What did Thomas Edison say way back when? There is always a better way. I believe in that statement. In fact, I live by that statement. There is always room for improvement. No one is perfect, least of all me (just don’t tell my husband that). If that were the case, life would be really boring.
I try to improve everyday and that means, always thriving to find better. Whether it’s trying to find a better way to lose weight without exercising and dieting (I’m still not giving up on that one) or a better way to blow out my hair exactly like they do it in the salon (I have yet to crack their secret), I’m always searching. Searching for a better reality show on TV (I’ve given up on anything Housewives or Jersey), the perfect flat board stomach (a combo of Hailey Berry, Jennifer Aniston and Jillian Michaels) or a better tasting chocolate (I’ll keep trying until the day I die).
The point is I never stop looking.
As an author, I’m constantly in that ‘striving for more’ mode. I keep writing and writing until the ideas stop flowing (or the voices in my head stop whispering) and then I rewrite and rewrite some more until every T is crossed and every I is dotted (or until my hand falls off).
But unlike with my personal addiction with Coach bags, I’m never 100% satisfied with my own work and I am always looking to find “perfect”. I know it doesn’t exist (with men or plastic surgery) but I’d like to get as close to perfect as humanly possible. Maybe rub shoulders with it or share a cocktail. I am, after all, a sucker for cosmos or any drink with a tiny umbrella in it.
And when it comes to finding better, that goes for my book covers too. Just a few months ago, I rolled out my first novel, “And The Winner Is” with a cover I really liked. But as the months went by, I decided it was time to look for better. Sort of like when you’ve been in a relationship with someone you realize isn’t working out. Nice guy, just not the right one for you. This is how I felt about my cover.
I wanted a more chick lit feel to it-something to really convey what the story is about. So I knew I had to break up with my old cover and find myself something new. I knew it was going to be hard and feelings were going to get hurt but I did it. And after taking the plunge and putting myself out there, I finally found ‘the one’. My illustrator gave me a book cover I absolutely fell in love with. I knew it the moment I locked eyes on it. We’ve been happily together ever since.
Now I can’t promise that I’ll stop searching for better. I realize that giving up is not in my DNA. But I don’t see anything wrong with that. After all, better is a good thing. Wouldn’t you agree?
Erin