Summary: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art is a series of meditations on finding the motivation to get through creative blocks. Steven Pressfield refers to these as the Resistance and gives insight into what it is, how we can overcome it, and what awaits us on the other side.
The Stats
My Rating: 4/5
Goodreads Rating: 3.98/5
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5
Length: 165
Difficulty: 6/10
Genre: Self-Help, Writing, Entrepreneurship, Philosophy
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Overview
The War of Art is a book that seeks to help us overcome the roadblocks preventing us from achieving our goals and dreams. Pressfield states that it is the Resistance that we are constantly grappling with to accomplish the difficult things in life. His goal with the book is to show us where the Resistance comes from and the lessons he has learned to help with the fight.
The Structure of the book is split into three sections:
Resistance: Defining the Enemy
Combating Resistance: Turning Pro
Beyond Resistance: The Higher Realm
Each section is composed of individual meditations which are almost always a single page each. This structure is very similar to a book of poems or something along the lines of the Tao Te Ching. These chapters are set up to show us what the Resistance is, strategies to overcome it, and the higher existence we can live by embracing the pursuit.
Defining Resistance
We all can relate to the feeling of being unable to get through certain tasks. Writer’s block is a clear example of this. We sit and stare at the page, hoping for the right words to come to mind but nothing happens. Pressfield refers to the force causing this as the Resistance.
The Resistance is an impersonal enemy. It is something that everyone must deal with in any pursuit in life. It exists within us and serves to make us feel comfortable, while preventing us from being productive.
Even procrastination is Resistance in disguise as we say we will do something later, but we are merely prolonging the wait to have the fight. The good news is that we can learn to identify Resistance and overcome it.
Combating Resistance
The solution to the battle that Pressfield offers is turning pro. He uses the analogy of amateurs versus pros to compare someone who knows how to get through the Resistance in their own life.
Here, an amateur is someone who is inexperienced in their pursuit. They think that it is this inexperience that keeps them from success but really it is the Resistance keeping them from doing the work needed to get where they want to be. Pressfield teaches that this is what separates the amateurs from the pros. The amateur falls at the pressure of the Resistance where the pro weathers the storm and grinds at their pursuits until they get where they are going, regardless of what is thrown at them.
This may make it seem like there are special people who are able to withstand these forces but Pressfield shows us that we all have the ability to be a pro. We do it every day in our everyday jobs. When things get tough we don’t stop going to work. We keep at it until we get past our obstacles and then things start to improve. It is only through this work that we can overcome the Resistance and find what lies beyond.
Beyond Resistance
The final section of this book takes on a very spiritual tone. Pressfield starts to discuss the forces that drive the eternal battle with Resistance. He uses angels and muses to explain the positive forces that help us in this fight.
Pressfield tells that Resistance is a never ending force that will always exist in our lives. As long as we pursue meaningful existence, there will be pressure holding us back. There is meaning in the pursuit, however, and if we fight the good fight then we will be in a much better place than we were yesterday.
The magic in The War of Art is that it is not only a book that helps to make us better creatives, but better people as well.
Here’s some more information if you are interested in reading The War of Art.
Who should read this book
Anyone in a creative pursuit and anyone who feels that they are often unmotivated to do the things that they know they need to get done. The War of Art offers an insightful look into the reasons we struggle to accomplish the things that we desire. Though often in the book this is viewed through the lens of creatives or writers, the lessons here can be applied to everyday life and the barriers to taking a hold of our future.
Who should avoid this book
Anyone not big into philosophy, religion, or self help. Pressfield states in the introduction that his belief in God is a large source of his inspiration in this book. As I mentioned, the latter parts of this book take on a very spiritual tone and if you struggle to read ideas of that genre then this may be a tough book for you to get through.
That being said, Pressfield invites us to consider these ideas abstractly if we do not believe in them as literally as he does. As someone who does not necessarily have the same views as Steven, I can say that if you consider his words carefully in their abstract sense, there are many lessons to be taken away from this book.