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30 people found this helpful
The first time in 109 reviews that I have ever said, "you Must read this book"!
on August 18, 2015
"Kabbalists believe that above every blade of grass is an angel crying "Grow! Grow!" I'll go further. I believe that above the entire human race is one superangel, crying "Evolve! Evolve!"""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 knows there's no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist. What Henry Fonda does, after puking into the toilet in his dressing room, is to clean up and march out onstage. He's still terrified but he forces himself forward in spite of his terror. He knows that once he gets out into the action, his fear will recede and he'll be okay."
~ Steven Pressfield from The War of Art
This is the 109th review I've created. Up to this point, I've made a lot of strong recommendations on books I think you'd love but I've never said you *must* read a particular book.
I'm gonna break that streak here.
If you're a creative person, you need to read this book. It's that good. And, when I say "creative person" I mean anyone who's committed to creating an authentically awesome life. (And, given the fact that you're reading this, my hunch is that clearly means YOU!)
I'm not sure how many times I've read The War of Art over the years but it's a lot. Each time I pick it up I get a swift kick in the creative butt and my life takes a significant step forward.
As the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance and a number of great best-selling novels (my favorite beyond Bagger Vance is Gates of Fire--an incredible portrayal of the classic Spartan warriors), Steven Pressfield knows what it's like to create. He has an extraordinary way of capturing the challenges we face in the War of Art--along with the means by which we can overcome those obstacles (or, as he calls it "Resistance"). Powerful stuff.
Here's just a few of the Big Ideas:
1. Throwing Up - It happens.
2. Work & Its By-Products - Let results take care of themselves.
3. True Love - The amateur vs. the professional.
4. It's 9 O'Clock - Time for inspiration to strike.
5. Time to Turn Pro - A checklist.
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on November 24, 2013
This book may not be for everyone, because not everyone will recieve the message, but it is intended for everyone, in that creativity lies in every human in some form. A lot of reviewers complain about the short chapters, the seeming lack of content, the casual flippancy Pressfield occasionally invokes when discussing the image of Hitler as a repressed, blocked artist, the third part of the book that deals with higher dimensions and serving a higher purpose. etc. No, this book may not be for everynyone. But if you are a blocked creative with an open heart and an eager mind or someone seeking to launch any kind of humanistic endeavor or starting a business, etc, you should consider giving it a try.
This is an unorthodox book. You'll finish it in a day or two. It's filled with words like "Resistance" that sound like self-help buzzwords. It isn't. It's a very apt and all-encompassing term for the forces that keep you from doing your life's work, whatever that may be. Distraction, apathy, booze, procrastination, excuses, toxic relationships, depression, and my favorite of Pressfield's: "compulsive screwing up", just to name a few. Anyone honest with himself who has ever claimed to have "writer's block" knows it's a cop-out, an excuse for not sitting down at an empty screen/page, and doing the work.
This book will kick you in the ass and show you how you've been self-sabotaging yourself. It will also fire you up and give you the strength you need to press on and do the work. Pressfield is a kindly drill-sergeant; he holds no punches but you get the feeling that he really wants you to succeed.
As I read the opening chapter on resistance I saw my guilty self on each page. Illusions were shattered. but it inspired me to sit down at the blank screen and do it. You'll read it once and then refer to it again and again as you might work with a coach on your golf swing.
It's a blue-print, not a map, and everyone's experience will be slightly different as they work through their own demons creating their blocks, so don't expect this to solve your problems. It's up to you to kill your own Minotaur. YOU have to do the work. Identifying the things in life that hold you back, the negative thought patterns, perfectionism, etc., is only the beginning.
The third part of the book, the part that addresses that thorny issue of where ideas and inspiration comes from, will be where many will fall by the wayside. Pressfield cautions you not to hold on too tightly to that precious gemstone you call your "talent", and open yourself to other possibilites, that there may be a higher dimensional energy at work here and that we, the artists, writers, dancers, whatever, are only the agents that this energy works through. Call it what you want. god, the universe, the tao, whatever. I think it was jazz great Charlie Parker that said when asked where his ideas come from, "I just try to get out of the way". He meant that he suspended all ego and allowed the work to flow through him from a higher plane. not comfortable with all this higher-dimensional nonsense? Maybe it's not for you.
But The War of Art will help you. It's helping me. Try his other one, Do The Work as well; some of it is redundant, but is still very worth it. you have nothing to lose, only your blocks, so open your mind and try it.
This is an unorthodox book. You'll finish it in a day or two. It's filled with words like "Resistance" that sound like self-help buzzwords. It isn't. It's a very apt and all-encompassing term for the forces that keep you from doing your life's work, whatever that may be. Distraction, apathy, booze, procrastination, excuses, toxic relationships, depression, and my favorite of Pressfield's: "compulsive screwing up", just to name a few. Anyone honest with himself who has ever claimed to have "writer's block" knows it's a cop-out, an excuse for not sitting down at an empty screen/page, and doing the work.
This book will kick you in the ass and show you how you've been self-sabotaging yourself. It will also fire you up and give you the strength you need to press on and do the work. Pressfield is a kindly drill-sergeant; he holds no punches but you get the feeling that he really wants you to succeed.
As I read the opening chapter on resistance I saw my guilty self on each page. Illusions were shattered. but it inspired me to sit down at the blank screen and do it. You'll read it once and then refer to it again and again as you might work with a coach on your golf swing.
It's a blue-print, not a map, and everyone's experience will be slightly different as they work through their own demons creating their blocks, so don't expect this to solve your problems. It's up to you to kill your own Minotaur. YOU have to do the work. Identifying the things in life that hold you back, the negative thought patterns, perfectionism, etc., is only the beginning.
The third part of the book, the part that addresses that thorny issue of where ideas and inspiration comes from, will be where many will fall by the wayside. Pressfield cautions you not to hold on too tightly to that precious gemstone you call your "talent", and open yourself to other possibilites, that there may be a higher dimensional energy at work here and that we, the artists, writers, dancers, whatever, are only the agents that this energy works through. Call it what you want. god, the universe, the tao, whatever. I think it was jazz great Charlie Parker that said when asked where his ideas come from, "I just try to get out of the way". He meant that he suspended all ego and allowed the work to flow through him from a higher plane. not comfortable with all this higher-dimensional nonsense? Maybe it's not for you.
But The War of Art will help you. It's helping me. Try his other one, Do The Work as well; some of it is redundant, but is still very worth it. you have nothing to lose, only your blocks, so open your mind and try it.
on March 8, 2017
This book is inspiration for a lifetime for anyone with artistic aspirations. There is gold on every page, and every word struck a chord with me. It's like the greatest homily I ever heard in church about fulfilling your purpose and potential, only this book explains the scope of the battle and gives you the weapons and tools to fight it. It's not a self-help book (I hate those). But it will help you demolish excuses and procrastination and get down to business.
on May 22, 2017
While reading this book, I was able to see the times in my life when I beat resistance and when I let it beat me. I became a pro in my given gift area, but other territories yield much more often to resistance. Even at 70 I still love my gift territory, but now have some ideas about breaking the resistance to the activities of other areas of my life. His book has something for everyone who is willing to think out of the box.
on March 1, 2017
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is packed with invaluable pieces of wisdom for anyone making anything. Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, writer, or dreamer, Pressfield will immediately sway you with his all-too-true observations about the creative process, thoughtful perspective, and actionable advice for getting to the heart of what you do best. I found myself marking page after page to come back and reread.
on February 9, 2016
One of the best books on personal discipline you will ever read. The author is a genius in explaining how personal discipline, or resisting resistance, works. Personally, I found this book pretty useful. It treats inspiration as a mystery, which honestly it is. It says, you can't manufacture inspiration, so get yourself in the chair, every day, and do the work so when inspiration comes knocking, you are there to answer the door for opportunity to come in.
I'm intrigued by his idea that the difference between a professional artist and an amateur is that the professional artist loves the art enough to arrange their life to allow themselves to do it full-time. An amateur, he says, isn't someone who does it only for the love; if the amateur really loved the art they wouldn't be content with being a weekend warrior. An amateur identifies with the work, whereas a professional does the work for its own sake. He also does this Jungian analysis of where art comes from and where internal resistance comes from.
I'm intrigued by his idea that the difference between a professional artist and an amateur is that the professional artist loves the art enough to arrange their life to allow themselves to do it full-time. An amateur, he says, isn't someone who does it only for the love; if the amateur really loved the art they wouldn't be content with being a weekend warrior. An amateur identifies with the work, whereas a professional does the work for its own sake. He also does this Jungian analysis of where art comes from and where internal resistance comes from.
on April 18, 2017
The urge for synchronicity is strong in this Jedi. Pressfield has invented his own religion by weaving together threads from various religions, philosophies and myths.
He describes the burden/freedom of creating work, or maybe even being a human, in a Zen-like, guru-esque narrative. When it's all said and done, it's a ride-along in his head.
If you liked Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Power of Now or A Course in Miracles, you'll like this; if you have a faith heritage and appreciate scriptural traditions, probably not so much.
He describes the burden/freedom of creating work, or maybe even being a human, in a Zen-like, guru-esque narrative. When it's all said and done, it's a ride-along in his head.
If you liked Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Power of Now or A Course in Miracles, you'll like this; if you have a faith heritage and appreciate scriptural traditions, probably not so much.
on April 29, 2017
The War of Art is a book that is quoted from and is overwhelmingly recommended by too many people. After reading, I can say it was different than I expected.
As a writer, the section on resistance was the most helpful. Also, avoiding the hierarchy and utilizing territory was a great perspective. I highlighted several passages inside and even bookmarked a few pages for easy referral when I need it. Interesting book to read when you're facing a bit of resistance.
As a writer, the section on resistance was the most helpful. Also, avoiding the hierarchy and utilizing territory was a great perspective. I highlighted several passages inside and even bookmarked a few pages for easy referral when I need it. Interesting book to read when you're facing a bit of resistance.
on May 13, 2017
This is an absolutely amazing book on self-discipline and creativity.
If you're an entrepreneur, an artist, a writer, scientist or just about anybody with an internal urge to CREATE something but cannot because of distractions, fears, doubts and apprehensions, then this is the book for you.
This will book show and define the #1 thing that's stopping you from bringing out your creative potential. It's called Resistance and how it behaves and how it beats you.
And then it stresses why we should overcome the resistance and how to overcome it successfully by detaching ourselves from the fruits, operating from a territorial perspective (i.e. Doing work for the sake of doing work).
By the time I reached the small chapter on Gita and Krishna's explanation on doing work for work's sake, I literally had tears in my eyes.
... Because that's the way an artist must operate, not caring for the fruits.
And I can attest my success in my business & job for JUST that. I gave up all hopes, desires & doubts I had.
I didn't care. I just decided to do the work, punched in my time and 3 years later, I'm at a level that's shocking for many (but something I dreamed about).
However, I still have a lot of blocks where I didn't express myself and get the creative part of me and I'm fortunate to have come across this book.
Anyone who is here to CREATE something - read it. It will change your life!
If you're an entrepreneur, an artist, a writer, scientist or just about anybody with an internal urge to CREATE something but cannot because of distractions, fears, doubts and apprehensions, then this is the book for you.
This will book show and define the #1 thing that's stopping you from bringing out your creative potential. It's called Resistance and how it behaves and how it beats you.
And then it stresses why we should overcome the resistance and how to overcome it successfully by detaching ourselves from the fruits, operating from a territorial perspective (i.e. Doing work for the sake of doing work).
By the time I reached the small chapter on Gita and Krishna's explanation on doing work for work's sake, I literally had tears in my eyes.
... Because that's the way an artist must operate, not caring for the fruits.
And I can attest my success in my business & job for JUST that. I gave up all hopes, desires & doubts I had.
I didn't care. I just decided to do the work, punched in my time and 3 years later, I'm at a level that's shocking for many (but something I dreamed about).
However, I still have a lot of blocks where I didn't express myself and get the creative part of me and I'm fortunate to have come across this book.
Anyone who is here to CREATE something - read it. It will change your life!
VINE VOICEon October 17, 2013
First, I read all 38 one-star reviews and thought about passing this book (resisting to read this book). But the negative reviews didn't quite convince me. Realizing this book is short, I can download it to my Kindle and read it quickly, and if it is really so bad, I can return it right away. I'm glad I read it, and I am keeping it for multiple revisions until I totally internalize the wisdom.
I think, you've got to reach a certain level of maturity to appreciate this book. I could be wrong, but I think those one-star reviewers are either quite young or some frustrated artists. Or maybe they are just too smart.
Coincidentally, I just watched The Life of Pi, winner of four Oscar awards. If you want the most out of this book, watch that movie or read that book along with this. Imagine Pi as the life of an artist, and the Tiger as Resistance in this book. The War of Art is about our (Pi's) struggle against the Tiger (Resistance). But, Pi and the Tiger are actually the same person. Pi is the artist's calling within us, the Tiger is the artist's resistance within us. This book teaches us to recognize the two parts of ourselves and how to tame the Tiger so that we can cross the finish line.
This book is also about the regret and the wisdom of an older artist who has wasted a great deal of his life time defeated by the Tiger. If you are still young, try to grasp the wisdom of this book, so that you won't regret like the author in the later part of your life. I thank the author for the warning I got from this book.
Some of the naysayers said this book can be summarized as "just sit down and write" or "just shut up and do the work." It's not that simple. It's very dangerous when we don't know our enemy. Sun Tzu's Art of War (not this War of Art) says, "If you know yourself and know your enemy, you will win a hundred battle out of a hundred." If you shut up and do the work without acknowledging your enemy, you might end up defeated by the enemy without even knowing it because he is invisible to you, or you might end up beating the air. So this book is about how to keep the Tiger visible and at bay so that you can get your job done without being bitten by him.
Here's why I give it only four stars. This is also the reason some people gave it one star; they just went extreme. The book reads like an unfinished manuscript. It seems like the author wrote the outlines and couldn't find enough material to fill each chapter. So in many pages, you see the chapter title with only one or two short paragraphs of content, leaving the rest of the page empty, as if the author is still trying to finish the chapter.
There is no Table of Content in the Kindle version. It's usually due to the sloppy job done by the publisher. I saw a sentence that doesn't have a full stop. Another sentence wrapped down at the middle of the sentence. So this book has not been through the eyes of a good editor. But, in any case, this should not put the book to one-star.
After all, this book is about a reality of our lives that cannot be effectively described without the use of metaphors and mythologies. You have to read it with your heart and imagination, not just with your eyes. The book is flawed, but the wisdom is too important to be skipped.
(If you find the combination of this book with the Life of Pi generates more sparks of wisdom, please feel free to share them here at the comment section so that I and other artists can benefit from your insights.)
I think, you've got to reach a certain level of maturity to appreciate this book. I could be wrong, but I think those one-star reviewers are either quite young or some frustrated artists. Or maybe they are just too smart.
Coincidentally, I just watched The Life of Pi, winner of four Oscar awards. If you want the most out of this book, watch that movie or read that book along with this. Imagine Pi as the life of an artist, and the Tiger as Resistance in this book. The War of Art is about our (Pi's) struggle against the Tiger (Resistance). But, Pi and the Tiger are actually the same person. Pi is the artist's calling within us, the Tiger is the artist's resistance within us. This book teaches us to recognize the two parts of ourselves and how to tame the Tiger so that we can cross the finish line.
This book is also about the regret and the wisdom of an older artist who has wasted a great deal of his life time defeated by the Tiger. If you are still young, try to grasp the wisdom of this book, so that you won't regret like the author in the later part of your life. I thank the author for the warning I got from this book.
Some of the naysayers said this book can be summarized as "just sit down and write" or "just shut up and do the work." It's not that simple. It's very dangerous when we don't know our enemy. Sun Tzu's Art of War (not this War of Art) says, "If you know yourself and know your enemy, you will win a hundred battle out of a hundred." If you shut up and do the work without acknowledging your enemy, you might end up defeated by the enemy without even knowing it because he is invisible to you, or you might end up beating the air. So this book is about how to keep the Tiger visible and at bay so that you can get your job done without being bitten by him.
Here's why I give it only four stars. This is also the reason some people gave it one star; they just went extreme. The book reads like an unfinished manuscript. It seems like the author wrote the outlines and couldn't find enough material to fill each chapter. So in many pages, you see the chapter title with only one or two short paragraphs of content, leaving the rest of the page empty, as if the author is still trying to finish the chapter.
There is no Table of Content in the Kindle version. It's usually due to the sloppy job done by the publisher. I saw a sentence that doesn't have a full stop. Another sentence wrapped down at the middle of the sentence. So this book has not been through the eyes of a good editor. But, in any case, this should not put the book to one-star.
After all, this book is about a reality of our lives that cannot be effectively described without the use of metaphors and mythologies. You have to read it with your heart and imagination, not just with your eyes. The book is flawed, but the wisdom is too important to be skipped.
(If you find the combination of this book with the Life of Pi generates more sparks of wisdom, please feel free to share them here at the comment section so that I and other artists can benefit from your insights.)
