Book review: The War of Art.

I've been talking about this book in my last two posts now and I finally finished reading it, so I think it's time to review!

Okay, so yes, the book's premise I found to be totally fascinating. In all, I enjoyed reading it and found it to be very eye-opening. That being said, there was a lot in it that I either didn't necessarily agree with, or that I just found a little bit far-fetched. The author, Steven Pressfield, tended to over-spiritualize some concepts and I thought it was a little bit tedious at times.

But the main premise of the book is this: All of us having something that we are meant to do, a talent that we know we possess, but more often than not, we do nothing about it because of - what he terms - Resistance. Resistance, he says, is the single enemy to us moving forward in our 'art', whether that be writing (in his case and mine), painting, cooking, or any other thing that human beings take an interest in. According to Steven, Resistance keeps us from being our true selves; it's the thing that holds us back. He goes even further by saying that this Resistance not only holds back our talent, but also things like dieting, discipline, exercise, etc. I found this to be so interesting. Because honestly? When I get up in the morning, and think that I should really eat more healthy, or exercise a bit that day, all I feel is a wall. And I think he's right: it's a wall of Resistance. He goes so far as to claim that there would be no need for prisons, nor would there be any crime if human beings were able to overcome this Resistance. By giving in to Resistance and not overcoming it, we then turn to any number of vices: alcohol, drugs, food, etc. These vices are the easy way out rather than working hard at what it is we are called to do.

I love this concept. I'd never thought of it that way before but I feel like he's right. I haven't completely sorted out yet how this fits in with my Christian perspective, but I think it all fits together. Although, maybe what he terms 'Resistance', I would just term 'sin nature'. But regardless, I found it a great read and highly recommend if you are struggling in what you consider your 'art'.

I feel the need to give a fair warning that from time to time he throws in a 'bad word' if that's the kind of thing that bothers you.