Well, I made it to Florida. Travel always makes me exhausted, even if it’s only two hours on a plane. Today’s going to be another break from reviewing content - sorry folks.
Part of our Praxis curriculum this month is to read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It’s a decent read, not to mention it’s a quick one. What surprised me initially was the layout. Some of the pages aren’t even filled in all the way - then again, there’s no rule against it, so I can’t find it too strange. But because of the layout, I finished the book two weeks earlier than we were supposed to.
So here’s the part where I give my opinion on the book.
I enjoyed it (for the most part). There’s three main parts to the book, and the first one was a real callout. I do tend to fall victim to imposter syndrome and what this book calls the “Resistance.” Pressfield refers to the Resistance in a way that makes it feel more like an entity rather than a force. And while I enjoyed that for a while, it started to get a little old.
The thing about this book is that it, at least to me, appeals to a specific type of person, one who needs a kick in the ass and really thrives on hard-truth motivation. That doesn’t narrow down the audience that much at first thought - we could all use a little motivation every once in a while. But I found that saying the same thing, making the same point, throughout the entire book turns the message empty. It ends up meaning nothing, much like how a monster is less scary the more you see it.
I found myself getting annoyed in the last thirty pages. The book was no longer a guide, but an opinionated uncle reiterating the same point that you’ve heard ten times that same afternoon. I found the wording pretentious, and I started to disagree with Pressfield. I disliked the glorification and personification of the “muse” and the merciless sorting of people into what basically amounted to successful or not successful. Apparently I’m not really serious about my art if I don’t spend 24 hours per day working until I develop carpal tunnel syndrome. One of my final thoughts before finishing the book was “Okay, who the hell do you think you are?” I don’t like being told what I am and what I can do, especially via pretension disguised as a pep talk.
I don’t think I’m being too critical, although people often tell me that I should cut people more slack. But according to Mr. Pressfield, being a professional means not taking criticism personally, so I don’t think I need to tread lightly when it comes to his content.