Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfieldis an American author, of historical fiction and non-fiction, and screenplays...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
CountryUnited States of America
art war two
I wrote in the War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better.
dragons over-you you-again
Slay that dragon once, and he will never have power over you again.
morning coffee writing
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.
stupid crazy heart
Stay stupid. Follow your unconventional crazy heart.
art ambition practice
When we make our art a practice, when we make our workspace sacred and enter it daily with respect and high intention, then we elevate our actions (even if they're taking place within the profane arena of commerce) beyond ego and above gimme-gimme ambition.
creativity self flames
F@*# self-doubt. I despise it. I hold it in contempt, along with the hell-spawned ooze-pit of Resistance from which it crawled. I will NEVER back off. I will NEVER give the work anything less than 100%. If I go down in flames, so be it. I'll be back.
baby war pride
The artist must be like that Marine. He has to know how to be miserable. He has to love being miserable. He has to take pride in being more miserable than any soldier or swabbie or jet jockey. Because this is war, baby. And war is hell.
hate mean love-is
Resistance is directly proportional to love. If you’re feeling massive Resistance, the good news is, it means there’s tremendous love there too. If you didn’t love the project that is terrifying you, you wouldn’t feel anything. The opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference.
scare firsts figures
Figure out what scares you the most and do that first.
inspiration artist waiting
...she (the artist, the writer) doesn't wait for inspiration, she acts in the anticipation of its apparition.
writing sitting sitting-down
It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.
mind needs products
You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.
self definitions resistance
Resistance by definition is self-sabotage.
spiritual creativity ideas
Is there a spiritual element to creativity? Hell, yes. Our mightiest ally (our indispensable ally) is belief in something we cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or feel.