The War of Art

Seth Godin Author, Marketer, EntrepreneurAlso hard to find on audio. I find Steve's voice to be fascinating, and even before I knew him, I was fascinated by listening to him speak his own work. The War of Art is one of those books, at least for me when I finally was exposed to it, I said, 'Why wasn't I informed? Why did it take this long for this book to land on my desk?'... You need to be clear with yourself about what you are afraid of, why you are afraid, and whether you care enough to dance with that fear because it will never go away. (Source)

James Altucher Founder/StockPickrWhen a writer or an entrepreneur, or a manager, or an employee, or a…whatever…sits down to get to work, he or she is often met by “the resistance”. The excuses that come up: I can’t do this. I am too old. I don’t have enough money. I’m scared. “The War of Art” is the guide to getting through that block. The comfort zone is papered up and cemented shut by our excuses. Learn to blast through that wall. Because on the other side of the comfort zone are all the tools of success. (Source)

Ryan Holiday AuthorRecommends this book

Daniel Pink AuthorRecommends this book

Adam Johnston The last two pages of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art gave me a swift kick in the ass. Do it or don’t do it. But if you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. Pressfield wrote a beautiful book that you should read, but if nothing else, just read the last two pages of the book. I have them hanging on my wall in my office. (Source)

Jules Schroeder War of Art is all about working through your own resistance and journey as an artist and creator in the world. It gave me permission to create and believe in my gifts in a way I hadn't before. (Source)

Anoop Anthony The book introduces, among other things, the idea of 'Resistance', an oppositional force at war with human endeavor and ingenuity, a kind of near-demonic energy that 'resists' creative yield. Now, I know that sounds like 'new age' baloney and semi-spiritual psychobabble, but the War of Art is anything but vague and whimsical. It is a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners treatise on the universal challenge of creation. It is tremendously, gloriously encouraging — it illustrates how the struggle to create, to grow, to seek discipline and rigor and progress, are fundamentally human challenges. It... (Source)

Kaci Lambe Kai I immediately thought of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It was pivotal for me as an artist, a creative, and an entrepreneur, but it's not just for artists. It's a book about fear and how we limit ourselves. This book helped me unlock my Resistance to perceived risk in business and in my career in a way nothing else had. (Source)

Jessica Lauria I love this book. It simply lays out the difference between the true artist and the amateur. It is so inspiring and makes you understand see if you are doing something because of a real passion or just passing the time. It also makes you realize that true success is never an accident. (Source)

Scott Perry In addition to Meditations and other texts on Stoicism, Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and Seth Godin’s The Icarus Deception have had a profound impact on my life and vocation. Both provide a unique lens for identifying what it means to be a creative and what it takes to deliver work that matters to those that need it. (Source)

Mike Benkovich I'd recommend a sprinkling of business books followed by a heap of productivity and behavioural psychology books. The business books will help you with principals and the psychological books help with everything else in your life. Building your own business can really f!@# you up psychologically. (Source)

Ola Olusoga There was a moment where I was on a quest for self-discovery. I felt lost and wasn't sure if I was who I was because I made the decision to be me, or if my identity was programmed by culture, society and setting. Because of that, I started reading self-help books to reconstruct identity and mold who I wanted to be. This book helped me. (Source)

Dan Pink Recommends this book

Marie Forleo The essential no-bullshit guide for anyone who battles self-doubt or struggles to bring any important project to life. (Source)

Ash Maurya Recommends this book

Derek Sivers Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what “Resistance” is. This book is about that. Read it. (Source)

Brian Koppelman Talks about resistance. (Source)

Aubrey Marcus Recommends this book