Jun

9

The War of Art

June 9, 2008 | 4 Comments

Phew. It took me almost two weeks to get through “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. I picked this book up because i kept seeing recommendations for it, plus at least one friend who suggested it well over a year ago. But it’s a bit of a dense book.

Part one defines and talks about what Pressfield terms Resistance. Resistance is that inertia that keeps you from writing or pursing your dreams. Anyone whose ever stepped outside their comfort zone knows this well. Resistance is that little voice that tells you to put it off, you can do it later. Much of this I already knew, but that’s because I made the decision a year ago to stop letting it get me and just write.

The second part talks about what differentiates the professional from the amateur. I found some relief in this part, that even though i haven’t sold a darn thing I still, by the definitions of this book anyway, fall into the category of the professional. Mainly I show up to do it every day, I at least expect to get paid for it (eventually), and well, it’s a job, not just a hobby.

Part three, well, some parts of it made me roll my eyes a bit. Here he gets into angels and muses and the divine well of inspiration and ideas. I think a lot of this is open to debate, but I do see where he’s coming from.

It’s not a bad book. Just one I had to read slowly, in pieces. A lot of it I knew already, but it’s always reassuring to realize you aren’t crazy, the process is normal and in fact if you’re not meeting Resistance then perhaps you should check yourself. I’d recommend it, if nothing else just for the assurance factor.


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4 Comments so far

  1. Jen on June 9, 2008 12:06 pm

    So it is a book that you would recommend that I might possibly read over the summer?

  2. Merinda on June 9, 2008 12:11 pm

    Yes I would :)

  3. Ghostie on June 9, 2008 5:06 pm

    Pshhh i’m an amateur! I don’t write every day. Maybe you should kick me in the ass for it?

  4. L.Vazquez on June 10, 2008 8:32 am

    I agree with you on Part 3 of Pressfield’s book. I think Parts 1 and 2 should be taken to heart for any creative professional.

    Resistance recruits allies, resistance loves misery, and my favorite… resistance loves ‘healing’ …what better way to not get anything done by ‘healing’

    One thing I will disagree on, and that’s his section about ADHD. I think there’s a fine line between resistance and a chemical imbalance in the brain. However, once you’re aware of that chemical imbalance… its your duty to launch a serious attack on resistance. I think ADHD only becomes resistance if you use it as an excuse not to do what it takes to follow your dreams.

    L.

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