I'm going to begin a series called Serebral Scrolls, simply reviewing books I have read starting in 2012. I haven't posted much on this blog since new years, mainly because I'm not too sure what direction I want to take this blog, and also because I'm battling Resistance (I'll explain below). I decided to write these "reviews" because I wanted to reflect on the books I have read, and to also write out some key points I can revisit later on. But more importantly, it is a good exercise for the mind.
I'll try not to give too much away, but I think its better to read the books first before you ever read any review - thus buy the books!
Title: The War of Art
Author: Steven Pressfield
The marketing behind this book is that it is a "no-nonsense profoundly inspiring guide to overcoming creative blocks of every kind." The author, Steven Pressfield, is well-known for his fictional work, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, and The Afghan Campaign. However, this book, The War of Art, has probably impacted more people and thus in my opinion is his most important work to date.
The Basics:
The book is inexpensive, your looking at around $15-20 for the paperback, and you can get the e-book online for about $8. It is only 165 pages, and some segments barely fill half a page. It is an extremely easy read, Pressfield's writing style is one which almost anyone can identify with, he uses common sense, and language which everyone can understand. Not a dense read, the format flows well, with short sub segments helping to get points across.
Resistance:
Activities which elicit Resistance the most:
- pursuit of artistic expression
- running a business
- health and fitness
- spiritual advancement
Everyone experiences resistance on a daily basis, it never sleeps and is fueled by fear.
Resistance is exactly what is holding your reality from becoming your dreams. The void between thoughts and actions. Surprisingly it comes down to just doing the work. Resistance manifest itself as self-doubt, fear, procrastination, rationalization, drama and victimhood.
"The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it becomes a habit. We don't just put off our lives today, we put them off till our deathbed."
Resistance is that hollow feeling, the more empty you feel, the more certain you can be that
your true motivation was not love, fun, or lust, but it was Resistance. The feeling of low-grade misery, boredom, restlessness, there is guilt but you can't put your finger on the source. Resistance becomes the vices, and it applies almost to everything - gossip, partying, masturbation, shopping, gambling, etc. "The truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them"
The more Resistance you feel towards an action, whatever it may be, becoming an actor, a painter, an Olympian, the more likely that action is the right one. Because if you have second thoughts, and tons of self-doubt, and the fear of failure is high, your probably struggling with Resistance and you need to push through.
"The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it."
Resistance can be beat. If it couldn't, we would not have the Fifth Symphony, no Romeo and Juliet, no Eiffel Tower. You just have to remember that success has been achieved for over fifty million years, by doing work.
'Turning Pro' as an Ideal:
The amateur plays for fun, the professional plays for keeps.
To the amateur, the game is his avocation, to the pro its his vocation.
The amateur is part-time, the pro is full-time
The professional understands delayed gratification.
"The artist has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, ridicule and humiliation." The professional has to know how to be miserable, he has to love it. It is what separates the professional from the amateur, the willingness to go through hell. There is no mystery to turning pro, it is a decision brought about by an act of will. We make up our minds to view ourselves as pros and we do it.
Concept of the Muse:
"The Bhagavad-Gita tells us we have a right only to our labour, not to the fruits of our labour. All the warrior can give is his life; all the athlete can do is leave everything on the field."
Pressfield establishes that the concept of the "Muse" is an invisible force that supports and sustains the journey against Resistance. Where can we find creativity, ideas, visualizations? Is it localized in our minds? Or is it non-local? The "Muse", whether you believe in extra-dimensionality, cannot be explained entirely by science. His idea is that by putting in the work daily and becoming a professional, you are tuning into a channel, catching a frequency, into the "Muse". Another way to look at the "Muse", is "Talent" programmed into our genes by evolution. He uses an example with writing, where every day he sits down and writes on his computer, after some time, he saves his files and leaves his office. Has he written anything significant? It doesn't matter. What mattered is he put in the work for today, and overcame Resistance. Eventually this will strengthen his connection to the "Muse" and thus this is where new ideas and creations will be born.
Criticism, but not really:
Pressfield is a writer, therefore his lean is towards artistic expression in terms of writing, thus he using more examples from the writer's point of view. Nonetheless there are other forms of examples throughout the book. At times over-emphasis on the internal, where the external plays an equal important role in determining ones successes and failures, and ultimately their abilities to battle Resistance. Finally, there is a sprinkle of "God" talk here and there, even though Pressfield does not identify exactly what he means when he mentions "God", it does not necessarily imply a "God" which is defined by religious school of thought, rather it could be one of greater consciousness and eternity. But nonetheless, such a vibe may turn off some people, and these people need to reread the book to understand the greater message, which has nothing to do with religion. I just wanted to mention this, because I'm sure someone out there would bash any mention of "God" or "Prayer" or the 'Muse" etc. Final Thoughts:
This book I would recommend to almost anyone, however there is a level of understanding and life experience you need, thus I don't think a 15 year old will be able to grasp some of the concepts, but you never know. Its definitely a self-guide type of book, where you could always reference back to it, when you need a kick in the ass. The idea is to put in the work - get in the gym, practice your guitar, paint your paintings, and become a pro. Live it everyday, and you will overcome your creative battles, and inner Resistance. In the end the mother of all fear, is the fear that we will succeed. It sounds silly when you verbalize it, but it is true. It is a terrifying idea to leave all our tribal instincts, which have been ingrained in our psyche for over 50 million years.
We know that if we embrace our ideals, we must prove worthy of them. And this scares the hell out of us.
What will become of us?
Will we lose friends and family support?
Will we wind up alone, in the cold void of starry space?
The answer is: We wind up in space, but not alone. instead we tap into a source of wisdom, consciousness and companionship. Yes you will lose friends, but you will find friends too. And they're better friends, because they too have taken the chance, and are overcoming Resistance.
Think of it this way, do it or don't do it. If you were meant to cure cancer or write a symphony, and you don't do it - you not only hurt yourself, you do a disservice to everyone else.
@nemsizzerb.
