The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
by Steven Pressfield (Goodreads author!)
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
discuss this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
lists with this book
Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 511)
Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
writers, journalists, creative people
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
Fair warning - the book is written in frank soldierly language; I will critique it in kind.
At one level, this is a straight up 'fatherly' self-help book. Its message is simple. Stop procrastinating, stop making excuses, and get your sorry ass to work. No tricks; no magic; just do it. This is Pressfield channeling the DI. But beyond that, and what makes this more than just a swift kick in the pants to someone that is down, is that this is fundamentally a spiritual, theological book.
I...more
At one level, this is a straight up 'fatherly' self-help book. Its message is simple. Stop procrastinating, stop making excuses, and get your sorry ass to work. No tricks; no magic; just do it. This is Pressfield channeling the DI. But beyond that, and what makes this more than just a swift kick in the pants to someone that is down, is that this is fundamentally a spiritual, theological book.
I...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Writers take note. Steven Pressfield has named your enemy.
In magical traditions, sorcerers claim power with names - names of entities, names of enemies - and conceal their own true names from those who might harm them. Pantheistic religions have hundreds of gods, gods for everything under the sun. Diana, Goddess of the Hunt. Ganesh, Lord of Obstacles. And patron saints of you name it. Even if you don't believe in prayer as such, it's hard to argue with the psychological effect of having an a...more
In magical traditions, sorcerers claim power with names - names of entities, names of enemies - and conceal their own true names from those who might harm them. Pantheistic religions have hundreds of gods, gods for everything under the sun. Diana, Goddess of the Hunt. Ganesh, Lord of Obstacles. And patron saints of you name it. Even if you don't believe in prayer as such, it's hard to argue with the psychological effect of having an a...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
The spine of this book is only a little wider than a green bean and the chapters are as short as aphorisms - but it is the most powerful book about the creative process that I've found so far. I'm recommending it this month instead of fiction, because, frankly, I think that it's more important that everyone reads this book first.
Pressfield begins by talking about what stops us from doing our creative work: Resistance. He is a screenwriter himself (fun fact: the introduction to this book is ...more
Pressfield begins by talking about what stops us from doing our creative work: Resistance. He is a screenwriter himself (fun fact: the introduction to this book is ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
Know thy enemy, know thyself, wrote Sun Tzu in the Zen classic The Art of War. Steven Pressfield argues, in The War of Art, that the enemy of the creative process is Resistance, and by knowing its many faces one can bravely and intelligently conquer these internal demons that keep us from creative productivity.
Though I usually approach books of this nature with a healthy dose of skepticism, as I began reading The Art of War I recognized, with some shame, the familiar fronts of procrastinat...more
Though I usually approach books of this nature with a healthy dose of skepticism, as I began reading The Art of War I recognized, with some shame, the familiar fronts of procrastinat...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
I have these words from Steven Pressfield hanging over my writing desk.
Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
Do it or don't do it.
It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don't do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
Yo...more
Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action.
Do it or don't do it.
It may help to think of it this way. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony or crack cold fusion and you don't do it, you not only hurt yourself, even destroy yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet.
Yo...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2008
I couldn't get into this book. I've read and reread it several times, but it just doesn't do it for me. I gave it the second star because he does give some good advice about committing to the work, and staying in the seat. Some good bits about discipline and such.
I have about 13 years of collegiate and graduate art school under my belt, and I've worked in the fine and commercial arts. Thing is, I hate seeing the challenge of making art turn into this romanticized, epic battle between the poo...more
I have about 13 years of collegiate and graduate art school under my belt, and I've worked in the fine and commercial arts. Thing is, I hate seeing the challenge of making art turn into this romanticized, epic battle between the poo...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Have you ever felt that you have something you should be doing but just haven't done it? Do you have a dream? Are you a creative or entrepreneurial type?
This book addresses and motivates one to take the steps to pursue those dreams and fill your purpose.
Broken into three sections:
Book 1: Resistance - Defining the Enemy is just that, VERY insightful and applicable.
Book 2: Combating Resistance - Turning Pro highlights ways to beat resistance and overcome it in your life.
Book 3: ...more
This book addresses and motivates one to take the steps to pursue those dreams and fill your purpose.
Broken into three sections:
Book 1: Resistance - Defining the Enemy is just that, VERY insightful and applicable.
Book 2: Combating Resistance - Turning Pro highlights ways to beat resistance and overcome it in your life.
Book 3: ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who likes this quote
"Creating soap opera in our lives is a symptom of Resistance. Why put in years of work designing a new software interface when you can get just as much attention by bringing home a boyfriend with a prison record?
Sometimes entire families participate unconsciously in a culture of self-dramatazation. THe kids fuel the tanks, the grown-ups arm the phasers, the whole starship lurches from one spine-tingling episode to another. And the crew knows how to keep it going. If the level of drama dr...more
Sometimes entire families participate unconsciously in a culture of self-dramatazation. THe kids fuel the tanks, the grown-ups arm the phasers, the whole starship lurches from one spine-tingling episode to another. And the crew knows how to keep it going. If the level of drama dr...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
An early chapter just grabbed me with this opening line, "Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance." Those sentences grabbed me and have stayed with me. How much do I resist? How do I resist? Why do I resist? The reflection that chapter inspired was well worth reading the rest of the book though nothing else was as revolutionary for me-- I got what I needed early in the pages. There's also a fabulous quote fr...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in March, 2007
How creative of a person are you? "They" say the more creative you are, the more sensitive you are. Which can mean that you don't want to get out of you bed some days, or that you have the ability to procrastinate greatly, or that you want to destroy every piece of work that you have ever created because it's crap and you'll never be as crazy as Vincent van Gogh or as cool as Michaelangelo.
Well, this book gives you tools to help you overcome all your short comings and own up to your p...more
Well, this book gives you tools to help you overcome all your short comings and own up to your p...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
creative types
There's not enough space here to write about what I learned from this book.
If you're an artist, or just a creative individual with dreams and ideas, this is a must-read for you.
I was given the assignment to read this book for my Portfolio class (graphic design) and there was so much in it that spoke to me and that is going to help me in the long run.
The good news is that I already have the upper hand with a lot of the issues that Pressfield talks about but the other stuff was really ...more
If you're an artist, or just a creative individual with dreams and ideas, this is a must-read for you.
I was given the assignment to read this book for my Portfolio class (graphic design) and there was so much in it that spoke to me and that is going to help me in the long run.
The good news is that I already have the upper hand with a lot of the issues that Pressfield talks about but the other stuff was really ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2006
The book starts with a chapter titled "The unlived life" that opens with: " Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance." What follows are 160 pages of entertaining exposure of all the mental twists that send you off the mark. Stephen Pressfield calls it Resistance, with an R to illustrate its importance. To create art is war as the author knows all too well. But in the concluding chapters Pressfield talks of ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
This is a short, quick read that packs a lot of concepts into a short volume. It's an excellent primer on creativity, authenticity, spirituality and resistance, and it can be easily read in about a day and a half. Despite its results-oriented title, it does us the favor of not recommending time management techniques, organizational systems or affirmations. It just explores what keeps people from pursuing what they want to pursue and gives us something to think about.
I highly recommend this b...more
I highly recommend this b...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
the quote on the cover calls this book something like "a kick in the pants" and it was kind of good for that, i suppose. it mainly just describes how resistance gets in the way of doing anything remotely worth doing, and i kind of liked that it suggested that resistance is stronger the more you care about something, rather than the usual idea that perhaps that much resistance is a sign you don't really want to do the thing (something that came up in "it's kind of a funny story&quo...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
All you creative types
If you're a "creative type" then this book is pretty fascinating. Well, section 1 of 3 is pretty fascinating. Section 2 was interesting. And section 3 was a little weird. I couldn't get on board with everything the author was saying, but he has some really interesting observations about why the creative process can be so difficult sometimes. It's a very quick read (a day, maybe a day and a half) as it's broken up into lots of small vignettes (some less than a quarter of a page long). G...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
This is one of my "Big Four" books on writing. (More to come) While there are many wonderful books on writing, there were four that really propelled me into this profession. I'm reviewing this one first, because regardless of your chosen form of creative outlet, The War of Art will get you off your bum and doing the work!
Thus far, it is the best book I've read to get you past procrastination, resistence and any other guise fear comes in. If you want to create, you must read thi...more
Thus far, it is the best book I've read to get you past procrastination, resistence and any other guise fear comes in. If you want to create, you must read thi...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Well, I felt that it was largely fluff, and the writing style didn't appeal to me, nor did the idea that true inspiration comes for a spiritual or mystical force. However, there were a few good ideas in there:
1. Treat your art as a profession.
2. Especially, do your work at a designated time, daily without fail, as if it were a 9-5 job.
3. Learn to be good at being miserable instead of trying to avoid misery.
So, if someone with my sensibilities were to ask me whether or not they should...more
1. Treat your art as a profession.
2. Especially, do your work at a designated time, daily without fail, as if it were a 9-5 job.
3. Learn to be good at being miserable instead of trying to avoid misery.
So, if someone with my sensibilities were to ask me whether or not they should...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in November, 2007
recommended to Grant by:
Jonathan Coulton, David Allenrecommends it for: artists, songwriters, writers, creative people
Quite a "kick in the pants," as promised, this book inspired me to make a regular habit out of my sparse songwriting (I've since lapsed, but I'm working on it!)
My main issue is that it sort of boldly plows over the idea that you may have a family to support, and quitting your job to follow your heart might crush your ability to do so. In the book, this is sort of offered as "par for the course," but I wish there was a bit about how to ease into doing what you love for a l...more
My main issue is that it sort of boldly plows over the idea that you may have a family to support, and quitting your job to follow your heart might crush your ability to do so. In the book, this is sort of offered as "par for the course," but I wish there was a bit about how to ease into doing what you love for a l...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
recommended to Amy by:
My Friend Daverecommends it for: Artists and Dreamers
Pressfield uses hyperbolic metaphors in a way that doesn't make me sick. On the contrary, I was inspired. Finally a book that is able to portray so viscerally the struggle of being a creator in this day and age. This is the kind of book I will pick up from the shelf to re-read the introduction, or skim the pages, and be reminded of what my mission in life is. Of course, he evokes the higher power (g- word) which doesn't jive with me, but I was able to look past it. If you create in your life, gi...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
