The Artist's Journey: The Wake of the Hero's Journey and the Lifelong Pursuit of Meaning

"It is not an overstatement, I believe, to declare that the artist's role is to lead the human race back to Eden." --Steven PressfieldOk, this one is a little more airy than Turning Pro or War of Art. If I had to put them in Order, I'd start with Turning Pro, then War of Art, then this. Artist's Journey is about the etherial & eternal challenges all artists have reaching into the metaphorical "box", pulling out something, putting their own effort & soul into it, & suffering what may come when they bring it into the world. Turning Pro is tactical, War of Art is strategic--but this is wholly philosophical.Three metaphors in the book stuck with me--this idea of returning people to their original state of innocence & understanding through the work. Think about fighting war to achieve peace--sounds like it shouldn't make sense, but there are those who gunwork & war is their art. The second metaphor is this idea of the two worlds an artist operates in: The material & immaterial. Artists grab inspiration & purity from one world, grounded it in this one for others to appreciate & enjoy.Finally--this idea of the inner daimon. The belief you have a calling, you've always had a calling. And you life running away from that is a distraction & danger. Ultimately, you have to submit to the daimon. Or you don't & you never live your life to it's fullest intent or extent. That's huge--but imagine the artists & the experts we venerate. Hitchcock was involved in creating over 60 movies. Elon Musk wants to end our dependence to oil & send us to Mars. But not the big names--my father taught middle school PE for 30 years. His devotion to education definitely led to my path in instructional design. We say those who face the journey are heroes. They're not--they're doing what they no other choice but to do.This book explains why spiritually & philosophically. Our work needs us as much as we need to bring it into the world.There's a great David Mamet quote on this too: The problem with any dramatist, especially ones doing it a long, long time, is you want to get these guys out of your head. You just want them to stop talking to you.

If Pressfield’s 'Turning Pro' is your book for your Monday through Friday, when you put on your hardhat and pick up your pen or your brush or your chisel, 'The Artist’s Journey' is your book for your Sabbath, when you set down the tools of your trade and reflect, not on the How, but the Why. This Why comes not from you (even through it may seem to) but from a Source beyond you. You will be reminded of what you did not know but had suspected, in a hopeful moment—that to make art is a sacred act, yes because it connects the artist with the divine but also because it connects other to Other. And if all that sounds too esoteric or complex, take the more straightforward admonition from Pressfield: “Put your ass where your heart wants to be.”

Like many who have read this book, it felt like Steven was talking directly to me. I sometimes have a hard time balancing my desire for business success with my desire for artful success. I could not put this book down. I had to immediately purchase his other books. I started reading this book on the plane traveling to New York to see the US Open of Tennis. We were also going to be taking in some Broadway shows. Every Broadway show I see sparks my creative desires to be fully invested in creativity. I sometimes struggle with how to take up this path, which is why the book spoke to me at just the right time. If you have that burning desire in you, that desperate need to be on a creative quest, this book is a must read for you. I myself left my small upstate New York village of Caledonia and headed for Hollywood. I left my five-year career with the Livingston County Sheriff's Department, to head west and join the L.A. Sheriff's Department, knowing deep in my soul I needed to be in L.A. to fulfill my desires for success in comedy and acting. Now retired from the Sheriff's Department, I now need to hone my focus on my creative goals. Cop, writer, comedian, producer, actor, I find myself with too many targets, and not enough lifetimes to fulfill too many dreams. If this resonates with you in any way, you will have many questions answered in this book.

This book is the truth. Lately, I've been experiencing exactly what Steven describes in this book. I've been an artist all my life, spending a lot of time refusing the call and now helplessly committed to answering it. I thought I must be going a little crazy, but here it is in black and white and if it's crazy, I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Because like it or not (and I do), I'm on the journey. I loved the War of Art and Turning Pro and this book is similar but feels like we're much further down the path. I ate this book up, I love the bite-sized chapters and the concise style in which Steven writes. And at the end, when I read the thanks, I knew it was the end of the book but I turned the page somewhat hopeful anyway. When all I found was a blank page I thought, Oh no! I don't know what else could have been said but I was sorry the ride was over. Gonna take me a while to get over it. :)

Another fantastic book from Pressfield. So thought provoking and inspiring. I loved how philosophical this one was looking at life and the wider journey of the creative person. I also love the concepts of the Daimon and the fact it’s separate to us and that once we get on this journey is a non stop ride to the end. Will be pondering many of the ideas in this for weeks to come.

Once again Mr Pressfield delivers in his own inimitable style. I had so many 'Ah Ha' moments from reading this to put it way up near the top of my favourite reads.

Love the book

Cuando acaba el viaje del héroe empieza el viaje del artista. Ya con esta premisa el autor deja claro el tema. Un excelente compendio a su otro libro El arte de la Guerra. Se retoman los mismos temas pero ampliando el campo y es muy placentera su lectura.

Read like sound bites, so many "chapters" that were single paragraphs, or even single sentences. I expected something much more indepth.

Pressfield doesn't dissapoint with another inspiring read for creatives. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling to find purpose in their art.

I loved it at first but then he gets all into this zen mysticism and new age spirituality. Not for me !

Great book as usual by Steven Pressfield, reinforcing what I already suspected but too busy or afraid to face.....write write write, play play play(guitar)......this is a guy who did not give up, thank god!

If you liked the War Of Art you will appreciate this book! Must for all creatives, struggling artists, and people who want to find and move towards their life our Life purpose.

Nice companion to his other books. Lot of the same stuff covered but from a different angle.

it's a nice book that could have been written as a blog post. No need for a whole book to share these basic ideas. Disappointed :/

Anybody with interest in the arts should read this book. It's short, easy to read, and packed with gold nuggets.

Excellent book, loved the micro learning. Perfect balanced of concept and example. This book lit my soul up.

I reread this when I need motivation to paint. Highly recommend.

It made me move my ass and start making stuff I always wanted to do.