, and it will create a life unique to you,” she said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenna, Founder & Professor (@rootsofresilience)

The Mind Behind the Wisdom

Elizabeth Gilbert is celebrated for her honest and accessible writing style. Her 2006 memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, chronicles a transformative year of travel and self-discovery, spending nearly four years on The New York Times Best Seller list and inspiring a 2010 film starring Julia Roberts.

Her later works, including Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015), expand on themes of creativity, fear, and self-expression, while her 2025 memoir All the Way to the River explores love, loss, and personal liberation.

Gilbert’s insights offer a fresh perspective for anyone seeking to build a creative life. Rather than waiting for a sudden surge of passion, she encourages people to follow curiosity as a guiding force.