THE WAR OF ART Audio CD – January 1, 2002

Warning: Very long review. This book has helped me multiple times. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu coined the famous phrase ‘know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.’In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield launches into a similar discussion. In the first section we will discover our enemy: Resistance. The second section discusses our means for combat: Turning Pro. In the third and final section we will see that the battle is between our Self and our Ego.Resistance – Defining the Enemy. This is the first of 3 sections Pressfield shares with us on what he considers to be the enemy of the creator. Resistance is an internal force, the ‘enemy within.’ Defined as self-sabotage, resistance usually manifests as avoidance, procrastination, or inaction caused by fear which creates paralysis. Resistance, according to Pressfield, is invisible, insidious, implacable, internal, impersonal and universal. He elaborates on each of these adjectives (and more), unafraid to use a clever metaphor or simile to illustrate a point. For example, in the section ‘Resistance is infallible, Pressfield writes:“Like a magnetized needle floating on a surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true North-meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing.”Pressfield goes on to point out Resistance in its many guises: the way peers may be recruited as allies of Resistance when an artist starts to conquer Resistance; the people around her “begin acting strange…they are trying to sabotage her” because they are experiencing Resistance of their own. They may begin to feel guilty for not trying to reach their own potential To make themselves feel better, they pressure her either directly or indirectly to backslide. In my case, I have a couple of people who point out how hard I work, don’t I need to take some me time? That sort of thing….Resistance also encourages the artist’s tendency to quit at 99%, procrastinating work in order to not face completion of their work. Completion opens our work up to our peers for review and examination of others. He states that Resistance has no power of its own, only power it receives from our fear.Any one reading it will be able to identify where Resistance has dug it’s claws in at one time or another with many of his examples and definitions. I want to point out that nowhere in his book does Pressfield address the Resistance we also face via the internet, email, Facebook, etc. In one section he mentions completely missing Watergate because he was too busy writing. Apparently he is able to focus on his work so strongly these things that distract many of us have no appeal to him.The second section covers: Combating Resistance – Turning Pro. According to Pressfield, there’s no mystery about turning pro. You just make the decision and by an act of your will it is so. By turning pro, Pressfield is talking about the ideal of becoming a professional, a mindset. You make a decision to sit down and do your craft, or exercise, or whatever, NO MATTER WHAT. No matter what tries to distract you and stop you, you keep going until the day is done. You are professional in your dedication and behavior. “An amateur plays for fun, a professional for keeps.” The amateur lets a cold or minor distractions stop him. The professional knows he needs to do the work, and then get better. The amateur thinks he can quit anytime it gets tough and go back to something else. The professional doesn’t want to quit every time he hits a problem, he has discipline and determination to steady him.Turning pro means basically to prepare a work discipline and follow it. To paraphrase Pressfield’s definition: A pro shows up every day no matter what, stays on the job all day, and is in it for the long haul. For the pro, the stakes are high. Pros accept payment for their work (even if they don’t always make an income). Pros also master the technique of their work, have a sense of humor about their jobs, and receive real-world praise or blame. He explains the hangovers and colds and other things as excuses we use to deflect ourselves from our purpose and from fulfilling our call. An added benefit, if you really love what you do, you will be like a child who looks up from their activities to be surprised to find that it’s time for supper.Also, Pressfield makes a point that we are not to get our identity from the thing we are trying to create. You are still you. Your work should be work, not you. Aside from your calling, your life’s work, you should have an identity that stands alone. If you only have an identity in whatever you are trying to create, you leave yourself vulnerable to the attacks that will come. You will take it all personally and it should never be that way. Your work is what is being attacked, and you should be able to stand back and defend it objectively. Do not over invest your emotional well being in your success or failure. I think this is a common mistake made.You, Inc. – Pressman also brings up the benefits of making yourself a corporation. Even if you only think of yourself in this way it can reinforce the idea of professionalism in your work because it separates the artist-doing-the-work from the consciousness-running-the-show. I love his idea of having status meetings with himself. In corporate America, we have a status meeting every Monday morning, decide on a plan of action and who will take care of what part of that plan, then divvy out the assignments, type it up and distribute it to the various participants. He has one of those meetings with himself every Monday. He sits down and goes over his assignments, decides when to be responsible for what, and types it up and distributes it to himself. Sometimes as Joe-blow he is too intimidated to go out and pimp himself, but as Joe-blow Inc, he enjoys the pimping. He’s not him anymore. He’s Me, Inc.This third and final section talks about the muses and identifies the cause of Resistance through the Self and the Ego. Muses, angels, demons, geniuses, an input from the collective unconsciousness, all these Pressfield calls our allies, “equal and opposite powers…counterpoised against [Resistance].” These allies join us when we make the shift from being an amateur to a professional.In the second section, he heavily stresses professionalism. He states the most important thing about art is work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.“When we sit down day after day and keep grinding…The muse takes note of our dedication. She approves…we becomes like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings. Ideas come.”Following this simple but powerful truth, Pressfield talks about the day he finished his first book. He finally wrote, The End. He received this sage advice from his friend Paul: “Good for you. Start the next one today.” In my words: don’t stop now, you finally have a work ethic that is producing your art.Now: Ego and Self, and the battle between the two. Resistance has its seat in Ego. The Ego is that part of the psyche that believes in material existence, is concerned with its own preservation and comfort, with stasis and the physical, material world. The Ego likes things the way they are. It likes to be in control.The Self, according to Pressfield, is where we grow from. This is where our dreams and ideas come from. When we meditate or pray, this is the part of ourselves we are seeking. Self is our deepest being.Why does the Ego hate the self? According to Pressfield, its …”…because when we seat our consciousness in the Self, we put the ego out of business.” The Ego hates it when the creator sits down to create, whether it’s a book, a painting or an exercise routine. Ego hates to lose control, and tries to cripple Self. It hates creators because they are pathfinders to the future.Pressfield ends the book with a simple call to action: listen to your Self and take action in order to find out what you were meant to do. Once you figure it out, do it like a professional. If you don’t explore and utilize your gifts, you hurt yourself and everyone around you. If you do, great; you’re sharing your gifts with the world.Pressfield uses humor and a confident, competent demeanor in what he shares. He’s been there and done this, and wants to share the rewarding fruit he has to show for it, to encourage us to seek that fruit for ourselves. He wants us to be able to overcome our enemy, Resistance, and flourish with our own muses.We all encounter Resistance in one form or another (fear of failure, fear of success, procrastination, avoidance, distraction, etc.). This book is an extremely easy read, and was very encouraging to me personally. I would highly recommend it for anyone facing any new project in their life. You will be surprised by the things this book reveals to you, and you will also see yourself represented in more than one situation Pressfield shares. Steven Pressfield defines the enemy, offers a strategy for overcoming it and shows us the beautiful fruit we can have as a result of our labor: A completed work, a job well done. Eventually success. It all started for him when he was finally able to write: The End.

The cover of The War of Art has a quote by Esquire Magazine. It reads, “A vital gem… a kick in the ass.” Flip the book open and the reader will see the book is published by a firm called Black Irish Entertainment. It’s logo is a single boxing glove. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but constantly think back to this quote and image. Each chapter felt like a punch to the gut, a wake up call, a kick in the ass. Steven Pressfield titled his book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles and he presents his readers with just that. A manual on fighting and defeating the opponent of life and resistance. I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for the tools necessary to overcome life’s greatest obstacles, develop yourself into an accomplished professional, and become the ultimate versions of yourself. Here's why:The book was first published in 2002 and written by Steven Pressfield. Pressfield is most known for his historical fiction but has also produced many award winning non-fiction works and screenplays. His first book, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was made into a reputable film in 1995. His writing often draws parallels between historical classics, religious archetypes, and motivational revelations about his struggles and others’. His tales have motivated multitudes of individuals to conquer their fears, reach their potential, and accomplish their dreams.The War of Art is split into three books. The first book is called Resistance: Defining the Enemy. He uses this chapter to call out what he believes as the root to most of our problems. He defines Resistance as “The enemy within” and a “Force of nature”. It’s a “repelling force. It’s negative”, “Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work”, and “Resistance aims to kill.” He says everyone has had a battle with Resistance and it’s the root to many of the issues we face and develop in our lives. Substance dependence, unhappiness, and anger are just some of the effects caused from our internal battle with this self-sabotage energy. Each chapter is poetically written to describe the way resistance can infiltrate our lives and destroy us from within. The goal of this chapter is to identify to readers Resistance’s characteristics so they can recognize and fight it when face to face with this malevolence.The second book is called Combating Resistance: Turning Pro. Pressfield uses the terms professional and amateur to describe the battle with Resistance. He explains that those defeated by Resistance think like amateurs, and professionals are equipped with the tools to overpower their Resistance and reach their potential. Some of these chapters describe a professional's attributes. They’re titled: A Professional is Patient, A Professional Acts in the Face of Fear, A Professional Reinvents Himself, etc. He uses stories and accounts of his own life and others, such as golfer Tiger Woods, to paint the picture of perseverance, focus, and strength. My favorite quote from this book comes from his chapter How to be Miserable. A marine himself, he briefly talks about how Marines are trained to love being miserable, to embrace the struggle, and fight to the death. The last line reads: “Because this is war, baby. And War is hell.”Book Three is called Beyond Resistance: The Higher Realm. This chapter aims to harness the psychic powers needed to fight the Resistance he described earlier. He uses terms such as angels, demons, and muses, but offers his more secular audience the option to think of these forces as abstract and impersonal, such as gravity, instincts, or universal forces. He claims we need these allies if we are ever to defeat the enemy of Resistance. He mentions the Athenian Xenophon who would make sacrifices to the gods and call for their aid before any expedition. His own version of this he calls invoking the Muse, a Greek mythology term used to describe the nine Goddesses, or even a person or personified force used as a source of inspiration to artists. Additionally, Pressfield goes on to describe the difference between the Ego and Self. With quotes from famous psychologists such as Freud and Jung, he believes the Ego is where Resistance lies, while the Self is where the angles, or good forces, live. He describes the characteristics of the ego and how it is the “part of the psyche that believes in material existence” and nothing more. While the Self is our deepest being, united to God, and is ever-growing and ever-evolving. The Ego hates the Self, Pressfield writes, and is the perpetrator for growth, progression, and success. He goes on to describe what the Authentic self looks like, how to defeat the hierarchical orientation, and how to unleash the artist within us.As a young aspiring professional on the cusp of a career and “the rest of my life”, this book struck the deepest cord in me and immediately earned its place in my list of books to re-read every year. It’s an easy read and I read it cover to cover in about three hours. It’s organized like a manual, with short chapters, and important titles and messages that will resonate with you at different points in your life. While reading its entirety is do-able, one can just as easily flip through the chapters and meditate on the headline and chapter that speaks to you most. It makes for the ultimate bed-side book for any artists looking for daily motivation to break through their creative struggles. Pressfield also seemed to speak to me specifically. I have long been a lover of Greek mythology and culture, Xenophon, and the Bhagavad-Gita, all which he mentions and parallels in his chapters. I was also a fan of the spiritual take-aways in his third book. The War of Art is a self-help book, but differs to many I have read. It is straight to the point, raw, and hard-hitting. While many self-help books rely on abstract and vague themes, Pressfield tells his readers his truth with his own words, as blunt as possible. It’s entertaining, easy to read, and powerful to anyone seeking help.Typically, I try to stay away from definitive statements, such as “Everyone would enjoy or resonate with this book.” We are all individuals that react differently to everything. But I do firmly believe this book would provide everyone of it’s readers a piece of something they have been looking for. We are all artists, and without unlocking the creative power within us, we find ourselves riddled with dilemmas and obstacles that are far from conquerable. For all willing, this book will help you identify the enemy, equip you with the tools to fight, and unlock the mystical powers that will help you live a fulfilling life.

I read the book prior to purchasing it and found it useful in combating The Indomitable Resistance. Now I keep it by my side while working. One look at the cover shames me into diligence. If I'm really desperate, I'll re-read a passage or two.

Just what I needed to read at this stage in my life. Will reconsider how I am doing things now.

This is a book about how to stop procrastinating and get on with your creative work. Halfway through I decided trying to write something was a better use of my time than reading the rest of it.

Quick Take: Do you finally want to write that book? Start that business? Let “The War of Art” give you the swift kick in the ass you need.Longer Take:“The War of Art” is beyond amazing. Anyone wanting to get some type of creative work done and needs a quick kick in the butt, this is the book for you.Steven Pressfield is the author of over 20 books (Most notably, “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “Gates of Fire”). He has also written seven books on the process of writing. “The War of Art” is the most notable (Over a million copies sold!).Here’s a quick and dirty summary of “The War of Art”:The enemy of creativity is Resistance.Resistance is an adversary of your creation that fights to keep you from accomplishing your purpose. Pressfield calls it “the most toxic force on the planet.” (Foreword)Resistance manifests itself in devious tools like procrastination, rationalization, self-medication, sex, television, busy work, etc. (Insert any other favorite escape).The more important the work, the stronger the Resistance will be.The cure to Resistance is to leave your amateur life and Turn Pro.The Pro shows up no matter what. The Pro doesn’t make excuses. The Pro doesn’t let criticism and humiliation destroy him. The Pro knows that fear cannot be overcome but moves forward despite it.When we truly commit to Turning Pro, the Muse, the Universe, Angels, Inspiration (Call it whatever you like) will rally to push us toward our purpose.Much of this book felt like it was written just for me. My goal is to write a book, but I can’t seem to get my act together. As I read how Resistance is an inner creation trying to stop us from doing great things, I immediately knew I had been self-sabotaging for years. I’ve been so scared of failure that I’ve found a thousand reasons not to sit down and write. I hope I can internalize this, throw out the excuses, and get to work. I probably need to add “The War of Art” to my annual reading list.I loved “The Art of War” so much that I immediately read two other books in Pressfield’s writing series – “Turning Pro” and “Do the Work.” These didn't floor me the same way, but I would recommend them.Do you finally want to write that book? Start that business? Lose that weight? Finish that pet project? Then let “The War of Art” give you the swift kick in the ass you need.Some of My Favourite Quotes:“Resistance is like the Alien or the Terminator or the shark in Jaws. It cannot be reasoned with. It understands nothing but power. It is an engine of destruction, programmed from the factory with one object only: to prevent us from doing our work.“…if you're paralyzed with fear, it's a good sign. It shows you what you have to do.”“If Resistance couldn't be beaten, there would be no Fifth Symphony, no Romeo and Juliet, no Golden Gate Bridge. Defeating Resistance is like giving birth. It seems absolutely impossible until you remember that women have been pulling it off successfully, with support and without, for fifty million years.”“What's important is the work. That's the game I have to suit up for. That's the field on which I have to leave everything I've got. Do I really believe that my work is crucial to the planet's survival? Of course not. But it's as important to me as catching that mouse is to the hawk circling outside my window. He's hungry. He needs a kill. So do I.”“The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. … he forces himself forward in spite of his terror.”“The professional … reminds himself it's better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.”“…the most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”“Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.”Druid’s Top Entrepreneurship Lesson: There will always be forces inside and outside fighting to derail your dreams. The only honest answer is to get to work.

First, my criticism: the author claims indeed that some mental disorders are a product of marketeers; and that looking for support is an excuse to procrastinate. This is complete nonsense. That opinion may reflect a view which used to be more common when the book was written. But here he abuses his poetic license, in my opinion, especially considering that this book will be read by people who are struggling with DDA, depression and other conditions. If that’s your case, I really recommend that you seek treatment first and, when your symptoms are under control, then you take the advice in this book. Otherwise, I believe its suggestions won't feel very doable to you.That being said, I think there are some very good points in this book.I’ve been reading self-help books on procrastination for some time. Most of them written by PhDs, containing science-based information (which I find good), but also with that irritating inclination to repeat themselves to exhaustion and to fill several pages with vaguely related trivia, apparently as a mere attempt to make the book longer. Then I heard about The War of Art and it immediately caught my attention.The book is short and I read it in three or four hours. And it exerted a very positive impact on me. Time will tell whether such impact will last long enough or if I’m just benefiting from the effects of novelty and recency. But I think there’s something powerful about mentalizing your own procrastination as an external entity (the Resistance) and personalizing it. By thinking of it as a bully who annoys you and celebrates your failures, it gets more approachable. It gets easier to get away from it the same simple way you do about annoying people. It turns into an external thing you will wrestle with, instead of a part of you which you will resent.The commenters claiming that he’s trying to push a religious view about the world are mistaken: right at the very beginning of the third part (the most criticized for its religious tone), the author states very clearly that, if you don’t feel comfortable thinking of Muses and Angels, think of them in more abstract terms instead, or as products of the unconsciousness, or whatever that works for you. I invite the commenters who said otherwise to actually read and reassess it.Granted, the author is a religious person – and he points that explicitly. But it doesn’t take more than a very little effort to realize that there are some basic underlying aspects in his rituals: it’s all about habits to put oneself in a favorable disposition for the work. The book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, by Mason Currey, is full of other famous examples along those same lines.I suspect that some of the commenters who didn’t like his allegories would have embraced them enthusiastically if it were a monk using concepts from an eastern religion. The use of a christian religion might have led readers educated under a christian system to take it overly literally.