The War of Art

I started an audio book today. Not the kind of thing I usually do, but I'm teaching a new class (Public Speaking!) and I have to drive an hour through traffic to get there, so it seems a better use of my time than listening to sports radio rants. The book is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, the guy who wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance. It's kind of a writing craft and self-help book rolled into one, which probably sounds terrible to you. But for me, at the stage of writing I'm in, is brilliant.

His main idea revolves around the idea of resistance, that resistance is what keeps us from doing exactly what we ought to be, what we love to be doing. For instance, writing this blog is probably resistance. I should be working on this book (it's not going to write itself, right?). But I've been stuck in such a rut (read: not writing) that any sort of writing is helping me jostle off the rust. So I'll go back to the other writing--the work--in a moment, but in the meantime, if you feel stuck--in writing or otherwise--think about heading to the library for The War of Art. Or buy it, if that's your thing.

One of my favorite things that he's said, one that's still kicking around in my head, is that fear shouldn't be a bad thing, but it ought to be thought of as an indicator. It's resistance's best weapon and whatever it is that we fear, we must move toward. And I fear writing a lousy book. Or never actually finishing it. Or the worst: not being able to write a great story because of my own shortcomings. Does that make sense? Like I have a great story living and breathing inside me, but I'm just too ... whatever ... to get it out in the right shape. It seems impossible. He mentions all creative endeavors are like that, like pregnancy; though in the moments before birth it may seem impossible, for a baby to, you know, fit, women have been doing it for aeons and will continue to do it until the end of time.

Now, excuse me, while I go try to birth something.