The Art of War was written by Sun Tzu.
The War of Art was written by Steven Pressfield.
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I've read both books.
I worked my way through The Art of War many years ago. I'm a closet writer; well, a semi-closet writer. That means I have a novel in the works that hasn't seen daylight in several years. But it continues to nag at my brain. Aspects of my novel involve war, therefore I found it in my best interest to read The Art of War. I didn't own a copy back then, but I did take lots of notes.
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I recently read Pressfield's book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles. I read this book out of curiosity. And I'll admit, the title grabbed my attention. Pressfield's book is all about creative resistance.
There's a merge between these two books and I feel a need to explore that merge.
I pulled out my The Art of War notes and reviewed what I felt was important information those many years ago. I jotted down those aspects of war that applied to my characters and my world. My characters and my world are all creations wrapped around deception. With that, I'm going to take the first note I penned to paper from The Art of War:
"All warfare is based on deception."
Now I think about The War of Art. As I said, the book is about creative resistance, but really, it's about fear and how it blocks our creativity. Fear is a deceptive little bugger. Just when you think you're onto something new and exciting, fear attacks. And it attacks with a ferocity that sends you into retreat; sometimes defeat. In the writer's world, this is known as the little editor inside your head.
Note #16 from The Art of War states:
"Know the enemy and know yourself."
In other words, when fighting the creative battle, you have to be just as deceptive as fear.
I've gotten to know that little editor, along with the art critic, the photo critic and every critic that makes itself available to my gray matter. I know them all and I know them well. And I know I have to be just as deceptive with them as they are with me.
What? You're asking yourself "How can I do that?" Oh, let's take a look at note #16 again.
Know your enemy and know yourself. Because once you know both - once you know your enemy and your own capabilities - and while the enemy may still exist, the Self will take control.
Kerri
