The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle

Pressfield refers to the Muse as a positive force of inspiration that helps artists generate ideas and see them to completion. Pressfield borrows the concept of muses from the ancient Greeks, who believed that they were a kind of goddess who could influence artists. While Pressfield believes that muses or angels literally exist and help to make people more creative, he encourages the reader to perceive their influence as innate talent if they do not believe in supernatural beings.

Pressfield claims that humans generally define themselves either by their rank in a social hierarchy, or by their connection to a territory. When artists define themselves hierarchically, they become more self-conscious and make art that they think will make them successful, rather than pursuing topics that inspire them. Thinking hierarchically makes people more conscious of rank and status, which harms artists’ ability to create genuine works.

While traditionally a territory is a physical piece of land, Pressfield argues that modern people can identify territorially by claiming a certain craft or passion as their own. For example, he feels that writing is his territory, while Stevie Wonder’s territory is his piano and Bill Gates’s territory is his tech company. Pressfield urges the reader to identify with their chosen territory so they can maintain a solid sense of self as an artist that is not dependent on others’ perception of their work.

Pressfield uses Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung’s interpretation of the Ego to explain its connection to Resistance. The Ego is the thinking mind that feels separate from others, and is sensitive to criticism and afraid of failure and death. Pressfield claims that Resistance is a function of the Ego, as it wants to shut down creative pursuits that could make us vulnerable and lead to failure.