The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
I picked up The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles at the recommendation of members at the art forum I go to and I thought it was about art but actually, Steven Pressfield, being a historical novelist wrote about writing. Nevertheless, all that he wrote still applies to those who want to create but feel blocked. The entire book tells you how to combat RESISTANCE and he measures everyone of our faults and proscratination as a form of resistance, down to binging, indulging in food, shopping, sex etc...as long as we don't do the work, it's because of RESISTANCE.
It's a good quick book of half an hour and there are a few parts that I really like. He said that no matter how good your techniques are, if you are not an inspired madman, you wouldn't be able to pull it off. Totally agree. One has to be inspired, crazed to make a point to achieve something. An amateur is someone who loves to do something but doesn't love it enough to do it full time for money. A professional loves his art so much that he is willing to make a living out of it.
One chapter really resonates with me especially when I am writing my fan fiction and drawing for the fan fiction. His friends asked him if he wouldn't get lonely sitting by himself all day but he doesn't beacuse he is not alone. I'll quote:
"Then I realized that I was not alone; I was in the bookl I was with the characters. I was with my Self. Not only do I not feel alone with my characters; they are more vivid and interesting to me than the people in my real life. ....In order for a book (or any project or enterprise) to hold our attention for the length of time it takes to unfold itself, it has to plug into some internal perplexity or passion that is of paramount importance to us......These characters might not be interesting to anyone else but they're absolutely fascinating to us. They are us. Meaner, smarter, sexier versions of ourselves. If't fun to be with them because they're wrestling with the same issue that has its hooks inot us. They're our soulmates, our lovers, our best friends. Even the villains. Especially the villains."
So very true. We create because we want to express a certain part of us that is missing in real life or create a world that is beyond this real world. Stories, art, music. Have you ever listened to a song and thought about the scenarios that it represents.
This is a very decent book for those who are into creation and need a little push now and then.
I also need to mention one other very important part in the book that relates to celebrities. He reminded us that people like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, when interviewed often went off course and blow off not being straight forward with their answers because when the part of them that writes the songs is not "them", (unknown to interviewers) and that they knew that part of themselves that does the writing is too sacred, too precious, too fragile to be shared openly on air.
This reminds me so much of Takeshi Kaneshiro who is always like that in interviews. He veers off and talks nonsense all of a sudden. Junichi Okada sometimes do that too, spacing out, I think intentionally. I'm not sure about Jang Dong Gun but from the articles that I have read, he gives very standard answers most of the time, straight forward ones, and I assume he doesn't have the need to hide one small part of himself.
To be honest, I really don't want to know them any more than necessary. They deserve privacy. I'm just happy that they come up with works. I don't want to know their private life or private thoughts.
This author also mentioned that actors usually do not like to do roles that they have done before and they tend to want to find a new role to challenge themselves and get all scared along the way feeling the pressure of self doubt, of whether they could do it or not. To repeat a role is like death to them, with no life.
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