The War of Art

I've just finished this book and have lots to say, but when I tried to begin writing a review, resistance kicked in. What is resistance? Well, Steven dedicated this book to explaining what that force is, and how to conquer it.

He explains that resistance is the force which doesn't let us become our greatest selves. The good news is, that it's entirely in us. It IS us, or the part of our psyche that he calls the ego.

Every one of us experiences resistance towards our creative pursuits. This point needs to be emphasized more. EVERY one of us. Even the ones you think as geniuses. Yes, they are geniuses, but not because they were born with some extraordinary capacities or some superhuman brains. No, one of the things that they did was that they learned how to deal with resistance. If they didn't, we wouldn't have the 5th Symphony, The Great Pyramids, The Mona Lisa, etc.

It's in our capabilities to slay this dragon, which keeps us from getting that holy grail which is at the end of our journey. And as Joseph Campbell said, we are the hero of this journey, and it's our responsibility to do so.

Pressfield also differentiates the two approaches of doing your art: hierarchical and territorial. The difference is that hierarchical approach doesn't work, because it's focused on how your art affects your hierarchical level in society, whereas with the territorial approach you are solely interested in doing your craft, for its own sake, and not for the approval of any kind.

In short, this is a must-read for anyone who creates something.