You book is something that only you have the genius to do, and if you don't write your book you are cheating the world of a great contribution. The three reasons that Steven Pressfield's book "The War of Art" can help you to give birth to your book (or other artistic endeavor) are:
1. To Recognize Your Biggest Enemy
Your biggest enemy is resistance. The only thing standing between you, and you being the writer that you would like to be, is resistance. If you are a writer who doesn't write, then you know what resistance is. Resistance deforms our spirit and prevents us from utilizing the genius that God gave us, and from achieving what we were meant to achieve.
In our brightest and most lucid moments, we can see the person that we were meant to be. What is stopping us form being that person? Resistance. Resistance does everything it can to distract us and discourage us from writing.
As Pressfield says, the great secret to writing is:
It's not the writing that's hard. What's hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.2. To Combat Resistance
Pressfield distinguishes between a professional writer and an amateur writer. An amateur writer only writes when he feels inspired. A professional writer writes every day. Resistance hates professionals.
A professional knows that she becomes inspired, or taps into her genius, in the process of writing. The Muse doesn't start to come to her aid until she takes the first step.
Although the professional makes money from his writing, she writes because she loves to write. The professional is also detached from her work. She knows that the work that she creates is separate from who she is.
This allows the professional to avoid flame out and false expectations about the time it takes to write a book (usually twice as long as imagined) and allows her to impartially accept criticism. The actions of others do not define the writer's reality.Regardless of what obstacles or distractions that Resistance may present to us, such as fear, illness, friends, headaches, or rejection, the writer soldiers on.
3. To Reach Higher Realms, Beyond Resistance
Pressfield points out that there are great forces who become our allies, as we move boldly forward. These forces, like the Greek Gods, take an interest in the affairs of humans, and intercede in our activities. Their activities explain how great works of art have been created.Pressfield identifies the possibility that great works of art, like the Fifth Symphony, may have already existed on a higher plane, before Beethoven ever wrote it. The music only "potentially" existed, but it didn't have a physical body. It needed a human to bring it into our plane of existence.
Artists are like mothers. They don't make new life, they only bear it.
In the end, writers don't write to advance their own standing. They write for the sake of writing, obey the guidance they get from their Muse, and ultimately, give birth to a work of art.
Conclusion
A great book motivates you to take action.
The overwhelming reason to read "The War of Art" is because it will make you write. You will read sections, then you will be so motivated that you will go directly to the computer and start pounding out text for your book.
Were you put on this earth to be a writer?
As Pressfield says, "Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got."
Are You Big Enough to Pay it Forward?
3 Reason Why You Become a Giant When Write Your Book
My Upcoming Radio Interviews
Jan 30th, 10:40 AM (Central Time), I will discuss how people can find their niche in life in what their heart tells them to do, with Patti Penn of WJBC AM 1230 in Bloomington, IL. You can also listen to the interview on the internet at http://wjbc.com/.
Tune in Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM eastern standard time for post holiday treat, as I will be discussing my new book "Carve Out Your Niche" on the ArtistFirst Radio Network(http://www.artistfirst.com/)
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