The War of Art - Book Review

My first book while diving into the art of creativity, and really the foundation for my writing and this blog in general. Steven Pressfield is widely known as one of the best authors of our time and this book is a detour from his normal non-fiction writing. It is a easy and short read in the sense of overall length and they layout of the book but the content is rich and deep. One of those books you need more than one fresh highlighter. My 1-2-3 is below and like some of my other reviews I'll include all my key takeaways I noted as I was reading. Warning, there are A LOT!

1-2-3

1(00) Word Summary:

"Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution.”

Resistance takes many shapes and stops even the greatest artists. Pressfield unpacks all these different forms, increases our awareness, then shows us how defeat them. He teaches us to turn from “Amateur” to “Pro”; How to focus on “Self” instead of “Ego”; How to operate in our “Territory” not a “Hierarchy”; He truly gives us the tools to win our inner battle of creativity.

2 Reasons I Read This Book:

1. On a journey to learn more about being creative or being an "artist"

2. One of the most respected authors AND books in the creative space
   

3 Things I'll Takeaway:

1. Resistance shows up in many ways, including Fear, Self-Doubt, Procrastination, Rationalization, Isolation, and the list goes on. We can use these to our advantage to let it guide us towards our calling. The more we doubt, the more scared we are, the more we procrastinate from doing "something", the more of a sign that this is our Muse, our purpose, our calling

2. There is a true dichotomy between Ego and Self; Ego = "I/Me"; Self = Ego PLUS Personal and Collective Unconsciousness; The Ego believes every individual is different and separate while Self believes we are all one; Ego's predominant impulse of life is self preservation where Self's supreme emotion is love

3. We operate in either a Hierarchy or a Territory; Hierarchies are like high school; We compete against all others, we evaluate our happiness based on our rank, we chase achievement, we act towards others based on their rank, and we evaluate our moves like chess; Operating in a territory we know everyone can win, we chase and value the process over the outcome, we view everyone as equal and love everyone
   

Key Takeaways:

• Resistance impacts any act that derives from our higher nature instead of our lower (and not vice versa). Immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health, or integrity

• Resistance is Infallible - We can use resistance to our advantage. Let it guide us towards our calling - The more important a call or action to our soul's evolution, the more resistance we will feel toward pursuing it

• Resistance Recruits Allies - We often see others dismiss our obsession and our want to create and contribute. Success becomes a reproach to others. Their thought is "if he can beat these demons, why haven't I been able to?"

  • We must be ruthless, not only with ourselves but with others. The best and only thing that one artist can do for another is to serve as an example and an inspiration

• Resistance and Procrastination - Most common manifestation because it is the easiest to rationalize

  • We don't tell ourselves, "I'm never going to write my book." Instead we say, "I am going to write my book; I'm just going to start tomorrow."

• Resistance and Self-Doubt - Can (and should) be an ally. "The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death."

• Resistance and Fear -Another "positive" indicator that we are in the right place. The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more we can be sure we have to do it

• Resistance and Isolation - We're never alone. Own isolation. Imagine the reader of your work, they are who is with you and guides you.

• Resistance and Rationalization - Essentially, LEAN INTO FEAR! Rationalization hides fear and shows us a series of plausible, rational justifications for why we should pursue

• Principle of Priority; A.) You must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important B.) You must do what's important first

• A Professional is Patient, Amateurs plunge in, overly ambitious and setting unrealistic timetables for completion; Pros rely delayed gratification, also knowing that any job takes twice as long we think and costs twice as much

• Dedicates Himself to Mastering Technique: Respect our craft and never consider ourselves superior to it. We MUST be in full possession of the arsenal of skills required so when inspiration strikes we can own it (overprepared)

• Does Not Take Failure (or Success) Personally AND Endures Adversity -Critics are not the enemy, the best and brightest seek to learn and a lot of learning happens through failure. Failure often produces adversity. Adversity shows up in humiliation which is the "external reflection of internal Resistance"

• You, Inc. -"If we think of ourselves as a corporation, it gives us a healthy distance on ourselves. We're less subjective."

• Approaching the Mystery -Every day, try. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us. Ideas come. Insights accrete.

• Invoking the Muse Part 1, 2, & 3 - The first thing we should do is pray to the Muse, a prayer of gratitude and asking for wisdom through the Holy Spirit. Let it guide me!

  • Crafting our prayer; Ask for sustainability, wisdom, to make our work LIVE on earth, blessing and peace; But most of all, we're communicating OUR thankfulness for our gifts and for the opportunity

• The Magic of Making a Start - Angles are like Muses. They know stuff we do not and they truly want to help us. BUT we can't hear them as we're distracted by our own "nonsense". This is why we must simply begin. Then we start hearing angels, hearing the Muse. Boldness is key

• The Ego and the Self - Ego = I and Self = Ego AND Personal and Collective Unconscious; The Self is "the sphere of the soul"

  • Dichotomy (Ego/Self): Resistance Home/Angels Home; Death is real/an illusion; Time and space are real/an illusion; Every individual is different and separate/all beings are one; Predominant impulse of life is self-preservation/supreme emotion is love; No God/God is all there is

• Fear -Resistance lives in fear. The main fear -> "Fear That We Will Succeed"

• The Authentic Self - We come into this world with a specific calling or personal destiny. A calling to enact, a self to become. Our job IS NOT to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we think we should be BUT to find out who were already are and become it!

• The Artist and the Hierarchy -We Compete against all others in the order (vs. we can ALL win); Evaluate our happiness based on our rank. Therefore chase achievement (vs process over outcome); Act towards others based on THEIR rank and/or their rank relative to ours (vs love everyone, we're all equal); Evaluate our moves like chess. Solely by its effect on others

  • We must operate territoriality - "To labor in the arts for any reason other than love is prostitution"

• Qualities of a territory; Provides sustenance; Sustains us without an external input (a closed feedback loop - we put in the effort and love, territory absorbs, gives back to us in for of well-being. Repeat); Can only be claimed by me; Can only be claimed by work (a territory doesn't just give, it gives BACK); Returns exactly what you put in (they are fair - what you deposit comes back dollar for dollar)

• The Difference Between the Territory and Hierarch -To tell our orientation, ask ourselves "If I were feeling really anxious, what would I do?"

  • Of any activity I do, ask myself if I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?

• The "Supreme Virtue" - Contempt for failure

• The Artist's Life - "Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got"