Some Thoughts on The War of Art
“It’s about ten-thirty now. I sit down and plunge in. When I start making typos, I know I’m getting tired. That’s four hours or so. I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns. I wrap up for the day.”[1] I read this book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, on the heels of completing the first of the two papers we have due at the beginning of next week, a rough draft of a sermon I’m preaching the day before the papers are due, and an article for our church e-news. On top of all the required writing I needed to do, one of my sons was turning twenty-one, another son was returning from college, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were taunting me to get my shopping for the season done, and there were a host of Christmas parties to attend (and Christmas parties always come before writing assignments)! Spending the week at my computer, I was trying to be a machine, churning through assignments, checking off tasks. I completed the e-news article, a sermon draft, a term paper. I did my Christmas shopping. I celebrated my sons. All of this while also keeping up with normal life chores. And, yet, I never felt productive enough! The reason: because I took breaks throughout my day to work out, to walk my dog, to go to the grocery store, to spend time with my daughter, to eat, to shower, etc. At some point in my life (and I think I know when and how) I was programmed to think that if you are not working all day long, every day, then you are not being productive, and to be productive is to be worthy, valuable, all the “good” adjectives.
Part of my work during this doctoral program has been letting go of perfectionism, learning to say, “Meh, good enough!” while handing in the paper or the blog post. I’m learning to turn off the computer when my brain is tiring because, like Pressfield said, “I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns.” Lieberman also pointed this out in Spellbound when he discussed how our brain learns new things while we sleep or rest! When Pressfield said he doesn’t even sit down at the computer until ten-thirty in the morning and then wraps up his work around 2pm, I felt a little less alone. I’ve been trying to convince myself that writing for however many hours my brain is functioning and then stopping for the day, OR, writing an hour or two, taking a long break and then coming back to it for another two hours, is enough. I *know* that this is true and yet, I constantly hear that little voice that loves to guilt me, saying things like “other people sit at their computer all day long and you only have a few hours in you?” Ugh. The books we’ve read this semester have helped to give me permission to let my brain rest!
In this book, Pressfield talks a lot about Resistance and how it is out keep us from accomplishing our work. While I appreciated many of his examples of Resistance, such as procrastination,[2] gluttony,[3] victimhood,[4]and most interesting to me, chronic lateness.[5] As someone who is chronically a few minutes late I probably need to consider how I am using lateness as a form of resistance to doing my work. What gave me pause was his argument that Attention Deficit Disorder, Seasonal Affect Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder are not diseases but are marketing ploys.[6] He says, “Doctors didn’t discover them, copywriters did. Marketing companies did. Drug companies did. When we drug ourselves to blot out our soul’s call, we are being good Americans and exemplary consumers. Instead of applying self-knowledge, self discipline, delayed gratification and hard work, we simply consume a product.”[7] As the mother of a young adult son who lives with ADHD and who has found medicine to be THE thing that allows him to get his work done, I disagree with Pressfield that we are simply consumers who have fallen prey to the resistance of marketing ploys if we need medication to get our work done. In a later chapter Pressfield quotes Socrates saying, “The truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.”[8] For many living with mental illness or one of the “marketing ploys” Pressfield mentions, “consuming a product”[9] (medication) is what makes them free, how they govern themselves so they can do their work.
Towards the end of the book Pressfield writes about the day he finished his novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, “That moment when I first hit the keys to spell out THE END was epochal. Nobody knew I was done. Nobody cared. But I knew. I felt like a dragon I’d been fighting all my life had just dropped dead at my feet and gasped out its last sulfuric breath. Next morning I went over to Paul’s for coffee and told him I had finished. ‘Good for you,’ he said without looking up. ‘Start the next one today.’”[10] I had a similar reaction when I finished my Workshop Design Report. After my computer crashing and deleting the entire FINISHED report, I had to re-do the entire paper. I turned it in late one evening. The next evening my husband and I were driving to a Christmas party and I excitedly said, “I turned in my term paper!” “Hm,” he replied. “Don’t you still have another paper to finish?” Ugh again.
[1] Steven Pressfield, The War of Art Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Sanage Publishing House North Egremont, MA, (2002), 14
[2] Ibid. 37
[3] Ibid. 39
[4] Ibid. 44
[5] Ibid. 40
[6] Ibid. 42
[7] Ibid. 41-42
[8] Ibid. 52
[9] Ibid. 42
[10] Ibid. 119-120
About the Author
Kally Elliott
Mom of four. Wanna-be Broadway star. PC(USA) pastor. Wife. Friend. Sometimes a hot mess. Sometimes somewhat together. Is this supposed to be a professional bio?15 responses to “Some Thoughts on The War of Art”
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Wow, Kally, I super resonated with this: “Part of my work during this doctoral program has been letting go of perfectionism, learning to say, “Meh, good enough!”
I wrote something very similar in my syntopical essay… in fact that was pretty much the theme of the paper. The growth in this program so far has been less about the product (the specific learning) and more about the process (how I am learning to think/work/write/lead). Part of that for me is ‘getting in, getting it done, and getting out” without a lot of drama or resistance and without spending more time than necessary.
I’m needing to “get in, get it done, and get out” right now for that Syntopical Essay! However, procrastination has me answering blog posts because that is easier to do than to start the essay! I’m glad you’re learning to say “Meh, good enough!” too!
I agree that Pressfields arguments about ADHD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, etc. were exaggerated to say the least. Ok, I see his point, but as you explain from personal experience there are real people who suffer from these very real conditions (that might not be the right word?). I found myself talking outloud to this book saying things like, “Ok, let’s just breathe. You’re an artist, not a psychiatrist. Stay in your lane.” Made it kind of awkward for my seatmates on the plane where I was reading this book.
I am glad you called this out, Kally. A good reminder to really keep in mind the lens from which this author is operating, as well as his qualifications to make the assertions he makes. Do you think that these seemingly over-simplistic views detracts from his overall message, or is just an interesting side trip?
Ignore that reply I made to Kim on your comment! 🙂
When Pressfield made these comments I realized he was not someone who held a lot of authority for me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like what he had to say overall. There are some nuggets in his book that I am holding onto and will probably incorporate into how I get my work done but he really did lose my trust when he made those strong statements about mental health conditions.
Oh! I love how you put this. “Stay in your lane!” “You’re an artist not a psychiatrist!” I also appreciate that you point out he was exaggerating…which I realize he was and it annoyed me! But how you stated it helped me to see that perhaps he was just trying to make a point. Point made. But perhaps some sensitivity to the subject might make his point a little better next time. Thanks Kim!
Oops, that last reply was supposed to go to Kim! Sorry Jen!
Oh! I love how you put this. “Stay in your lane!” “You’re an artist not a psychiatrist!” I also appreciate that you point out he was exaggerating…which I realize he was and it annoyed me! But how you stated it helped me to see that perhaps he was just trying to make a point. Point made. But perhaps some sensitivity to the subject might make his point a little better next time. Thanks Kim!
This is my 8th and final comment for this semester and I am going to heed what you said in your blog…
“Part of my work during this doctoral program has been letting go of perfectionism, learning to say, “Meh, good enough!”
So…here I go…
Meh, good enough.
Bye. bye.
🙂
Love this! (Also, does this count as one of my eight blog post comments???)
Kally,
You win the medal for the semester of writing an extra paper! I can only imagine the dread when you couldn’t retrieve your paper!
Also, thanks for addressing Pressfield’s needless argument that “Attention Deficit Disorder, Seasonal Affect Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder are not diseases but are marketing ploys.” I know you have done much research in the area of mental health and speak with wisdom here.
It was not a medal I wanted to win! Gahhhh! But thank you anyway :).
Yes! He really lost my trust when he used mental health issues as an excuse for not getting one’s work done. I see what he was trying to say – and I don’t like it when people shirk responsibility using illnesses as an excuse when they simply don’t want to do the work – but I also KNOW that many mental health conditions really do make it 400 times more difficult to get work done and if the author doesn’t live with one of those conditions maybe he shouldn’t make exaggerated and derogatory comments. Okay, stepping off my soapbox now because RESISTANCE is me answering blog posts instead of starting this syntopical essay!
Kally,
I too have learned this lesson, “I’m learning to turn off the computer when my brain is tiring because, like Pressfield said, “I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns.” Lieberman also pointed this out in Spellbound when he discussed how our brain learns new things while we sleep or rest!
Pressfield struck a nerve, when he started on “Resistance Recruits Allies” He goes on to say Resistance by definition is self-sabotage. …He writes, “….provides immediate and powerful gratification…Resistance gets a big kick out of that. It knows it has distracted us with a cheap, easy fix and kept us from doing our work….It goes without saying that this principle applies to drugs, shopping, TV, gossip, alcohol, and the consumption of all products containing fat, sugar, salt or chocolate.”
Guilty as charged.
Sigh…If it is not one thing its another. Still we keep our eyes focused on the prize.
Shalom…
Kally,
Thank you for your honesty. I have also had many moments this semester where I have had to go away from the computer because my brain was fried and I “had hit the point of diminishing returns”. Have a break between semesters filled with peace, joy, and all the gifts the Lord gives as you rest in the knowledge of a job well done.
Hey Kally,
Balancing work, family, and doctoral demands can be overwhelming. Recognizing the need for breaks and not overworking is essential for productivity and mental health. Steven Pressfield’s insights on Resistance and self-mastery offer valuable lessons. While his perspective on mental health conditions may not align with everyone’s, individual journeys vary. Celebrating accomplishments, no matter how small, is vital in the academic journey.