When Me Cuz recommended I check out a book called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, (and this would be roughly toward the end of this past July) I scampered down to Montana Book and Toy to see if they had a copy. Nope. But they ordered it for me and I got it not even a week later. All I can say is this: If you are any sort of creative person, go out and grab your own copy.
This is a blurb from Pressfield's website:
"Yes, the War of Art is hell. But Steven Pressfield is our Clausewitz who shows how you too can battle against the Four Horsemen of the Apologetic: Sloth, Inertia, Rationalization and Procrastination. Shakespeare, Rembrandt and Beethoven all are proof of what you can do with talent and General Pressfield."
--Frank Deford
author and NPR commentator
And here's a bit of what you read almost as soon as you open the book:
Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life. Between the two stands Resistance.
I think I've read this book cover-to-cover about ten times since I bought it. I dip into every now and then just to see what page I'll chance upon, and mull a bit over the advice therein. Yeah, it's been making a difference. I started this blog, for one thing. And it's been a great way to beat back Resistance.
Not that Resistance has been a paper tiger; A couple of days ago I was in a deep blue funk, so blue I could have fathered a Smurf, and this was (I think) Resistance trying to fight back--I mean, after all, I've been listening to Resistance for so many years now, and all of a sudden, I'm trying to assert myself? Heaven forfend!!!
Blogging gives me a sense of accomplishment. This ain't deathless prose here, folks, nor will you find the kind of meaningful insight into O Tempora, O Mores that you'll find elsewhere in the blogosphere, but for right now, it's enough...it's more than enough...just to post my few silly thoughts--
--because it's positive. It's moving forward. And it has been igniting a few other areas as well (exercise, housekeeping, diet, and so on), and ya know what? This silly little idea for an alternate history/fantasy I've been swearing I'll write one of these years (and doing so for--ahem--a loooong time now)...well, I started writing it a few days ago. Left my weekly therapy session, feeling kinda drained, and instead of trying to merge into One-ness with my sofa (as is my usual wont), I did a couple of simple things: shave. shower. dishes. clean the litterbox.
Felt better. Felt like I'd done something. Turned on the computer and wrote a bit. Felt even better. Went to rehearsal and had lots of energy. Basically, I managed to find a way to tell Resistance to kiss my ass--at least for that day. It's like quitting smoking. It really, really is something you do one day at a time.
So, thanks, Cuz. Thanks, Mr. Pressfield.
Onward.
3 comments:
You worked on the book? Oh, excellent. And hey, nothing is simpler than blogging. If you post a picture of a cat, you still did it right. Lawrence Block says, "If you're blocked, lower the bar." It's so true.
Yes, it's as simple or as intricate as I want to make it. I've been wanting to start writing a series of posts explaining what I imagine the purpose of the Black Cat station on the island to have been. Kind of a fan-fiction, if you will. To be continued!!
P.S. Hope you liked the Dharma logo I made for the header. Once you get caught up on LOST, it'll make a lot more sense.
I have Lost's first 3 DVDs ready and waiting! The header does look very cool.
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