“Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”
Well, I’m doing it again. I found another book I thought worth mentioning. I know this keeps happening, but my brother-in-law keeps recommending these books to me that I really enjoy, so blame it on him. This time, it was The War of Art. I had never heard of it before, somehow, but it’s written by Steven Pressfield, who is the same guy that wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance. And if you’re interested in a creative pursuit, whether it’s writing, painting, or even, yes, entrepreneurship, it’s very much worth a look.
Finding Ourselves
This isn’t a long book. But it doesn’t need to be. This is a mindset book, helping the reader mentally reframe their creative endeavors so that they transition from hobbyist to professional. As someone venturing into new territory as a writer, I recognized the thinking adjustment Pressfield preaches, because I’ve gone through similar shifts in my own approach. While reading it, more than once I wished that I had stumbled upon this years ago — it could have provided me a shortcut to what’s taken me a couple of years to naturally develop.
What I appreciated the most about the book is that Pressfield honestly discusses the confidence struggles that creatives go through, as they question whether their art is good enough. He also recognizes that entrepreneurs do a similar thing, wondering if they are qualified enough for their endeavors. Pressfield encourages us to stop worrying about that, and pursue what stokes the fires of our souls, as if our lives depended on it. Because they do. Simply put, “Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.” The money is more of an afterthought.
How to Live Off a Dream
That being said, making money as a writer is hard. Scratch that, really hard. Article after article relays how few books actually “make it.” This piece from The Elysian notes that in 2020, 96% of books sold less than a thousand copies online. Less than a thousand. In financial terms, unless you’ve got a fat stipend from a traditional publisher, expect to only make a few bucks per book once all of the middlemen take their cut, leaving you with a profit of roughly $1-$5 per book.
So, if you sold three hundred books, maybe you made $1500, or thereabouts, at best. More likely, no more than a couple hundred bucks. In 2020 there were 2.6 million books available for online sale, according to statistics provided by Elle Griffin, The Elysian’s author, which means that roughly 2.5 million of them made less than a couple of thousand dollars. And most of those far less than that.
So how do we proceed?
Well, much like an entrepreneur might have to work a regular job while passionately pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams in the off-hours, the writer, or artist, must pursue their craft like a second job. But because you need to eat while you’re pursuing your dreams, it’s okay to have that other job that isn’t exactly what you want in the moment. Pressfield notes he had several other jobs along the way to “becoming” a writer, none of which allowed him to live very well. But balancing a low paying job with your art is a big ask, especially if you have a family to support.
A Means to a Dream
Whatever regular job you have to pay the bills, my view is that you should consider it as part of the same dream you have to create. I think Pressfield would say the same. The regular job is what enables you to take steps toward the one you want. But as Pressfield points out, when you are working on your dream pursuit, don’t treat it like a hobby. Be professional. Think of yourself as the real deal and work on it as such. Think of your book writing, painting, sculpting, or entrepreneurial quest as your primary job, even if it makes you zilch right now.
Creativity comes in many forms, and Pressfield’s book offers a motivational handbook to set your mind clearly on its target. Regardless of what your vision is, or your craft, there is a common thread in that creatives want to be their own masters. They want to produce what was born in the mind, and the only way they’ll truly feel free is if they share that vision with the world. The better they become at it, the freer they will feel. As Pressfield notes, “Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them.” I’ve known this to be true.
It’s All About the Mindset
But my favorite aspect of this book is Pressfield’s ability to communicate the ethos one needs to pursue these dreams. He makes it feel so attainable by delivering the philosophy in direct and fervent verbiage. There are times when reading this book, I felt like hell, yeah, that’s what I’m saying dude, and I wanted to get up, crank out a hundred pushups, and write a chapter. So, I’d get up, do twenty, and write a thousand words. Not exactly where I wanted to go with the kick in the pants, but still, very motivating stuff.
If you are pursuing something “out of the norm,” especially an artistic enterprise, I highly recommend reading The War of Art. It is very self-affirming and if nothing else, lets you know how you should think about yourself and your art. And if you were already thinking that way, it lets you know you were right to do so. So, go, create. Take it seriously. And don’t let anyone else tell you that you are wrong.
“The critic hates most that which he would have done himself if he had had the guts.”
-Steven Pressfield
On Seekers
As I do with every new book that I find worthy of a read, I’ve added The War of Art to the Seekers Bookshop on Bookshop.org. Proceeds help independent booksellers compete with Amazon and the other big guys.