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The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield.  $9.91 Amazon.com

I need to order the book, The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield, in bulk.  It addresses in a poetic manner the universal problem of why artists procrastinate in what they love to do most, which is to create.  Over the years I have had many heartfelt conversations with those who feel called to create but are unable to commit to the practice.   The conversation usually ends with me handing them this book from my shelf.

The author is a writer but the struggle applies to all who work in creative fields.  It is intended for those who seriously want to pursue their art where creativity is a calling, not an interest.  The antagonist in Pressfield’s book is Resistance, with a capital R.  Resistance is an entity that tries its best to undermine your passion and trick you into believing you are not worthy of your pursuit.  Resistance says there are outside forces blocking you and the life that should be becomes the life that could have been.  The antidote to resistance is to show up and put in the time and effort until the force of opposition is broken.

The end of the book has a very interesting chapter on inspiration.  The theory is that inspiration is out there waiting to be found.  Those who are determined and practiced in their art will be the conduit that gives life to the idea.

The War of Art is a short, 165 page book.  Many of the pages are a single paragraph of insight that will fuel your desire to work.  It is a book that I pick up and read when I need a shot of encouragement and a book to share with other artists who face this common struggle.

Here are some quotes from The War of Art:

“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

“The Principle of Priority states (a) you must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what’s important first.”

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”

To order "The War of Art" click here