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The War of Art
By Steven Pressfield
In this Simpleology Summary you will discover:
• The single force which is keeping you from your
dreams
• A concrete battle plan to conquer all resistance
you face
• How to reach the highest levels of any creative
discipline
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CONTENTS
03 Introduction
04 Resistance – Defining the Enemy
08 Combating Resistance – Turning Pro
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Beyond Resistance – Higher Realm
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Conclusion
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About the Author
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About Simpleology Summaries
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Further Reading
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Introduction
Most of us desire to be creative. But, we allow something to stand in between us
and creative success. In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield labels this ‘resistance’.
It is the enemy of creativity. It is the destructive force inside us which arises
whenever we consider a tough, long-term course of creative action.
Resistance manifests itself in many familiar ways: self-sabotage, self-deception,
self-corruption. Only professionalism can combat it. The War of Art promises no
easy fixes. It does not tell us resistance is an illusion or easily overcome. It gives
us the battle plan needed to enter a tough fight and prevail.
This Simpleology Summary lays out the day-by-day, step-by-step campaign of
the professional: preparation, order, patience, endurance.
Whether an artist, writer or business person, this summary will inspire you to seize
the potential of your life.
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Resistance –
Defining the Enemy
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life
within us. Between the two stands resistance.”
Become a great actor. Write a novel. Start a new business. We all feel callings
towards different creative pursuits. But, a particular feeling seems to hold us
back. That feeling is resistance. Resistance opposes change. It urges us against
anything new.
Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. It is felt as a force repelling
you away from your goals. It arises from within, feeding off your fear of it, and will
stop at nothing to prevent you from your calling.
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Resistance will reveal itself to you in many ways. In the Take Action below, you will
discover the many symptoms it arouses. Pay close attention when the symptoms
grow in strength. Don’t ignore them, use them as a compass. The closer you get
to success, the stronger they become. You may even notice those close to you
acting strangely. They may accuse you of “changing”, as they struggle against
their own resistance.
Rest assured, in the next section you will learn resistance can be beaten. After all,
if it couldn’t we would never have had a Fifth Symphony or Romeo and Juliet.
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Pay close attention to these
symptoms of resistance:
Procrastination
Procrastination is the most common manifestation of resistance. The
most dangerous aspect of procrastination is its habitual nature. It
becomes easier over time.
Sex
Sometimes resistance takes the form of sex, or an obsessive
preoccupation with sex. Unfulfilling sex is a cheap, and easy, distraction
from your work.
Trouble
Ill health, alcoholism and drug addiction are forms of trouble. As
are accidents, neurosis and personal screw-ups. Anything that draws
superficial attention to you tends to be a manifestation of resistance.
Self-Dramatization
Creating drama in your life is resistance. Resistance knows as much
attention can be drawn from bringing home an unsuitable girlfriend as
from creating a work of art.
Self-Medication
When you drug yourself, you simply consume a product which dulls
you. This is at the expense of applying yourself to self-knowledge, selfdiscipline, delayed gratification and hard work.
Victimhood
The victim compels others to come to his rescue, or to hold others
hostage to their predicted illness/meltdown/mental dissolution. The
victim is rarely productive.
Unhappiness
Resistance feels like unhappiness. You want to go back to bed. You
hate your life. You hate yourself. You do not create art.
Fundamentalism
The fundamentalist cannot stand freedom. When you adopt
fundamentalist beliefs, you cannot find your way into the future, so
you retreat to the past. When you cannot move forward, you cannot
create.
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Pay close attention to these
symptoms of resistance:
Criticism
If you find yourself criticizing other people, it may be out of resistance.
When we see others defeating their resistance, it irritates us if we have
not defeated out our own.
Self-Doubt
Only a pretender is wildly self-confident. Genuine artists are scared
to death.
Fear
The more fearful you are of a calling, the more sure you can be that
you have to do it. When resistance is experienced as fear, the degree
of fear equates to the strength of resistance. Being a Star
Grandiose fantasies are a symptom of resistance. They’re the sign of
an amateur. The professional has learned that success only comes as
a byproduct of work.
Isolation
Resistance may tell you a creative endeavor will make you lonely. It
will arouse in you the false fear of being alone.
Healing
The idea that you need to complete mental or spiritual healing before
you will be ready to do your work is resistance. The more energy you
expend on exploring the boring injustices of your life, the less energy
you have to do your work.
Support
The more energy you spend gathering support from colleagues and
loved ones, the weaker you become. This makes you less capable of
handling your business.
Rationalization
Rationalization presents you with plausible, rational justifications for
why you shouldn’t do your work. It prevents you from feeling the shame
you would feel if you faced the cowardice of not being productive.
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Combating Resistance –
Turning Pro
“The amateur does not love the game enough. If he did, he would
not pursue it as a sideline … The professional loves it so much he
dedicates his life to it. He commits full-time. That’s what I mean
when I say turning pro. Resistance hates it when we turn pro.”
The way to combat resistance is with professionalism. Most of us pursue a dream
by working on it sporadically. An hour here, an hour there. This dooms you to
failure.
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You must think of yourself as constantly working on it. Immersed in it. It is a fulltime, professional job. Professionals do not sit about waiting for inspiration. They
work hard. Day in, day out.
You can transfer the same skills of professionalism from your day job to any artistic
endeavor: Show up every day, no matter what. Work beyond the distractions of
your personal life. Have the self-discipline to keep going even when the work
seems unenjoyable. You will discover the qualities of a professional in the Take
Action box below.
Remember, turning pro is a decision brought about by an act of will. Make up
your mind to view yourself as professional and do it.
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Adopt the following qualities of
a professional:
A Professional is Patient
The professional arms himself with patience to keep from burning out.
He conserves his energy. He prepares his mind for the long haul.
A Professional Seeks Order
The professional is on a mission. He will not tolerate disorder. He
eliminates chaos from his world.
A Professional Demystifies
The sign of the amateur is a preoccupation with the mystery of
inspiration. The professional shuts up and does his work.
A Professional Acts in the Face of Fear
The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear to do his work.
The professional knows that fear can never be overcome.
A Professional Accepts No Excuses
The professional has no excuses, he doesn’t take time off for illness or
relaxation.
A Professional Plays It as It Lays
The professional understands he will face adversity and injustice. He
faces these without complaint.
A Professional is Prepared
The professional prepares mentally to absorb blows and to deliver
them. His aim is to take whatever the day gives him.
A Professional Does Not Show Off
A professional’s work is distinctively his own. His style serves the
material. He does not impose it as a means of drawing attention.
A Professional Dedicates Himself to Mastering Technique
The professional wants to be in possession of all necessary skills when
inspiration comes.
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Adopt the following qualities of
a professional:
A Professional Does Not Hesitate to Ask for Help
It would not occur to a professional that he knows everything. On
the contrary, when he has a knowledge gap he seeks out the most
knowledgeable teacher and learns all he can. A Professional Does Not Take Failure (or Success)
Personally
The professional self-validates. He is tough-minded. In the face of
ridicule or adulation, he assesses his own work coldly and objectively.
A Professional Recognizes His Limitations
He has an agent, a lawyer, an accountant. The professional knows he
can only be a professional at one thing.
A Professional is Recognized by Other Professionals
The professional can intuitively sense who around them is an amatuer,
and who is a professional.
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Beyond Resistance –
Higher Realm
“As resistance works to keep us from becoming who we were born
to be, equal and opposite powers are counterpoised against it. These
are our allies and angels.”
The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting
down every day and trying. When we sit down to work, day after day, something
mysterious happens. Unseen forces begin to help us. Ideas come. Insights
accumulate.
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These unseen forces want to help us. When we make a beginning on a project,
we get out of our own way and allow them to come in and do their job. They
provide, within us, the instinct that pulls us toward art. It is the impulse to evolve,
to learn, to elevate our consciousness.
We often define ourselves in one of two ways: by our rank within a hierarchy or
by our connection to a territory. Hierarchy is our default setting. We run naturally
in packs and know our place within them. But, an individual who defines himself
by his place in a hierarchy must look to others to validate his efforts. This is
incompatible with artistic endeavors. The artist must operate territorially - he must
do his work for its own sake. The qualities of a territory are explored below, in
the Take Action box. Defining yourself territorially, will allow the unseen forces to
come to your aid.
Remember, creative work is not a selfish act. It is not a bid for attention. It’s a gift
to the world.
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Understand the following
qualities of a territory:
A Territory Provides Sustenance
Working within your territory will provide you with both joy and energy.
A Territory Sustains Us Without External Input
Our role is to put in effort and love. The territory returns this to us in the
form of well-being.
A Territory Can Only be Claimed Alone
You only need yourself to extract energy from your territory.
A Territory Can Only Be Claimed by Work
A territory is made your own by hours, and years, of hard work.
A Territory Returns Exactly What You Put In
Territories are fair. What you deposit, you get back.
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Conclusion
We all feel callings towards different creative pursuits. But, a particular feeling
seems to hold us back. That feeling is resistance. Resistance opposes change. It
urges us against anything new.
Pay close attention to these symptoms of resistance:
Procrastination
Sex
Trouble
Self-Dramatization
Self-Medication
Victimhood
Unhappiness
Fundamentalism
Criticism
Self-Doubt
Fear
Being a Star
Isolation
Healing
Support
Rationalization
The way to combat resistance is with professionalism. Remember, turning pro is
a decision brought about by an act of will. Make up your mind to view yourself
as professional and do it.
Adopt the following qualities of a professional:
A Professional is Patient
A Professional Seeks Order
A Professional Demystifies
A Professional Acts in the Face of Fear
A Professional Accepts No Excuses
A Professional Plays It as It Lays
A Professional is Prepared
A Professional Does Not Show Off
A Professional Dedicates Himself to Mastering Technique
A Professional Does Not Hesitate to Ask for Help
A Professional Does Not Take Failure (or Success) Personally
A Professional Recognizes His Limitations
A Professional is Recognized by Other Professionals
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The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except
sitting down every day and trying. When we sit down to work, day after day,
something mysterious happens. Unseen forces begin to help us. Ideas come.
Insights accumulate.
Finally, remember creative work is not a selfish act. It is not a bid for attention.
It’s a gift to the world.
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About the Author
Steven Pressfield graduated from Duke University in 1965 and began his career
as a Marine. His 1998 novel Gates of Fire is on the Commandant of the Marine
Corps’ Reading list. It is taught at West Point and Annapolis and at the Marine
Corps Basic School at Quantico.
In the years following, he worked as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher,
tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout, attendant in a mental hospital,
fruit-picker, and screenwriter.
His first novel The Legend of Bagger Vance, was published in 1995, and was
made into a film directed by Robert Redford and starring Will Smith, Charlize
Theron, and Matt Damon.
His struggles to make a living as an author, inspired him to write his 2002 bestselling book The War of Art.
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About Simpleology
Summaries
Books are important. Books entertain us, ignite our imagination, improve our
ability to reason, and help us discover ourselves. Most importantly, books impart
wisdom - the progressive, incremental wisdom upon which humanity has built
itself.
But books do something else: they take time. Time to read and time to comprehend.
Given we are all busier than ever, it is no surprise book reading is in decline.
Even if you are a committed reader, there are so many powerful, life-changing
books in print you’ll never find the time to read them all. Imagine the wealth of
knowledge you are missing out on.
What if there were an easier way?
What if you could read just a few pages but felt as if you had read the entire
book?
Simpleology Summaries take those special books capable of transforming
your life and distill them into their most important ideas. More than that, we make
those ideas easily understandable and actionable in your daily life.
Further Reading
War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Simpleology Summary of The 48 Laws of Power By Robert Greene
Simpleology Summary: Learned Optimism By Martin E. P. Seligman
Simpleology Summary: Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz
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