Why do you make art? Is it from your ego, or from the Self? And do you know the difference?
In the final portion of The War of Art, Steven Pressfield goes deep. He discusses the difference between acting hierarchically (i.e. for others’ approval) or territorially (i.e. what you’d do if you were the last person on earth). He discusses the ego vs. the self. He discusses birth and death and the Muse.
It’s heavy, but it is real. You may not agree with everything here... But you’ll also find some of this to be dead-on, you’ll hear things that you never even understood yet know instinctively to be true.
This was my favorite part of the book and I hope you enjoy it too. Here we go:
Disclaimer
The views represented in the book do not necessarily reflect my own.
This is a way to learn from the perspectives of others, which happens best when we challenge our own beliefs. I present this information in as politically neutral a way as I can.
In these posts, “Quotes” are direct quotes, “Notes” are notes from the book’s ideas, and “Personal Thoughts” are my own ideas.
——
PART 3: Beyond Resistance - Higher Realm
Note: The Resistance seeks to stop us from creating art. Luckily, there are equal and opposite forces in the universe… call it the Muse, call it creativity, whatever. This force enables us to create our best work.
Quote: “When we sit down day after day and keep grinding, something mysterious starts to happen… heaven comes to our aid.”
Note: Great art comes from the ethereal realm, where time does not exist, where forces greater than ourselves roam. We cannot control it, but we can listen closely - and in so doing, we may be ready when the Muse whispers into our ear.
The ethereal realm awaits… source: pixabay
Personal Thought: Do you think you can control when you will make great art? Or does it seem to happen to you? In my experience, and as this book says, all I can do is sit down and work. Inspiration and greatness happen when they feel like it… I can only be ready and hope for the best.
Note: The art is in listening. You don’t have to create greatness. You have to get in tune with the Muse, be ready for her, so you’ll hear it when she whispers in your ear.
Quote: “We’re all creative. We all have the same psyche. The same everybody miracles are happening in all our heads day by day, minute by minute.”
Note: Dreams are common as dirt. So is a sunrise. That doesn’t make it any less special.
A sunrise every day, and they’re all special. source: pixabay
Personal Thought: I like that idea a lot… Sometimes I fear that all of the songs have been written. How could there be another great one out there? But the truth is, beauty is infinite.
Quote: “The Ego ’s job is to take care of business in the real world. It’s an important job… but there are worlds other than the real world, and this is where the Ego runs into trouble.”
Quote: “The instinct that pulls us toward art is the impulse to evolve, to learn, to heighten and elevate our consciousness. The Ego hates this.”
Overcome your ego. source: pixabay
Note: Anybody who has had children know that they come into this world with a personality. They aren’t blank blobs to be imprinted upon. Based on that logic, we can’t be anything we want to be - but we can become what we were meant to be.
Personal Thought: The harder you work, the deeper you go, the better you must know yourself. That basic truth is difficult because nobody can else can show you who you are, you have to find out for yourself.
Note: We learn at a young age to think hierarchically - to find our “rank” in the group, such as being popular or unpopular in high school. However this breaks down when we get into too big a pool of people - there’s no clear hierarchy within all of New York City.
Personal Thought: And the sooner you can stop measuring yourself by other people’s opinions, the better. It’s best to measure yourself by your work ethic and conscience.
Note: The problem with hierarchical thinking is it makes artists want to compete and put each other down… the best artists seek to lift each other up. It should not feel good to watch others fail.
Quote: “To labor in the arts for any reason other than love is prostitution.”
Quote: “In the hierarchy the artist looks up and down. The one place he can’t look is that place he must: within.”
Don’t compare yourself to others… source: pixabay
Note: Territory is where the artist should live. Your instrument, your canvas, your blank page, that’s the territory. Within your territory, there is no hierarchy, there is no up or down to look at. You only have yourself and your medium of creation.
Quote: “The act of creation is by definition territorial.”
Note: If an activity is truly non-hierarchical, you would do it even if you were the last person on earth.
Personal Thought: The above rings true to me. I’d definitely keep playing drums, hell I’d probably do it a lot more, if I were the last person on earth.
Quote: “We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause.”
Quote: “Artists over time acquire modesty and humility. They may, some of them, conduct themselves flamboyantly in public. But alone with the work they are chaste and humble.”
Be humble.
End of Book
——
Final Thoughts
The War of Art is a great book. It’s great in part thanks to the fact that it’s one man’s true opinion. Steven Pressfield pulls no punches, spares you no grief as he shares his worldview.
There are some ideas in this book I vehemently disagree with. Other spots had me nodding my head so hard I thought it might fall off of my body. And in-between, there were many chapters that challenged me, left me wondering what exactly I felt about the ideas professed.
The best books are like this. They leave you confused, ecstatic and angry all at once. I can’t deny that this is a Great Book.
Best of all, it has layers. Each section goes deeper - such that Part 1 felt basic for me now, because it’s the stuff I grappled with for years - while parts 2 & 3 got increasingly challenging.
If you enjoyed these notes & quotes, I encourage you to give the book a full readthrough. You won’t regret it.
Do you have any final thoughts on these ideas? What struck you as the best parts, and what pissed you off?
Be well,