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The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

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The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

Book review

Thoughts on overcoming writers-block and procrastination

“The War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win your Inner Creative Battles” is written by screenwriter Steven Pressfield, author of “The Legend of Bagger Vance”. Pressfield looks at writing and the problems of putting words to paper but offers much value on chronic procrastination for people with ADHD – as Pressfield puts it “Overcoming Resistance”.

Pressfield breaks the book into three sections:
  1. “Resistance: Defining the Enemy” – he identifies Resistance as fear in its endless manifestations. Pressfield demonstrates clearly that he is no stranger to the thoughts that keep the writer from writing
  2. “Combatting Resistance: Turning Pro” – he persuades the reader to attack this form of Resistance head-on, to get on with it and do what the inner you is directing the outer you to do
  3. “Beyond Resistance: Higher Realm”, he talks of muses, angels, higher intelligences and God
You can still be atheist to connect with the sense of amazement, as Aristotle and other ancients did at the mystery of creative expression, where do ideas come from, where does the spark of unique, original artistic expression come from?

Pressfield tells us to open ourselves to the “muses and angels” – the forces we do not understand – and let our creative thoughts out, rather than keep them inside because of fear.
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ADHD Coach, Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis

Andrew Lewis is an ADHD Coach, writer and founder of SimplyWellbeing. He has over ten thousand hours and fifteen years of experience in coaching ADHD executives, business professionals and creatives. His expertise with ADHD is personal, with decades of his own experience, bringing up an ADHD child, running a large support group and in coaching clients often for years He has published his writing via this website and has ADHD online courses in development. His business expertise comes from a twenty years career in software, from programming, through marketing, sales and running a few start-ups.

Further reading

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ADHD: Living Without Brakes – Martin Kutscher
One of my favourite ADHD kid books, very readable and insightful suggestions and advice
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Overcoming your Alcohol, Drug and Recovery Habits – Desena
A helpful ADDiction programme but without a spiritual side
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ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life – Kolberg & Nadeau
Still my top ADHD guide to managing you issues and not just organising either, plenty of life advice too
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Fidget to Focus – Rotz & Wright
Many teachers enforce a no fiddle or fidget rule, yet these activities actually improve focus
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Mismatch – Gluckman & Hanson
Social and technical evolution seems to have out -paced our ability to keep up
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ADHD at work
The Art of Happiness at Work – Dalai Lama & Cutler
Keep an optimistic outlook, calm mind and a realistic perspective, grounded advice from the Dalai Lama
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