Win The WAR of ART & Unlock Your Creative Potential | Steven Pressfield
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Published 2024-02-13
He discusses the #1 thing that keeps creators from achieving their potential: fear. Explaining that fear is a sign that we’re on the right path, and how we can transform this fear into a masterpiece.
Him and André also discuss what distinguishes an amateur from a pro, balancing business and creativity, and our responsibility as artists to share our work.
André's Book Recommendations: www.knowthyself.one/books
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Timecodes:
0:00 Intro
2:04 The Responsibility of Sharing our Art
4:55 Discovering Ourselves Through Creativity
9:33 The Muse: Tapping into the Source of Inspiration
15:52 Finding Your Creative Voice
19:16 Facing Off With Resistance & Fear
27:30 The Art That Surprises You
28:53 Why Talent Doesn’t Matter
30:22 How to Get Out of Your Own Way
34:25 Why We Secretly Fear Success
41:22 Finding Courage to Follow Your Dreams
50:10 Destiny vs Free Will
52:48 Feeling Lost? Here's How to Find Your Way
55:11 How Steven Struggled His Way to Success
1:03:55 When "the Lightening" Strikes
1:06:13 Go From Amateur to Pro
1:11:34 Selling & Marketing Your Artwork
1:17:22 Refining: Reducing A Piece to it’s Maximum
1:19:11 Prayer to the Muse: Setting Intentions for Creating
1:23:01 The Daily Pressfield: A Guide to Completing Great Work
1:30:54 Does the Self Doubt Get Easier?
1:31:54 Why We Must Share our Art
1:33:09 Dharma and Creativity
1:34:50 Conclusion
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Steven Pressfield is the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, Virtues of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, The Profession, The Lion's Gate, The War of Art, Turning Pro, Do the Work, The Warrior Ethos, The Authentic Swing, An American Jew, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, and The Knowledge.His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was adapted for screen. A film of the same title was released in 2000, directed by Robert Redford and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron.His father was in the Navy, and he was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943. Since graduating from Duke University in 1965, he has been a U.S. Marine, an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout, attendant in a mental hospital and screenwriter. His struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in The War of Art, Turning Pro, The Authentic Swing, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, and The Knowledge.There's a recurring character in his books, named Telamon, a mercenary of ancient days. Telamon doesn't say much. He rarely gets hurt or wounded. And he never seems to age. His view of the profession of arms is a lot like Pressfield's conception of art and the artist:"It is one thing to study war, and another to live the warrior's life."
Steven’s New Book “The Daily Pressfield”: stevenpressfield.com/books/the-daily-pressfield/
Website: stevenpressfield.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/steven_pressfield/
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Looking to Start a Podcast? Podcasting Course: www.podcastpurpose.com/
Know Thyself
Instagram: www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
Website: www.knowthyself.one/
Clips Channel: / @knowthyselfpodcast
Listen to all episodes on Audio:
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4FSiemtvZrWesGtO2MqTZ4?si=d3…
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id16337…
André Duqum
Instagram: www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
Meraki Media
merakimedia.com/
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All Comments (21)
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I’m 34 minutes in and I had to stop and comment. The way he articulates the procrastination process as an artist is absolutely spot on. I’ll sit for days and procrastinate only to become completely alive once I start actually making the artwork. What a wise, gentle, and relatable gem this man is!!
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I once heard my guides say to me.."let go and become the experience" It really feels like what he is saying is what my guides were saying to me that day💗
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After retirement, I took up painting. Im artistic but hadn't spent time in my life actually creating "framable" art. Well, I honestly don't know how I create what I do. My best paintings come through me, like I am channeling. I won top prize in my first major competition with a painting that took less than an hour to do. I can't even reproduce the technique again. I say this because we do just need to let go of resistance and see where spirit leads us.
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"Even when you think you're lost, you're not." I love that!!!
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Ok, but can we appreciate and highlight the beautiful chemistry between them both? Not only was Andre asking questions, but also Steven wanted to ask Andre, which shows that a wise man is still seeking lessons and answers from the younger generation. The flow of this conversation and bouncing off the different chapters of the interview (let me stay in the theme of the podcast) is a 10/10 experience as both a listener and a speaker I'm sure! Thank you!🖤🌟
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I was recently part of an art exhibition. All my art except one piece had been inspired by other works. The one piece was something that I let my soul guide me. When one other girl came to view my stand, she picked out the piece that I did from my soul as her favourite. Follow your heart it means more than you can imagine.
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I think part of the fear of success for many (certainly is for myself) is the fear of being seen. It’s a fear of vulnerability. Our art in many ways is our soul expressing itself; it’s the most vulnerable expression and to do that in front of thousands if not millions of people is scary. We as humans have pain over never being seen but I think we also can have a fear of being fully seen… of being seen in our fullness and truth. To be that open and baring it all…. That’s for the brave
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Steven Pressfield is the only writer I've written so far. He replied within hours and was always super kind. His historical fiction is what really made me want to succeed as a writer. I'm still not published (not in English anyway) but the day is coming.
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5 minutes in and I’m in tears already. Being an artist is truly challenging. Fear of success, procrastination and what not.. been struggling with it for more than a year now. Like the soul wants to create so much through me, but the fear holds my hands back. It’s a constant battle.
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My opinion on what stops people is trauma. If they do the thing they want to do it’s the fear that they will get criticized, that the criticism is true, that people will recognize them and agree it’s awful; if they are good then there is attention and they can’t handle the attention even if it’s good. I find that those that are successful at what they do there is a confidence that reflects love in their life that didn’t disappoint them to the point of fear. For people with trauma, there is such fear in the criticism, the success, the attention that brings up such big feelings that they don’t know if they’ll be able to handle it.
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War of art really had a profound impact on my life. I’d love to have more people read it. It’s all so pure and true.
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I published my first book on Amazon. My wife was completely my muse. Every idea was created in the bathroom or around water. The process flowed perfectly.
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I think one of the fears surrounding the fear of success is the fear of being able to sustain it. That once you have succeeded and achieved a certain level, there is now the fear of keep bringing something new and successful and the judgement that comes when one has succeeded and reached the top, in having all the attention on them
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I am a musician. This was so helpful on so many levels. I am not a perfect artist, and I have many blocks, but I can say that I do create a lot. What really helps me when I'm feeling self conscious or I get lost in the weeds of worrying about opinions, is to aim for the feeling of CREATIVE SATISFACTION. It is my north star. If I get that satisfying/surprising feeling like "oh yes!", I just follow that. At the end of the project, if I feel a sense of relief and release, I know I have done the job. After that, opinions come and go.
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Oh, the irony of life! I planned to paint all day today and here I am procrastinating by watching this video. Great info and I was half-way through it before I decided to paint now, listen/watch the video this evening when I’m done working. Thank you for this timely video (for me, at least!).
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I’m only 20 minutes into the discussion and am totally floored that this man is saying exactly how I feel when it comes to creating my art! My creations always surprise me when they’re finished. So much so that I can hardly believe I’m the one who created them. It truly feels like there is some Divine influence while I’m painting or drawing my pieces. It’s like I stand back and am in awe that it came from my own hands. I do, when beginning a new piece, ask that Spirit help me with it. All of my artwork is commissioned work and so it absolutely must have life in it, and somehow that is always achieved and I am shocked and grateful that I can do this for others. 🙏✨ This is such an awesome interview and now I’m going to get back to it. Thank you, Andre!
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Fortunately I'd saved this podcast to my 'watch later' list or I would have missed it. It opened itself to me at just the right time too. I've always felt I had something to offer the world and when I couldn't be heard, I turned to painting at 40. That too 'I allowed to be shut down' and at 80, I've realized that if I move again, all I'd care to take with me is my air mattress and my art materials! And yet I still wasn't able to get back to painting! After listening to this podcast, you have affirmed to me that as my time of healing nears completion, I will make that move with my art materials and pen and paper (for writing) and start the rest of my life which will eclipse all I've accomplished so far in life. I look forward to finding works by Steven and following your podcast as well. The words 'Know thyself' have been a mantra for most of my life. I'm ready to face myself and my many foibles and get back on life's journey and see where it leads me.
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I definitely agree with Steven here. When I was in the process of making The Dreaming of You! Shaman Oracle deck I felt the big creative force moving through me. And I asked myself many times, “How the hell did I just draw or write this!” Felt a deep purpose and privilege to capture the essence of the cards and writings.
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Jeez… incredibly on-time, thank you both so much for covering this topic. “F.E.A.R. — Fear Everything And Run …or… Face Everything And Rise” .. I created some exciting work, yet the size of the project has produced such a horrible procrastination & paralysis within me. But starting today I’m going to Face Everything And Rise. Thanks again, and wishing the same for everyone else here. Let’s keep adding our own unique expressions to the world ❤
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What a lovely, lovely man Stephen is - I could listen to his soothing, comforting voice all day.