Book Review: The War of Art

A close friend of mine first told me about Steven Pressfield's manifesto back in Summer 2008.  I quickly picked it up and read it in one day.  The concise work-it's only 165 pages-was and is the single greatest kick in the pants I've ever received.  Quite simply, Pressfield sugar coats nothing, tells you just how hard the creative life is, and then explains how important it is that you go for it.  

Unlike most book reviews, I'm writing this after having read the book some time ago.  I reread The War of Art at least twice since 2008, and my only copy has been in the hands of a friend for over a year now (Chris, please give it back!).  So this review is all about the takeaways, the most meaningful and memorable ideas from the book.

 

1. Resistance

I spelled Resistance the way Pressfield does, with a capital R.  Resistance is a living, breathing, thinking, and malicious entity.  The WOA teaches the importance of knowing one's enemy.  Ultimately, Resistance is an internal force to be faced individually on a daily basis.  Pressfield does well in pointing out many of Resistance's manifestations eg procrastination, psycho-somatic illnesses, resting on one's laurels, perfectionism, substance abuse, and many more.  Pressfield is best known as a writer of fiction, his stories often taking place in ancient Greece.  He sees the artist's struggle to be that of the warrior's; each day's success is measured not in the number of pages written or songs composed but in beating Resistance.   

 

2. Turning Pro

What does every professional in any industry have in common?  If they're worth their salt, they show up to work every day.  They show up at the same time, come rain or come shine, whether they feel like it or not.  They often work sick.  And like Larry the Cable Guy says on the blue collar comedy tours, they Git-R-Done.  Pressfield sees Turning Pro to be the day when you are aware of Resistance and you decide to face it down.  Failure doesn't stop you.  You have heard your life's calling, and you are answering never mind the cost.  Turning Pro is a state of mind.  The most offensive thought is that of being called an Amateur, a Weekend Warrior, etc. I look forward to reading Pressfield's new work in a similar vein called Do the Work .           

 

3.  Hierarchical versus Territorial

The last takeaway was a real paradigm shift for me.  Pressfield describes the ancient mind of man being tribal.  Our self worth is derived from how we stack up in the social pecking order.  Just look at children in school, and it becomes apparent how dominant this instinct can be.  We don't simply outgrow this either.  Most of us struggle to keep up with the Joneses.  We hope that someone "Likes" us on Facebook, and we live on our cell phones 24/7.  We are "plugged in," and that's the way we like it for better or worse.  The problem then is that this totem-pole, ladder-climbing existence doesn't jive with creative life.  No amount of social acceptance is going to "Git-R-Done."  And for many the moment someone criticizes their work, it's an instant shut-down.  Why cast our pearls before swine we ask.  Then there's the other side of the same coin.  We buy into the hype that we may experience around our creative works.  We might hear, "this is the best song/book/CD/blog post ever!"  We drink the cool-aid and start to see the emperor's new clothes materialize.  You know how this story of hubris ends, usually in flames.  WOA asserts that Territorial thinking is an alternative albeit less instinctual mindset to Hierarchical thinking.  Outside of tribal existence, the hunter examines his territory, hones his skills, and goes for the daily kill.  Pressfield points out that in sports it's called being in the zone.  Competition is really irrelevant.  It's about stepping out from the bush and walking onto the Serengeti.  Pressfield encourages us to embrace this solitary experience so critical to most creative work.

For a book often shelved in the Self-Help section, The War of Art doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.  In fact, it doesn't really give any techniques for breaking writer's block or getting inspired.  Instead it calls us to soldier-up, show up to work, and fight our artistic battles.  I can't recommend The War of Art highly enough.  Feel free to comment, especially if you are a fan of the book.  Please check out the links below.

-Steven Pressfield's online blog with an interesting article about football and Resistance here.      

-Amazon link to The War of Art here.