The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle - a Book Review

"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"

- Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

This book is written for anyone who has ever set a goal, thought about pursuing a dream or set a New Year's resolution and then not followed through to the end. I have had a hundred ideas for starting a business or to make my million dollars, but have never followed through with any of them.

In my search for positive influences, I found and added Zen Habits to my blog roll. This blog is written by professional blogger and author Leo Babauta. One of his latest posts was 20 Amazing and Essential Non-Fiction Books to Enrich your Library. This is where I found the reference to Steven Pressfield's book. I purchased the book on Tuesday and finished reading it on Wednesday. It is a very easy read and under 200 pages, but it contains a number of gems that I will try to apply to my own creative projects in the future. I purchased the book as I believe it is one that I will read again and again; however, it can likely be found at your local library.

Steven Pressfield is the best selling author of The Legend of Bagger Vance. Mr. Pressfield spent 17 years as an aspiring writer before earning his first pay cheque in the craft. He has fought the battle to be an artist and won. The book is his way of giving back to those who follow, so that they can learn to face the enemy and win the battle.

The book is divided into 3 parts.

1. Resistance: Defining the Enemy


2. Combating Resistance: Turning Pro


3. Beyond Resistance: Higher Realm

While Mr. Pressfield does not make any specific references to the Art of War, I believe there are parallels that can be drawn in some of the lessons of Sun Tzu.

Part 1 Resistance: Defining the Enemy

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles"

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

In the first part, Steven Pressfield provides an all encompassing view of the enemy - Resistance - all of the forces that conspire against us from achieving our nirvana. Some gems I am taking from this:

• Resistance is fertile. Meaning that resistance reproduces at an astonishing rate and evolves to meet your resolve head on. I have seen the many forms of the enemy and I have succumbed to them more times than I care to admit.


• The more fear you feel in pursuing your calling, the more sure you can be that you are doing exactly what you should be doing. This is Resistances' way of ensuring you never achieve what you have been placed on this earth to do. The greater the calling, the greater the resistance.


• Resistance grows in strength the nearer we are to achieving our goal. Do not drop your defences or you will be defeated. Like an animal that has been backed into a corner, Resistance is fighting for its life.

Part 2: Combating Resistance: Turning Pro

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. "

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

In part 2 of the book, Mr. Pressfield outlines the strategies and tactics that you need to employ in order to overcome the enemy. He compares amateurs to professionals and shows how the work ethic of the pro is the key to mastering Resistance. Some gems I am taking from this:

• A professional treats her craft like a full time job. She shows up every day, even when she does not feel like it. She does not wait for inspiration to strike. She goes about her craft knowing that, in doing so, the inspiration appears. With many of my ideas, I have always thought that I would work on them part time, when the mood strikes. I need to stop treating my ideas as a hobby and consider pursing them as my job. I have learned that I need to be more committed to my goal, if I ever want to succeed.


• Resistance never dies, you have to be prepared to meet it with your full resolve. Henry Fonda threw up before every performance and then cleaned up and went on stage. Resistance will always be there, you have to be prepared to do your job in spite of the resistance. Mr. Fonda was following the principles outlined in Susan Jeffers' book "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway", another book I would highly recommend.


• A professional learns to live in misery. By pursuing your dream, you will be miserable. Learn to love the misery or you will never finish what you started. Mr. Pressfield attributes his ability to love the misery to the time he spent in the Marine Corps. I went through basic training with the Canadian military twice. Believe me, I know misery.

Part 3: Beyond Resistance: Higher Realm

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized. "

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I did not get as much out of Part 3 as I did the other two. I think I need to read it again. In part 3, Mr. Pressfield looks at the causes and the effects of Inspiration. Some gems I am taking from this:

• Mr. Pressfield recites the Invocation of the Muse from Homer's Odyssey, before he starts work each day. From this I take that it is important to ask for what we want, before we embark on our creative journey. We need to know where we are going, if we want to complete our journey. I also have an idea for a gift for my Homer - an aspiring writer.


• Mr. Pressfield believes that the source of his inspiration comes from a power outside his consciousness, in a higher realm. I agree that inspiration comes from outside our conscious self, but I am on the fence as to whether my subconscious is in a higher plane. No one really knows how the subconscious works - is it just our brains pulling together information we had in a new unique way or is there Divine intervention? What I am taking from this is that I need to defer to what my subconscious is telling me. It has far greater wisdom than my conscious self, whether it be Divine or a fabric woven from the ideas in my memory banks.

I found this book insightful and well worth the money. This year I have the tools for my ideas to set sail and soar.

Happy New Year! I hope you achieve your

Bright Star Dreams