There is honor in writing.
But don’t be a one, unless you’re prepared to suffer through years of rejection, financial burden, and critique from peers that make your heart sink to the bottoms of your feet.
Thus, I repeat: There is honor in writing.
If you ever forget that, let Steven Pressfield drill it into you. He is your marshal, a firm voice that will get you off your couch. He will make you face your internal dragons and he will call upon you to uncover the hushed voice you didn’t know you had.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles helped me grow up as a writer. It cemented the fact that I needed to show up on the page every single day. His chapters are mantras. They are little prayers that, if read and uttered enough, will manifest themselves into actionable writing deeds. Heeding his advice is how I made the switch from fearful amateur, writing only for myself, to fearless pro, writing for an audience. This post is a direct result of his book. Without it, I’d still be on the runway, only thinking about blogging
I admit, some people may find this guide off-putting, but that’s okay. Not every teacher is meant to teach every personality. Some respond to coddling, others to military-style hazing, and yet others need no instruction and instead learn by parroting their masters. Some artists create from a place of pain and others unabashedly stay indifferent to their pain. I used to be that person. But now, I create from a place of joy and wonder. I connect spirituality to art. I have build up a vocabulary that appreciates Pressfield’s words and the subtext hidden within. His sentiments are healing. Because of his instructions, I am infinitely better prepared for war now. The trials and tribulations that come with the life of a freelance writer and filmmaker don’t seem as daunting anymore. I realize now that there is nobility in my vocation.
This book is useful. If you respond to hippie language like I do, you’ll want this as a reference book on your desk.
