I’ve said before that I really don’t like books about creativity that are supposed to help me unleash my inner genius and demolish writer’s block and all that jazz. The last time I mentioned one here my take on it was less than favorable. That said, I came across a reference to The War of Art by Steven Pressfield on Get Rich Slowly (enough links there?) I was motivated to at least look at it. I’m really glad that I did.

My take on doing creative work has always been “shut up and do it.” That is to say, talk less and do more. For every moment spent talking about an idea a moment that could have been used executing it is lost forever. I’ve known (and been) so many who love to talk about being an artist but have no interest in buckling down to do the work. There is a passion for talking about art yet actually sitting down and producing something seems to somehow get lost in the shuffle and discussion of the creative process and all of the wonderful ideas that one has floating around in the ether.

Generally, I find these tomes on creative production counterproductive because they give the reader an excuse not to start the work right now. “I can do it after I devour the inspiration that is bound to be in these pages!” Or, as often as not, the reader can pick up another book that may hold the same promise. This doesn’t serve the truly creative person who might really have a problem or be stuck and instead panders to the wannabes. Those people who will never actually follow through.

So how is The War of Art different? Well, first of all, the book is divided into three sections. The chapters in each section are about a page long. It’s all very concise. I could pick it up and put it down quickly. I can see myself opening it in a panic for a quick slap to the face without having to lose more time to it than is absolutely necessary. A shot in the arm should be quick and painful. The War of Art provides just that.

The text itself is not flowery. Pressfield gets to the point. It’s as though he knows that he only has a few moments to get something across to the reader and push her out the door and onto the next phase of her creative existence. I greatly appreciate this. I don’t need a history of something and a dozen case studies of artists I have never heard of. I want someone to talk to me about me and what I’m experiencing to get the process moving again. My time is valuable and the author understands.

Finally, my favorite thing about this book is the simple fact that everything in there is something that I already knew but that Pressfield took the time to put down on paper for me. I know that the only way to get something done is to do it. I know that fame and fortune are the worst motivation to take on any creative endeavor. I know that resistance lurks around every corner and that it is so much easier to make an excuse than it is to do something. I know all of this! But sitting down and reading it in the chunks he has broken these simple facts down into makes it infinitely more potent and pulls all of my attention to the real problem at hand.

I’m a person who has a seasonal creative block. I would like to think that the occasional innoculation from this book will keep that away or at least minimize the damage. If you’re the kind of person who needs kid gloves and coddling, this book is not for you. If you think you’re the kind of person who needs that coddling, you’re probably not. Life’s tough, wear a helmet. And read this book.

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i just finished twyla tharp’s the creative habit and sady i’m just not feeling it. i should be fair and say that, for the record, i don’t much care for books about creativity and how to improve one’s process. most of the books by big names don’t actually give solid tips and pointers but instead focus on how the author works. from time to time there is a nugget of wisdom tucked away in there that makes for a useful addition to one’s creative tool chest but more often than not it’s a collection of personal quirks that seem to work for the person talking about it. something like…

did you know that when i sit down to compose i make sure that my coffee mug is to my left so that i have maximum movement available to my right hand with which i hold my pen? did you care? will that help you?

another fine point is that talking about the creative process generally sucks. it’s all about telling other people about how you work. creative processes are very personal and no creative person really cares about any one else’s more than talking about his own. what i’m trying to say is that when someone brings up the topic of the creative process it’s to allow that person to go on and on about their personal method. and that is pretty sucky conversation material. it’s more like dueling monologues.

i know that the intent of these books and the reason that people buy them is to find that one little trick that can be transferred as if a way of doing creative work could really be stolen. i liken this to the GTD method of organizing tasks. at the end of the day you can use all of the note cards and folder tricks in the world but it all boils down to “do the work.” don’t make excuses. don’t copy someone else’s rituals. simply start where you need to start and end when you’re done.

the master luthier wayne henderson says that he builds a guitar by taking some wood and carving away the parts that aren’t a guitar. that? that’s a great discussion of a creative process. he does the work. does it get simpler than that?

the creative habit isn’t a bad example of creativity books. it feels to me like all of the others. maybe i’m put off by the discussion of famous people. or that the examples in the book are recycled so frequently. yes, we all know that mozart and bach were geniuses. great. leonardo was cool too. the half-hearted attempts to make the book relevant to the business types who read this kind of book to gain an edge and get out of their well worn section of barnes & noble were sad. again, i’ve seen that done elsewhere but here it really stood out. painfully so.

i wanted to like this book. people i generally trust to filter this kind of thing for me really enjoyed it and seemed to take a lot away from it. it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that i’m thick and didn’t get it. but i didn’t. get it, that is.