November 4, 2007Book review: The War of Art
Details: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Stephen Pressfield (2003)
Categories: Self-help; Productivity
Dot ratings (/5):
==> Makes me think: 
==> Makes me laugh: 
==> Makes me act: 
In 15 words or less: If you want to do Great Work, stop being an amateur
“I read this at least once a year…”
I first came across this book a couple of years ago when a friend of mine, Joel, thrust it at me saying “I read this at least once a year, whenever I get a little off track.”
Who wouldn’t be curious? And besides, I liked the punning title - a reverse of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Pressfield has scars
Pressfield is a writer, both of books and scripts - his most famous being The Legend of Bagger Vance. And he does a nice job at weaving in his story to the insights this book contains.
His key insight is that, if you are hungry to do something important, something that matters, something that requires your creativity and courage - in other words, what I would call Great Work - then you have two choices:
==> To play the Amateur
==> To be a Professional
It is only by stepping up to the role of the Professional that you can overcome the resistance that plagues any of us taking on Great Work.
A vs. P
An Amateur: Plays old stories
A Professional: Reinvents herself
An Amateur: Does it alone
A Professional: Asks for help
An Amateur: Makes excuses
A Professional: Accepts no excuses
You get the idea…
Sparta!
The tone is not exactly grim, but you might be able to guess that Pressfield most often writes about ancient warriors…and at times it does feel like you need to join the glorious 300 and strap on a Spartan sword and shield to go fight your Great Work battle.
That said, book is filled with succinct and useful distinctions, and I found it has roused me from procrastination to action more than once.
If you like this, you might also want to look at…
Manage Your Gremlin, Richard Carson. The Gremlin is a metaphor for the inner critic, that voice in your head that - in Pressfield’s words - would say “Who do you think you are? Stay an amateur - you could never be a professional.”
The Dip, Seth Godin. Godin’s latest, and as usual a pithy and insightful look at what it takes to get across “the dip” to become the best.
Getting Things Done, David Allen. The best system for productivity out there, no two ways about it.
The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp. The world-renown dancer and her insights on the creative process.
