The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – Book Review

The War of Art: Biz Books Review

This is my first book review!  I’m so excited I got the idea to share some of my favorite reads with you.  I am directing a play at Young Actor’s Theatre Camp this summer and I always give a few book assignments.  I regularly require the cast to read Larry Moss’ book, The Intent to Live and then one additional book as well.  This year, that book is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield which inspired me to share it with you guys, too.

This book was recommended to me by a prolific director/producer friend I worked on a movie with.  He said it always sat on top of his desk and whenever he felt stuck or like procrastinating, he would pick it up and read whatever page he opened it to.

I love this advice and I take it regularly because this is one of the best books for artists I have ever read.

The book is about overcoming Resistance, as Pressfield refers to it.

“Late at night have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.”

“Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”

There’s a section of the book that really resonates for me about what he calls “the mother of all fears”, or actually succeeding at your calling.  The closer you get to the finish line, the more Resistance fights against its impending doom, doing everything it can to keep you from reaching the finish line.  I can so relate to that.  Can you?

It is so easy to write off procrastination as just the way we are.  But this book calls us out, and I think if we really listen to this important advice, we will step into the mastery of our true calling.

Get this book if that sounds cool.

I’d love to hear what you think!