Steven Pressfield — Bestselling author of "The War of Art," "Gates of Fire," and other historical fiction and nonfiction. A former Marine, advertising copywriter, and screenwriter who published his first book at 52 and is still writing daily at 82.
The gist
Pressfield and Huberman dig into the practical and spiritual mechanics of creative work, centering on 'Resistance' (capital R) -- the internal force that makes us procrastinate, doubt, and quit. Pressfield explains his blue-collar daily writing process (two focused hours, no phone or internet, never re-reading the day's work, thinking in 13-15 drafts) and his belief that ideas come from outside us via 'the muse.' They explore turning pro versus staying an amateur, why the people closest to us often sabotage our growth, perfectionism as disguised Resistance, and how to handle criticism and success. The conversation weaves in mortality, competition as a driver, mentorship, and the unbalanced life required to pursue a calling.
Big reveals
- Pressfield's core claim: the more important a project is to your soul's evolution, the stronger the Resistance you'll feel -- so do the project you're most afraid of.
- Reveals he recites the invocation of the muse from Homer's Odyssey out loud every morning before writing -- a ritual he's kept for ~50 years.
- Says his mind never flits to distraction in the first 10 minutes of writing anymore; he just 'dives straight into the pool.'
- Confesses his real lifelong driver was proving his struggling family wasn't 'the black sheep' -- 'I'm going to show these motherf***ers.'
- Admits 'King Kong Lives' was 'one of the worst movies ever' and that he thought it was great until the deathly-silent screening.
- Says he doesn't believe in work/life balance and has missed things in life, including having kids, to pursue his calling -- with no regret.
- Advises getting 'the most uncomfortable chair you possibly can' for writing, calling the famous 'comfortable chair' advice terrible.
Things worth remembering
- At 82, Pressfield is at the gym at 4:45 AM every morning; he treats it as a 'rehearsal' for facing Resistance at the keyboard.
- He writes a book in 13-15 drafts, the last seven or eight being only slight changes, and never reads back the day's work.
- Cites Steinbeck: pushing past a long day for a little more is 'the falsest kind of economy' because you pay for it the next day.
- Huberman links shorter, more intense work bouts to nervous-system recruitment -- the better you get, the shorter and sharper your sessions.
- Pressfield argues that un-enacted creative energy turns malignant, surfacing as addiction, cruelty, or self-abuse.
- Learned the phrase 'pulling the pin' (quitting too soon) from railroad-riding fruit tramps in Washington State.
- Steve Jobs used to come into the Palo Alto sports shop where teenage Huberman worked to buy rollerblade wheels.
- The doc 'My Big Break' shows everyone gets a big break; most blow it not from lack of talent but because they can't handle success.
- Pressfield credits 'The War of Art' title to his business partner Shawn Coyne, not himself.
- Pressfield reframes his slow-building success as 'slow-release dopamine over many years.'
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The War of Art
Steven Pressfield
“And if anyone hasn't read "War of Art," it's an absolute must-read. I've read it many times.” — Andrew Huberman 00:21:54Find it on Amazon
Do the Work
Steven Pressfield
“including the now iconic "War of Art" and also the book "Do the Work," which both focus on understanding the forces in our minds” — Andrew Huberman 00:01:37Find it on Amazon
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t
Steven Pressfield
“if I can hype one of my books, it's a small follow-up to "The War of Art" called "Nobody Wants to Read Your S***."” — Steven Pressfield 00:37:43Find it on Amazon
Turning Pro
Steven Pressfield
“And my book, "Turning Pro," is about that, flipping that switch in your head that costs no money.” — Steven Pressfield 01:45:53Find it on Amazon
Gates of Fire
Steven Pressfield
“It's either "The War of Art" or "Gates of Fire."” — Andrew Huberman 01:33:02Find it on Amazon
Govt Cheese
Steven Pressfield
“In fact, I wrote a memoir called "Govt Cheese." the chapters are named after the various mentors that I've had” — Steven Pressfield 01:00:46Find it on Amazon
A Man at Arms
Steven Pressfield
“I had a book a few years ago called "A Man at Arms," which is about a recurring character that I have” — Steven Pressfield 02:07:10Find it on Amazon
The Arcadian
Steven Pressfield
“this new book that's coming out, it's called "The Arcadian," is about his final life.” — Steven Pressfield 02:08:17Find it on Amazon
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
“I've listened to and read Steve Jobs' biography. I think it's spectacular. It's a phenomenal bio.” — Andrew Huberman 01:09:23Find it on Amazon
My Big Break
Tony Zierra (inferred)
“It's a documentary that I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival years ago called "My Big Break." a documentary that I wish everyone would see.” — Andrew Huberman 01:28:46Find it on Amazon
The Fighter
David O. Russell
“He did "The Fighter" with Mark Wahlberg. - I love that movie.” — Andrew Huberman 00:48:08Find it on Amazon