The War of Art - Steven Pressfield
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
[bq] “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”
Book One: Resistance; Defining the Enemy
[q] “The enemy is a very good teacher.”
- The Dalai Lama
Resistance is the force that stops us from achieving what we want, makes us procrastinate. Appears with every act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long term benefit.
[bq] “The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”
When you beat your resistance, people close to you, driven by their own resistance, will try to hold you back. Need to be ruthless.
Procrastination is most obvious manifestation of Resistance.
Resistance feels like unhappiness, being bored and restless. Then vices kick in and we start drinking or party too much, or compulsively browse the web.
Fear is a good sign. It tells us what to do. It shows us where we can grow.
Being an artist might seem lonely from the outside, but we’re always with our characters, readers, viewers, or listeners.
Sitting down to work, even if the output is garbage, breaks resistance.
Book Two: Combating Resistance; Turning Pro
A pro, opposed to an amateur, is someone who loves the thing they’re doing so much they dedicate their life to it.
What defines a pro?
Shows up every day.
Shows up no matter what.
Stays on the job all day.
Committed over the long haul.
Stakes are high and real.
Gets paid for it.
Doesn’t over identify with the job.
Masters the technique.
Sense of humor about the job.
Receives praise/blame in the real world.
Get your work out and live with failure.
A professional is patient and seeks order.
A professional…
Demystifies! Craft, not art!
Acts in the face of fear.
Accepts no excuses.
Plays it as it lays.
Is prepared (including for self-sabotage).
Does not (unnecessarily) show off.
Dedicates himself to mastering technique.
Does not hesitate to ask for help.
Distances herself from her instrument (e.g. stage personality is not private personality).
Does not take failure (or success) personally.
Endures adversity.
Self-validates.
Recognizes her limitations.
Reinvents himself.
Is recognized by other professionals.
Makes himself a corporation (“You, Inc.”). Gives distance and many other benefits.
Book Three: Beyond Resistance; The Higher Realm
Muses come and inspire us if we invite them to.
Committing and making a start, even if uninspired, is best way to invite them.
Should live out our lives like someone who’s told he is terminally ill.
Muses inspire the Self, Resistance targets the Ego.
Resistance feeds on fear.
A hack doesn’t look in his heart for things to write, but tries to write what the market is looking for.
Need to find our territory, and then claim it through hard work. If we were the last person on earth, would we still do our art?