Steven Pressfield and Getting Shit Done

     Getting shit done, seems to be a common issue with people but especially creative types. I know I've struggled with it, oh boy have I. My big issue is seeing thing through I never have any shortage of ideas but I get stuck in the mud of creation. My time is more limited now than it ever has been, so that really has worked to motivate me to push on through to the other side. Recently heard someone say "That ideas aren't worth much it's the execution that matters", which really resonates with me.

     Steven Pressfield's book the War of Art is an artist's manifesto. Steven himself is a writer but was not at all successful until he was 52 when The Legend of Beggar Vance. This book talks about every obstacle to creation you could imagine and names the beast resistance. Either way it really gave me swift kick in the ass to get to work and not rationalize all my procrastination.

 

He is smiling at because you're procrastinating by reading my blog.

He is smiling at because you're procrastinating by reading my blog.

     Well,  buy the book off Amazon and get back to work. Let me know what you think about this book and how you deal with procrastination. Have a good day.

Vincent Van Gogh

Much has been written so, I won't bother writing another biography of him. I will just post some of my favourite of his drawings.

Fishing Boats at Sea

Fishing Boats at Sea

Hills with the Ruins of Montmajour

Hills with the Ruins of Montmajour

Olive Trees, Montmajour

Olive Trees, Montmajour

Street in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

Street in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

The Rock of Montmajour

The Rock of Montmajour

The Road to Tarascon

The Road to Tarascon

Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin

Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin

When I first discovered Van Gogh's sketches I was blown away and really still am. Let me know what you think about his sketches. Have a good day, go out and sketch!

 

If you enjoyed these sketches check out some more posts for motivation:

Steven Pressfield, Fight Artistic Resistance

4 Obstacles Artists Need to Overcome

Tim Ferriss

     I've only read one book by Tim Ferriss, 4-Hour Workweek. I liked it, maybe because I'm a dreamer and hope for a 4-Hour Workweek at some point in my life or because it injected new ideas into my life. The main idea being that you want to be a business owner and not a business manager, meaning that you don't want to spend all your time chained to your business. He suggests streamlining things so that you don't need to micromanage everything in your business. This book and all of Tim's books take a lot of flak especially because his books are marketed towards the masses. For me there is that portion of the book that is just trying to get you excited which you may want to disregard or you can get excited about starting a business.

 

I think he has a lot of great ideas and is quite thorough so:

Buy the Book

His Blog

    

     Be sure to check out Tim's Podcast as he "deconstructs world-class performers", or in other words great insightful interviews with interesting folks.

Some podcast recommendations would be:

 

Derek Sivers - For a paradigm shift on business and giving away millions

Arnold Schwarzenegger - On his tactics to win and so many great stories

Jamie Foxx - Great tales about his childhood and Hollywood

 

 

     I hope you enjoy and as always keep on moving friends nothing is as important as this. Let me know what you think about old Timothy, have a good day.