Breaking Through
In a step away from the practical I go a bit deeper to the forces at work keeping us from achieving success in our careers.
Warning: this article is going to get a bit personal. One of my greatest struggles throughout my life as a performer/creator/entrepreneur has been wrestling against all of the external energies at work that keep you where you are. There are so many reasons to not do something, to not start a new job, to not start a side project, to put off practicing for that audition for just one more day…and so fewer reasons to just shut all that stuff out and do it. How do we push through? How do we shut out the very real problems and responsibilities of every day life and give ourselves permission to simply…start?
That is what I want to talk about today. Am I going to have an answer on how to do this? Probably not, but maybe knowing that the struggle is real, knowing that you are not alone in feeling these visible and invisible forces actively working against you might just help arm you with the strength you need to break through and make something incredible happen. At the very least its cathartic to talk about it.
“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield -
Before I delve too much into my own experiences with this topic I thought I would put in perspective where this conversation and topic are coming from. I was facing a juncture in my life where I could wait around for my usual career to come back after the pandemic, or take charge and push myself into a new direction, one that is hopefully a bit more future proof. As I was juggling these thoughts and doubting the path forward my therapist recommended a book to me called “The War of Art.”
I hate self-help books. I really do. I can probably count on one hand the amount of ones I have actually read, let alone finished. They tend to over-generalize and present opinion as fact which really irks my inherent pragmatic nature. However, sometimes I can take a step back and find they can serve a purpose. This one wasn’t much different than others I’ve read, plenty of the usual stuff you find where the author’s one or two anecdotal experiences dictate their mantras on how we should live our lives. But, the author’s experiences so directly coincided with my inner monologue that there were many key takeaways that may just help me push forward.
First takeaway: Resistance is real
The world, for whatever reason, does not want you to create. Your ego does not want you to create. It wants to keep you where you are, feeding off of you. It will manifest in loved ones demanding your time, it will manifest in constant reminders of other things you have to take care of, it will manifest in self-doubt. Hell, I swear sometimes google algorithms can even predict when you are considering something and it will feed you an article listing all the reasons why you shouldn’t. Know that resistance is real, its everywhere, and it can swallow you if you let it.
Second takeaway: no you can’t just shut resistance off
This is where I departed a bit from Pressfield’s book. He states that really there are no excuses, especially for the professional, that can keep you from starting. He says in the chapter Resistance and Rationalization Part Two “Tolstoi had 13 kids at home and wrote War and Peace.” I don’t think ignoring the very real circumstances and challenges of your life is a healthy approach to dealing with resistance. We have to give ourselves permission to overcome these circumstances, but you also have to forgive yourself every now and then for realizing its all too much. Pressfield might not want you to put off starting that project one more day. I think its ok to forgive yourself that occasional bit of procrastination. But when tomorrow comes and you end up making the same choice to delay? That’s when you need to start being hard on yourself.
Third takeaway: Going pro is a choice, not an event
Pressfield writes that “going pro” is the best way to combat resistance. That by making the choice to throw yourself all in on a project and to dare to earn a living from it is the best thing you can do to pursue that dream. In the chapter Professionals and Amateurs he writes: “The amateur plays for love, the professional plays for keeps.”
Basically, a person might study all their life to be something but never leave amateur status because they feel they aren’t ready. The musician might take the day job to pay the bills but never allow themselves to fully pursue earning income with music. Or put off an audition because they don’t have the time or money to prepare. But I think the ultimate point Pressfield is trying to make is that at some point there needs to be a switch, where you need to give in to the pursuit of your passion, your creation, full-time despite where you might be in the process. That no matter what happens there will always be things telling you that you aren’t ready, people standing by chomping at the bit with reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do something.
How to break through and make the switch
If this were a movie I would be winding up to make a profound statement and just as I started talking some external noise would drown out the answer. To be honest I am still trying to figure this out myself. I started writing this blog and started this company because I think my services are better suited to helping others realize their creative passions. However, that also means I am making a choice to largely convert my original passion - performing music - to something closer to amateur status. Although, I have found that unpacking the world of digital technology is similarly as vast and many-layered as studying even the most complex of musical scores. It won’t take me quite as long to master this as it did the cello, but the journey is also never complete, much the same way music is a never-ending pursuit.
My own path and experiences are ripe with mistakes and imperfections. I think its helpful to realize that in many circumstances I still don’t know what I am doing. But by defining those shortcomings it arms me with the realization on what to work on next, or where to seek help when I need it. Pressfield even has a chapter that states “A professional does not hesitate to ask for help.” Personally, I would be wary of the the individual that claims to have it all figured out because chances are they are too proud or stubborn to admit when they don’t have the answer.
So if you need a kick in the pants, Pressfield’s book is one place to start. But regardless you should ask yourself a question:
What is the consequence if you don’t ever go pro? What will your life be like if you never pursue your dream?
Let’s keep the conversation going! Post your comments below, or reach out to me if you want a little help or encouragement “going pro.” Click here to contact me anytime!
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