This month I finally got around to reading a book that was given to me by a friend. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, a book written by Steve Pressfield, talks about the idea of resistance and experiencing resistance as an artist. So far, I find it interesting because of the author’s perspective on what it means to be productive and what it looks like to make progress towards a goal. As he explains a typical day in his life, he states that a “win” for him isn’t based on hitting all the items on his to-do list, but a win for the day is when he has beat resistance. That stuck out to me because the battle isn’t against the goal or how hard I think it is to achieve, but the battle is against myself; it is based on whether or not I push through.
He also talks about the characteristics of resistance and the different ways resistance shows up in our lives. Without spoiling too much, I really like all that he has to say. I think the biggest takeaway so far is being able to recognize how I have let resistance prevent me from my goals, and how, many times, it isn’t obvious. As someone who is a recovering chronic procrastinator, I am all too familiar with the power of resistance. Understanding it in the context of being an artist is relatable for me as I try to work on my craft. I am excited to finish the book and learn more about what Pressfield has to say. Overall, this book has been a good read. It’s short and it won’t take long to finish, so I definitely recommend it for your next read.
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