The Principle of Priority states (a) you must know the difference between what is urgent and what is important, and (b) you must do what’s important first. Steven Pressfield More Quotes by Steven Pressfield More Quotes From Steven Pressfield Slay that dragon once, and he will never have power over you again. Steven Pressfield you-again dragons over-you The artist and the mother are vehicles, not originators. They don't create the new life, they only bear it. This is why birth is such a humbling experience. The new mom weeps in awe at the little miracle in her arms. She knows it came out of her but not from her, through her but not of her. Steven Pressfield mom artist mother The professional will not tolerate disorder... He wants the carpet vacuumed and the threshold swept, so the Muse may enter and not soil her gown. Steven Pressfield want may order Resistance is greatest just before the finish line. Steven Pressfield finish-line resistance lines Don't prepare, do. Don't let Resistance sucker you into wasting months on background, foundation, planning. All that can come later. Steven Pressfield foundation resistance months Put your ass where your heart wants to be. Steven Pressfield ass want heart In my experience, depth of work consists of two components. The first is recklessness; the second is discipline. Dionysian; Apollonian. Passion;reason. Steven Pressfield passion discipline two But nothing really clicked for me until I gave up completely on hitting the overlap and just did what I loved, even when I thought nobody else in the world would be interested. Steven Pressfield hitting would-be world When we make our art a practice, when we make our workspace sacred and enter it daily with respect and high intention, then we elevate our actions (even if they're taking place within the profane arena of commerce) beyond ego and above gimme-gimme ambition. Steven Pressfield ambition practice art The sign of the amateur is overglorification of and preoccupation with the mystery. The professional shuts up. She doesn't talk about it. She does her work. Steven Pressfield shut-up mystery doe The professional tackles the project that will make him stretch. He takes on the assignment that will bear him into uncharted waters, compel him to explore unconscious parts of himself. Is he scared? Hell, yes. He's petrified. Steven Pressfield uncharted-waters scared bears The professional, though he accepts money, does his work out of love. He has to love it. Otherwise he wouldn’t devote his life to it of his own free will. Steven Pressfield free-will work-out doe Resistance by definition is self-sabotage. Steven Pressfield resistance definitions self The working artist will not tolerate trouble in her life because she knows trouble prevents her from doing her work. The working artist banishes from her world all sources of trouble. She harnesses the urge for trouble and transforms it in her work. Steven Pressfield artist trouble world Making a judgment, taking a stand and then acting against an injustice or acting to support excellence is the stuff of the everyman hero. If you are an aspiring artist and you wish to avoid “judgments,” you'll find that you have nothing to say. Steven Pressfield support artist hero I wrote in the War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro and after. After is better. Steven Pressfield war two art When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us... Ideas come. Insights accrete. Steven Pressfield each-day power ideas That’s why an artist must be a warrior and, like all warriors, artists over time acquire modesty and humility. They may, some of them, conduct themselves flamboyantly in public. But alone with the work they are chaste and humble. They know they are not the source of the creations they bring into being. They only facilitate. They carry. They are the willing and skilled instruments of the gods and goddesses they serve. Steven Pressfield warrior humility humble Fear doesn't go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day. Steven Pressfield warrior artist fear Do you love your idea? Does it feel right on instinct? Are you willing to bleed for it? Steven Pressfield doe love-you ideas
