Good Reads: The War of Art
Image courtesy of FightTheResistance.com
Sorry to have been AWOL for awhile. Have had some new irons in the fire lately ( stay tuned for next post, "New News" ) and have managed to stay busy, photography-wise and otherwise. As of late, one of the things I have been doing quite a bit is reading ACTUAL BOOKS, as opposed to reading articles and tutorials online, like we all do. In fact, I received a wonderful birthday gift from my oldest daughter last month, a gift certificate to Books-A-Million! Ever wonder what to give me as a gift? A gift card to any bookstore is perfect. I adore books!
One book I recently finished, and am re-reading now, here and there, is "The War of Art", by author Steven Pressfield. It's a powerful examination of the internal obstacles to success, not only from the artist or writer's point of view, but in any application or circumstance of one's life. It's an easy read, three chapters, broken down into two- to three-page bits of what it is that throws blocks into our paths along life's journeys.
Basically, it all comes down to Resistance. Resistance is the inner devil.
Most of us have two lives: the life we live, and the unlived inner life. As Pressfield points out, Resistance stands between the two.
We all do it. That diet you resolved to start? How 'bout that promotion, or maybe a job outside of your usual realm of experience? The creative project you've imagined, but never begun? Maybe that trip you've talked about for years, but have never taken. Yeah, that kind of stuff.
What is behind Resistance? Fear. We all cower to fear, to self-doubt. For most of us, it is what keeps us from ever leaving our comfort zone, that imaginary "safe" zone we live in, day in, day out. For some of us, self-doubt drives us to addictions, or chains us to bad jobs, or makes us very unpleasant people to be around. But we need to realize, fear is simply False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear exists in our minds, and most of the time, there is no rationality to our fear.
Graphic courtesy of Magatte Wade
Fear, and Resistance, is what keeps us from living the life we were created and placed on this planet to live.
Resistance has a tendency to crop up in all areas of our lives, not just for creatives. But you can overcome Resistance.
This is a great little book. Grab a copy, read through it. Swish it around a bit, savor it, really dwell on what Pressfield's words are telling you. It was just the kick-in-the-arse I needed to pursue my passion. It just might be for you, too.
I think I may have to pick up his next one, "Turning Pro".
I've had several other Good Reads lately too, a coupke of which I purchased with that wonderful gift card my daughter gave me. It's crazy....I used to habitually be reading two or three books at a time, and haven't done that in years. For some reason this year, I have managed to have at least two books at a time going. I will post a few more more Good Reads for you soon!