This is a worthy topic, but American pop culture self-help books are a genre of uninspiring, uncritical banality. This could easily be the best of the genre, who can say, how do you compare backwash? As soon as the topic sprawls into sociology/history/science/philosophy, we enter an opaque realm of regurgitated pop-psych myths, whitewashed history, authoritarian pseudo-Science, and “human nature” zealotry.
There were glimmers of insight, like when the author touched on consumerism exploiting our thirst for instant gratification. But why didn't we start by defining/unpacking the social constructs that the entire book is based on: “work”, “art”, “inspiration”, “success”?
Thankfully, this book is short; it did not have a chance to grow into a nauseating ordeal like Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers: The Story of Success”.

(Side note: military “historians” are disturbing. Their uncritical fetishism of “warrior”, “glory”, “honour”, “hero”, “freedom”… talk about embracing Orwellian Newspeak and perpetuating war culture)

Hmm. This book is full of terrible and dangerous advice. Please please please don't stop taking your meds just because a random writer bro tells you to.

That said, when I read this, it immediately made me get back to writing. So it did accomplish its goal.

I guess if you feel stuck and unable to pursue what you want to do AND you're capable of sifting out bad advice, it's worth a read. It definitely kicks you into just going for it.

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art



Three stars in both content and delivery, but I should probably also disclose that I REALLY struggle with the whole self-help genre and this was basically just a self-help book for writers and artists. I'm not sure if it genetic, or shaped by my own experience on this blue dot, but I generally HATE all forms and types of self-help book. "The sub-genre of "How to Create" books, however, are infinitely better than "How to Business" or "How to Love" or "How to Win". Even with the best writers (and I like Pressfield a lot) the lot are usually filled with jargon, cliches, and almost religious rites/steps to salvation/success.

At their core, they also usually contain a couple good ideas that might not have required a whole book. The War of Art's good idea can be summarized by Nike's slogan:

Just Do It.

Or perhaps, my dad's slogan:

Get off your ass and do your damn job.

This book is basically Pressfield giving the reader ideas about how to overcome creative roadblocks. He describes why there ARE roadblocks, gets a bit philosophical about the nature of roadblocks for creativity, etc., and then give the reader his strategy.

Basically, Pressfield says you gotta do the hard stuff. You gotta work. Ignore distractions and do what it is you want to do, that you dream of doing, NOW.

That's it really.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I read this quick read of a book. On the one hand, I appreciated the brevity and the candor, and on the other, the self-righteous overtones were alienating and borderline dictatorial. I don't underestimate the work ethic and writing talent of Mr. Pressfield; however, if you are looking for practical approaches to consistently battling your bouts of procrastination and creative blocks without sacrificing the relationships that matter most in life (aka real friends and family), look elsewhere. What makes this book borderline off-putting is that the three contemporary male figures noted for their "acts of commitment," and are referenced more than once throughout, are all men that have failed their families and the public: Lance Armstrong, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tiger Woods. In addition, it is darn near impossible to find anything from Mr. Pressfield regarding his commitment to his family, (uncertain that he has one?), and overwhelmingly easy to find his thoughts on his commitment to being an artist, thriving as an artist, and loving an artist. It is a bit tough to swallow the words of an artist when the word commitment only applies when it is to serve your advantage.

Well damn, that hurt. In the best possible way. I recommended this to a few friends, with the phrase "It's like the Artist's Way, but for people with a day job." If you know what I mean...

This book is a solid kick in the pants to stop feeding your procrastinator and get to work. Whether writing or painting or meditating or quitting drink. It's full of very practical advice on how to rethink the common problems that stop us from doing what we know we want to.

I honestly cannot recommend this book more.

Just read it, it's hecka short.

Smol caveat, he does go into some metaphysical and overly Christian rhetoric near the end, but his intentions are good and the advice is still solid. Just push through it, it's a short book.

One of my all-time favorites.

This is a very short book about the ways you are blocked from being creative, and what to do about it. Steven Pressfield is a novelist, and he calls the enemy "Resistance". He has seen Resistance in his own life many times. He lists the many activities that elicit resistance. These include pursuit of writing, painting, music, film, dance, or any other creative art. And he defines creative activities very loosely; it can include being an entrepreneur of any kind, a scientist, an educator, a student, anyone trying to attain spiritual advancement, anyone trying to overcome an unwholesome habit or addiction, an athlete ... the list goes on.

Resistance comes from inside ourselves, although we rationalize it as being caused externally. Resistance is any excuse we can come up with, to defer our creative work.

And Pressfield gives some good advice about how to battle against Resistance. The essence is to "be professional" in our creative work. He explains what it means to "be professional", and how to go about it. Basically, it means to show up every day, no excuses, to be committed over the long haul, to obtain remuneration for our labor, master the techniques of our jobs, and to have a sense of humor about our jobs.

There is much more to it than that, of course. But if you have any type of creative block, this book might help you. It is so short--you can read it in a couple of hours. It's worth it.

Summary of the first two-thirds of the book: Resistance = you allowing external/internal forces to stop you from doing creatively fulfilling work. Don't allow Resistance to get the better of you. Commit to what you want to do, organize, and then do it.

The last third of the book is just self-important bloviating and philosophizing on what it means to be a successful, productive artist.

...That's it. That's literally it.

I cannot imagine this book being useful for many people. It's forthcoming about how art as a profession is grueling, which would deter a hobbyist who's toying with the idea of going pro. And, at the same time, it's so utterly lacking in substance that it cannot possibly be of any worth to anyone who has a true desire to become a pro. It doesn't offer advice for fighting your creative battles so much as it tries to textually Tyler Durden you into resolving to take up the creative fight in the first place.

After Pressfield took a Goldie Hawn quote criticizing sexism in Hollywood ("[There are only three ages for an actress]: Babe, D.A., and Driving Miss Daisy.") and spun it into a non-insight re: being flexible in your growth and journey as an artist, I threw the book down. He himself admitted that Hawn was making a different point AND YET HE USED THAT QUOTE ANYWAY. Which is a) lazy, b) sloppy, c) just plain bad writing.

I picked this up after a former professor recommended it for my writer's block, and it did not help in the slightest. The Paulo Coelho quote stamped on my Chipotle bag is more inspiring. (Although to be fair, Paulo Coelho and Chipotle are pretty great.)

Caurcaurēm viebīgākā (eng - cringey) pašpalīdzības grāmatiņa māksliniekam 101, kādu manas acis redzējušas! ಥ‿ಥ

Saņemot bibliotēkā latviskoto "The War of Art", jau pēc grāmatas dizaina sāku atskārst, kāda tipa saturs mani sagaida... OuUuu, jā.... LV izdevēji redzams, ka pacentās, izlasīja šo grāmatu, pirms deva tai visatbilstošāko ietvaru, kāds tai patiesi pienākas, lai no vienas puses totāli iekārdinātu pašpalīdzības žanra cienītājus,
bet no otras - atbaidītu ("viebiedētu") pašu mērķauditoriju. Vismaz daļu tās...

Mana neviltotā interese radās pēc kādas intervijas noklausīšanās. Amerikāņu rakstnieka Stīvena dzīves stāsts, īpaši tas kĀ viņš stāstīja par savām neražām=pieredzi, neatlaidību un viņa cieņpilnā attieksme pret radīšanas procesu mani vienkārši nohipnotizēja. Sarunas beigās noskaidroju, ka Stīvens ir sarakstījis kādu grāmatu, kuru dievina (un saviem viesiem reizumis dāvina) pats "podkāstu karalis" Džo Rogans!
Un, ja jau šis darbs ir pat latviskots, tam jābūt, KaUt kAM - OuUuu, jā!

Šī grāmata varētu būt vairāk noderīga tiem cilvēkiem, kas absolūti nekad nav nonākuši līdz apziņai par sevī mītošo pretestību (jeb vairākzināmo prokrastināciju, vilcināšanos, pašsabotāžu, Freida "nāves dziņu" vai ko tml.), kas stagnē indivīda tiekšanos pretim savam sirds aicinājumam (lai arī, kāds tas būtu ಥ )

Cīņa par radošumu ir cīņa ar Pretestību. Stīvena atziņas (viegli sagremojamās kumosiņ'tipa nodaļās) tiek pamatotas ar dažnedažādiem piemēriem no autora personīgās dzīves, no Amerikāņu kinokultūras, veiksmīgu golfistu kurioziem, no Senās Grieķijas/Romas kaujām, no psihoanalīzes izvilkumiem, kā arī protamsz, PrOtamS!, ka Arī piemērs ar Hitlera "nepiepildīto sapni"!

Grāmatai cauri strāvo reliģiskie pamatojumi, kas reizēm pat šķiet tīri interesanti. Piem., uztvert Pretestību kā grēku, velnu... Es varu vien iedomāties, cik SuperrRrrrradoša kļūšu dēļ apziņas, ka "ļauties Pretestībai nozīmē kropļot savu dvēseli" vai, ka "uzvara pār Pretestību līdzinās dzemdībām" vai, doma, ka "mūsu nenodzīvotā dzīve mums varētu atriebties vēža formā". OuUuu...

Mana galvenā atskārsme (iz paša "viebīgā" lasīšanas procesa) - katrs saviebtais smaids (katrs "cringe") rodas no neveiklās sastapšanās ar kailo patiesību. Varbūt latviskojums to ir atsedzis par daudz... Varbūt oriģināldarbs ir koķete, kas uzreiz neatklāj, ka ir viena no daudzām citām vispārinātajām pašpalīdzībām, paredzēta nerakstošajam rakstniekam un citu radošo darbu sliņķiem.

Ja izlasi šo atsauksmi un izlasi šo grāmatu, uz kuru balstoties izveido jaunu reliģiju, lūdzu, dod man ziņu!

P.S. Ja lasi, lasi eng. (+ padziļinātai sapratnei noklausies kādu interviju ar autoru)
Latviskojums ir daudzkārt šaubīgs. Neesmu lasījusi oriģinālu, bet, skaidrs, ka vārdam "ģēnijs" diezin vai sinonīms būs "dēmons" . Lai citi lasītāji nepārprastu "dēmona" nozīmi šajā kontekstā (un arī citos), būtu bijis nepieciešams izskaidrot, ka vārds "dēmons" šeit nav "ļaunums", bet visticamāk, kaut kas kā "dievišķā balss". Varbūt pareizāk būtu tulkot kā "daimons" (no eng-"daemon") vai saprotamāk "radošais impulss", "iekšējā balss", nu dajebkā, bet ne jau nu "dēmons", kura tēls, pilnā grimmā un kostīmā, jau atrodas mūsu iztēlē.

A strange one. While I did very much like the third part of the book, the first two were somewhat violent, fatalistic, and had this American religious puritanical quality to it.

I can see how it can work on some people as a drive against procrastination, but I am sure there more positive ways to be creative, most of them way less violent than this.

I read this book years ago. I think about it all the time. It’s a classic.

I was so mad at this book, I typed a whole review into my phone on the train, and then of course it got eaten.

I might come back and talk about this further - my roommate wants me to address more of the points I objected to - but for the moment, let me just say that any book that tells you the cure for mental illness is to follow your passion is full of it. I am all for the benefits of art or whatever makes you happy, and certainly when I'm doing what I love I feel better, but no amount of writing or tax-doing is ever going to change the fundamental chemical imbalance in my brain. Diseases aren't discovered by doctors, they're created by marketers? Really? And I take my meds because I'm a mindless consumer and because I don't work hard enough?

That is even bigger bullshit than "it was easier for Hitler to start a world war than to become an artist," and that was some serious bullshit.