We fear discovering that we are more than we think we are. More than our parents/children/teachers think we are. We fear that we actually possess the talent that our still, small voice tells us. That we actually have the guts, the perseverance, the capacity. We fear that we truly can steer our ship, plant our flag, reach our Promised Land. We fear this because, if itโs true, then we become estranged from all we know. We pass through a membrane. We become monsters and monstrous.
Steven PressfieldF@*# self-doubt. I despise it. I hold it in contempt, along with the hell-spawned ooze-pit of Resistance from which it crawled. I will NEVER back off. I will NEVER give the work anything less than 100%. If I go down in flames, so be it. I'll be back.
Steven PressfieldOf any activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?
Steven PressfieldMaking 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 โjudgments,โ you'll find that you have nothing to say.
Steven PressfieldStart before youโre ready. Good things happen when we start before weโre ready.
Steven PressfieldArtists, writers and people in creative fields are entrepreneurs by necessity. Nobody gives them a paycheck or picks up their medical insurance. The ones who succeed learn to think and act like 'independent operators.' I think people who are technically 'employees' have to think this way as well. The company is not looking out for you.
Steven Pressfield