Saturday, October 25, 2025

book: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield


The War of Art - Kindle edition by Pressfield, Steven, Coyne, Shawn. Self-Help Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

(Gemini) AI summary & illustration

Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art" is a powerful and concise guide for anyone struggling with creative blocks, procrastination, and the fear of pursuing their artistic or entrepreneurial dreams. The central message revolves around the concept of "Resistance," an invisible, insidious force that actively works to sabotage our creative endeavors and prevent us from reaching our full potential.

Pressfield describes Resistance as a universal force, akin to gravity, that manifests as self-doubt, fear, distraction, perfectionism, and any excuse that keeps us from doing our work. He argues that the more important a calling or creative project is to our soul's growth, the more Resistance we will encounter.

The book's core message is to recognize Resistance for what it is—a formidable enemy—and to combat it head-on. Pressfield distinguishes between amateurs and professionals: amateurs succumb to Resistance, while professionals show up every day, do the work, and commit to their craft regardless of their mood or inspiration. He emphasizes the importance of discipline, consistency, and treating our creative work as a serious, daily practice.

To overcome Resistance, Pressfield advocates for "turning pro." This involves:

  • Identifying Resistance: Acknowledging its presence and understanding its various manifestations.
  • Committing to the work: Showing up consistently, even when uninspired, and putting in the hours.
  • Embracing humility: Realizing that the work is not about us, but about serving a higher purpose or muse.
  • Doing the work for its own sake: Finding satisfaction in the process itself, rather than solely focusing on outcomes or external validation.
While the "muses" or divine inspiration are acknowledged as forces that can assist, the book primarily focuses on the internal battle against Resistance. The artist's job is to create the conditions (through discipline and effort) for inspiration to strike, rather than passively waiting for it. The metaphor of the lightbulb channeling electricity is apt—the artist is the conduit, but they must first build and switch on the circuit.

In essence, "The War of Art" is a call to arms for creators, urging them to recognize their internal enemy, commit to the grind, and relentlessly pursue their calling with the discipline of a professional.





an American author of historical fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays

Non-Fiction (Writing/Creativity)
  • The War of Art - His most famous book, a powerful guide on overcoming resistance and creative blocks. Short, punchy, and transformative for artists, writers, and anyone pursuing creative work.
  • Do the Work - A practical companion to The War of Art with actionable strategies.
  • Turning Pro - A follow-up exploring the mindset shift from amateur to professional.
  • The Artist's Journey - His most recent creativity book, exploring the mythic structure of the creative life.


podcast interviews

How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield - Huberman Lab 
Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and expert in how to overcome the inner force of "resistance"—the self-sabotaging tendency to procrastinate on your life's most important work that keeps you from realizing your professional and creative potential.

How to Overcome Inner Resistance | Steven Pressfield - YouTube 
Huberman Lab podcast

at Lex Friedman, podcast


at Tim Ferris podcast


books summaries / reviews

PNTV: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (#136) - YouTube
by Brian Johnson (Heroic.us)

THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield | Core Message - YouTube
Productivity Game
The book highlights the forms of resistance faced by artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and others who are trying to break through creative barriers.

word play vs. classic Chinese text


The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the late Spring and Autumn period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills or art related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics.

Homer’s Prayer to the Muse

quote and used the the author, here translated (by AI) to modern English

"Oh Muse, goddess of poetry,
help me tell the story of that complex man who,
after conquering the sacred city of Troy,
was forced to wander painfully along the shores of many different people,
subjected to their various ways of life.
All the while, during his travels at sea,
his heart was filled with the agony of trying to save himself and get his crew safely home.
But for his crew, it was a hopeless wish.
They were fools!
Their own recklessness was their downfall.
They slaughtered and ate the sacred cattle of the Sun God,
and because of that, the god made sure they would never see their day of return.
Oh Muse, bring this story to life for us in all its meaning."


1. The Literal Meaning: Setting the Stage

This is an invocation, a prayer to a divine being for help.
In ancient Greece, poets and storytellers (or "bards") did not see themselves as the creators of their stories. They believed they were merely channels or vessels for divine inspiration.

The Muses were the goddesses of the arts and sciences,
and the bard would "invoke" them to grant him the ability to tell the story truthfully and beautifully.

2. The Deeper Meaning (Why Pressfield Uses It)

For Steven Pressfield and anyone engaged in a creative struggle,
this prayer is a perfect metaphor for the artistic process.
  • Humility and The Muse: The artist is not the genius; the Muse is. The artist's job is to be a worthy vessel. This prayer is an acknowledgment that inspiration comes from a source beyond the ego. It's the ultimate act of "turning pro"—showing up and asking for help from that higher power to do the work.

  • The Work Is a Struggle: The prayer doesn't ask to tell a story of easy victory. It asks for the strength to tell a story of "agony," of a man who suffers and fights just to get home. This mirrors Pressfield's central idea of "Resistance." The creative journey is not supposed to be easy; it is a war against internal and external foes. The pain and the struggle are the story.

  • Focus on the Journey, Not Just the Outcome: The prayer is about the long, arduous journey of Odysseus. For an artist, the daily work, the "sea-faring," is the most important part. You must endure the process, even when your heart "aches with agony," to bring the project "safe home."

  • Personal Responsibility: The passage makes it clear that Odysseus's crew failed because of their own foolishness and sacrilege. They gave in to their base impulses (hunger and greed) and were destroyed. This is a powerful parallel to how Pressfield describes artists failing. They fail not because of a lack of talent, but because they succumb to Resistance—procrastination, self-doubt, distraction—which are all forms of "witlessness" that "cast them aside."
In essence, this prayer is the artist's mission statement. It is a humble request for divine aid in a noble, painful, and necessary struggle. It frames the creative endeavor not as a hobby, but as an epic journey with profound consequences.
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