Book Review: Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work By Steven Pressfield

Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work By Steven Pressfield

Pressfield, S. (2012). Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work. New York: Black Irish Entertainment, LLC.

Would-be rockers might argue Born to Run is one of the greatest albums of all time; easily Bruce Springsteen’s opus. This marked the turning point in his career when he made the decision to commit his energy and talent to the universe.  Indeed, some of the most haunting and powerful lyrics on the album lie in the song Thunder Road, “the door is open but the ride, it ain’t free.”  According to the boss himself, “so this was my big invitation to my audience, to myself, to anybody who was interested.  My invitation to a long and earthly, very earthly, journey.  Hopefully in the company of someone you love, people you love, and in search of a home you can feel a part of” (Springsteen, 2005). 

Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield, is a non-fiction book about the seminal moment when an individual makes, what Pressfield calls, “a monumental, life-overturning decision” (Pressfield, p. 5).  In other words, the moment one makes the decision to stop fooling around, to become the creative person he was born to be; the point in which one draws a line in the sand. Springsteen’s storytelling encapsulates Pressfield’s thesis regarding why some individuals are able to embrace their true creative calling in life, while others merely tip- toe along the edges, seeking distractions to silence that tiny voice inside. It’s not easy to turn pro.  Yet at the same time, it’s much more difficult, and mentally painful not to.

Reading Turning Pro is not about identifying a true calling. Pressfield asserts that for the amateur it’s already there, hiding under the surface. Rather, Pressfield suggests there is a stark difference between the amateur and the professional and dedicates the book comparing and contrasting the mindset and behaviors of the two archetypes. He purports turning pro – consciously leaving the amateur behind – represents a model for self-transformation (Pressfield, p. 5).   

Self-transformation begins by acknowledging and pushing through what Pressfield terms, “resistance,” a force of fear, self-doubt and self-sabotage.  The amateur allows resistance to stymie creativity, by providing all too tempting distractions.  For some it might be addictions to food, alcohol or even making money.  To others, resistance takes the form of the need for instant gratification or the approval of others.  According to Pressfield, “addictions take on two primary characteristics: they embody repetition without progress and they produce incapacity as a payoff.”  Addictions are boring; they travel in a repetitious circle that goes nowhere.  “We are stuck in the same endlessly repeating loop. That’s what makes addiction like hell” (Pressfield, p. 34).  

The professional faces the same types of resistance; the difference being he recognizes it for what it is and has committed to stepping through it. Being a professional is an act of courage. “The professional knows that in the course of her pursuit, she will inevitably experience moments of terror, even panic. She knows she can’t choke that back or wish it way. It’s there, it’s for real.”  (Pressfield, p. 123).

The Pressfield suggests the professional gets to this place because of a commitment to mastery, to leaving the trappings of the amateur. Turning Pro is not easy. Turning Pro means, in a sense, growing up, leaving youth (metaphorically) behind.  It may necessitate finding a new set of friends, a new career, a new way of life.  In other words, “the ride, it ain’t free.”  Old, comforting habits must be jettisoned.

The book has a touch of “zen.” Turning professional leads to a more spiritual place with one’s art (however defined), by finding one’s personal power. Ironically, turning pro is not easy, but being pro is. Pressfield (p. 90 – 91) does a wonderful job of bluntly stating the qualities of the professional, who:

·       Shows up everyday

·       Stays on the job all day

·       Is committed over the long haul

·       Knows the stakes are high and real

·       Is patient

·       Seeks order

·       Demystifies

·       Acts in the face of fear

·       Accepts no excuses

·       Plays it as it lays

·       Is prepared

·       Does not show off

·       Dedicates himself to mastering technique

·       Does not hesitate to ask for help

·       Does not take failure or success personally

·       Does not identify with his instrument

·       Endures adversity

·       Self-validates

·       Reinvents herself

·       Is recognized by other professionals

In Summary – Relationship To Creativity

Turning Pro is not a guide to finding one’s artistic (big C, little c) calling.  For this type of personal journey, I recommend Sir Ken Robinson’s, “The Element.” Dr. Robinson asserts The Element is found at the intersection of natural aptitude and personal passion (Robinson, p 21). Pressfield targets the individual who hears his calling yet is scared to act. The person who may, on a conscious or sub-conscious level, know the pain of not changing is greater than the pain of changing. 

As students of creativity, Pressfield lays out the very simple choice – we can sit on the sidelines and dabble in Creative Problem Solving and creative leadership or fight our way into the game, grab the ball and run like heck to the goal post.  We must choose to lead creatively.  We must declare ourselves creative leaders and own it.

The book is a quick, yet powerful read that I found to be very self-motivating. It has evolved my thinking on creativity, offering insight regarding the blocks to creative commitment. For readers, the idea of naming the force of resistance and identifying it on a personal level might evoke a new level of self-awareness, leading to self-transformation.  

Those interested in the concept of resistance and its relationship to developing one’s creative calling should consider reading Pressfield’s 2002 work, The War of Art.

About the Author

Steven Pressfield is the author of Gates of Fire, Tides of War, The Afghan Campaign, The Profession, The Warrior Ethos and The War of Art.

References

Aronica, L., and Robinson, K. (2009). The Element: how finding your passion

changes everything. New York: Penguin Group.

Robinson, K., and Aronica, L. (2009). The Element: how finding your passion

            changes everything. New York: Penguin Group.

Springsteen, B. (1975). Born to Run. New Yor: Columbia Records.

VH1 (April, 23, 2005). Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen. Distributed by Viacom

            International.   

Alison Murphy – Biographical Sketch 

Alison Murphy is a founding partner of Murphy Marketing Research/TRENDTOWN, an insights consulting firm dedicated to applying creativity tools to traditional market research methods. Alison and her husband, Tom, formed the company 18 years ago and employ six professionals.  Throughout her career, Alison has worked with Fortune 100 consumer and business-to-business organizations.  She works closely with clients including Grainger, Allstate Insurance and Revlon to gain insight, identify customer needs and develop new products and marketing and advertising programs.  

Areas of expertise include developing innovative and creative methodologies for capturing consumer insights on deeper, more emotive levels and facilitating ideation and brainstorming sessions.  Throughout her career, she has moderated hundreds (and hundreds) of focus groups.  

A specific area of accomplishment is MMR/TT’s Sparks® ideation program that features a panel of over 400 creative consumers who brainstorm new products for leading manufacturers.   In 2012, the Sparks® program won a coveted Ogilvy Award for Innovation Excellence and in 2009, MMR/TT’s Sparks® program was awarded the Milwaukee Small Business Times IQ (Innovation Quotient) Award.  

Prior to forming MMR/TT, Alison worked for several leading advertising agencies in Chicago and Milwaukee and held the position of Market Research Director for Stokely USA, a division of Del Monte.  She holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and an MA from Marquette University. 

As a life-long student, Alison is currently completing a Master of Science degree in Creative Studies and Change Leadership through SUNY New York.  She attends the annual Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) sponsored by the Creative Education Foundation.  She is very active in the Qualitative Research Consultant’s Association, having served on the Board of Directors as Vice President for this global, 1,000 member organization.    In addition, she is involved in the PTA for her son’s high school and conducts strategic planning sessions for the school board. 

She’s a passionate bread baker (no bread machines allowed!) and recently won a blue ribbon for her Jackson Harbor Killer brownies at the Washington Island fair. 

Contact: Alison Murphy

Murphy Marketing Research/TRENDTOWN

161 North Green Bay Road

Thiensville, Wisconsin 53092

262-236-0194 ext. 229   amurphy@murphymarketing.com    www.murphymarketing.com 

Book Review: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told you About Being Creative by Austin Kleon

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

            You’ve probably seen this book at your local Barnes & Noble, stacked on a table of “Gifts for Grads, ” right next to Oh the Places You Will Go by Dr. Suess, or under a sign declaring “Good Advice” alongside the latest release from a Real Housewife. It is a chunky little block of a book with bold handwritten text throughout, by a young author (yes, in the advice game, 29 is young). You might be tempted to dismiss it as just a cute little bon bon, a feel-good gift book destined to collect dust on the coffee table.

            But there’s serious thinking behind Austin Kleon’s “10 Things,” drawn not only from his experiences but broadly sourced from the experiences of countless creative practitioners who have influenced him. Kleon is a self-described “writer who draws,” a prolific producer of poetry and other writings as well as a promoter of visual thinking. He quotes Picasso, T.S. Eliot and David Bowie to support one of his key assertions — “Nothing is original” — but he could just as easily have drawn from the works of more academic heavyweights like Mel Rhodes, Arthur Koestler or Keith Sawyer.

            Born as a blog post that was shaped into a commencement speech that turned into another blog post that became an internet sensation, Steal Like an Artist is a modern-day manifesto: Kleon’s public declaration that we all have the potential to be creative (King, 2012).[1] “These ideas apply to anyone who’s trying to inject some creativity into their life and their work,” he writes, adding, “(That should describe all of us.)” (p. 1).

            It’s not just a book you read: it’s a book you experience. It’s fun to look at, optimistically declaring its advice on bold little billboards, in pithy poems and through quirky line drawings.

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

            So what are the “10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative”?

            1) Steal like an artist.

Embrace your influences, learn from the work of others and transform those influences into original work of your own. Kleon uses the analogy of genetics: we are made up of the people who came before us, both physically and intellectually. And there’s creative power in accepting that.

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

2) Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.

You discover who you are by doing. In doing, you learn what’s worth stealing. But “stealing” is not about copying. “Don’t just steal the style,” he writes. “Steal the thinking behind the style” (p. 35).

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

3) Write the book you want to read.

The age-old advice about “writing what you know” is wrong. Kleon asserts you need to write (or draw, or otherwise create) not what is but what you want to be. “...Do the work you want to see done” (p. 48).

4) Use your hands.

The computer is, by its nature, an editing tool, Kleon says. Creativity can’t just happen in our heads or on a screen; you need to physically make something, be it words written by hand on a page or an actual object.

5) Side projects and hobbies are important.

What some call “incubation,” Kleon calls “productive procrastination,” and he encourages the practice of it, along with the pursuit of passions. (p. 65, p. 69).[2] “One day,” he writes, “You’ll look back and it will all make sense” (p. 71).

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

            6) The secret: do good work and share it with people.

There’s no need to be miserly with your ideas: sharing is a learning experience. And the internet makes it easy to share. “Step 1: Wonder at something,” he writes. “Step 2: Invite others to wonder with you” (p. 80).

7) Geography is no longer our master.

Thanks to the internet, we can all live in two worlds (or more): the one we physically inhabit, and the one(s) we create through shared interests. But you have to leave these “homes” at some point: “Your brain gets too comfortable in your everyday surroundings,” Kleon says. “You need to make it uncomfortable. You need to spend some time in another land, among people that do things differently than you” (p. 93).

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

8) Be nice. (The world is a small town.)

Kleon advocates active niceness: seek out talented people, write fan letters, “don’t pick fights.” (Instead, use anger as motivation to create.) At the same time, he encourages being nice to yourself as well: keep a praise file, but don’t expect validation from others.

9) Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)

“That whole romantic image of the creative genius doing drugs and running around and sleeping with everyone is played out,” Kleon writes (p. 119). Take care of yourself so you have the energy to create.

10) Creativity is subtraction.

Despite what we’ve all been led to believe, constraints are, in fact, freeing. “Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities,” says Kleon. “The idea that you can do anything is absolutely terrifying” (p. 137).

(Austin Kleon)

steallikeanartist.com

            Steal Like an Artist is wise and practical: advice not just on being creative, but on how to live. Kleon wraps it up with a useful list of action steps — “take a walk,” “buy a notebook and use it,” etc. — to get the reader out of the book and into creative action. As the drumbeat for creative thinking and innovation grows louder in across many sectors, from corporations to schools to government and more, its content is both timely and timeless.  

            Steal Like an Artist reframes the concept of creativity for those who have been held back by their belief that you can only be considered creative if you have “original” ideas. It has the power to provide hope to people who think that “growing up” means they have to give up their creative pursuits. It would, in fact, make a great gift for a recent grad or for a lost creative soul looking for good advice. So I guess the merchandisers at Barnes & Noble are onto something.

All images courtesy of Austin Kleon (steallikeanartist.com) from the Steal Like An Artist blogger kit (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathtogutenberg/sets/72157629454918267/).

Sources

King, A. (2012, August 26). Theft as art, art as theft: an interview with Austin Kleon. The Kenyon Review. Retrieved from http://www.kenyonreview.org/2012/08/austin-kleon-interview/

Kleon, A. (2012). Steal like an artist: 10 things nobody told you about being creative. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.

---

[1] The original blog post:

http://www.austinkleon.com/2010/02/10/25-quotes-to-help-you-steal-like-an-artist/

The Jonathan Lethem article referenced in the original blog post:

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/02/0081387

[2] And ample alliterative use of the letter p.

Bio

Jody Fisher is the Ideation Strategist on the Innovation Team at Nestlé Purina PetCare. In this role, she helps feed the company’s innovation pipeline and manages the company’s internal idea network. Prior to joining Purina’s Innovation Team, Jody was a copywriter for 15 years, working on brands like Friskies, Purina ONE, Gatorade, Pizza Hut and more. Jody earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from The Colorado College, and expects to finish her Master’s of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership at the ICSC in December, 2013.

ICSC Graduate Stavros Michailidis discussing Building Momentum for Great Ideas TedxGramercy

ICSC Graduate Andy Burnett discusses Frictionless Creativity at TEDxGramercy -

Book Review: Think! Before it's too late by Edward deBono

Book Review: Think! Before it's too late (by Edward de Bono)

written by Patrick Wirth

Creativity is universally linked to the notion of novel ideas and solutions to challenges. At the core of creative problem solving is the act of thinking. This is a book review of de Bono, E. (2009). Think! Before it’s too late. Great Britain:Ebury Publishing. This nonfiction book authored by Edward de Bono provides the reader with an introduction to his extensive work on the subject of creative thinking. De Bono is a classic scholar in the field of creative thinking and is widely recognized for his theories of creative thinking, in particular lateral thinking. His life’s work has been devoted to studying the mechanics of the mind as it relates to creative thinking.

The broad appeal of de Bono’s work results from techniques he outlines to propel traditional thinking beyond the status quo. His models provide a practical means to drive creative break-through thinking. His work in this area is extensive. In this book, de Bono promotesthat traditional thinking was developed over 2,400 years ago by the GG3. This was the Greek Gang of Three. They were Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. From them emerged the traditional approachesto thinking of argument, truth, and logic. These still exist today as the foundation of traditional thinking models.

The overall theme of the book is that the existing traditional linear thinking systems are excellent, but not enough. De Bono, as an advocate for creative thinking, feels there’s a huge deficiency in our creative thinking habits. De Bono argues that the human brain is not designed to be creative. “It is designed to set up routine patterns and to use and follow these patterns” (p. 21). These patterns can be linked back to the thinking models that emerged from the GG3. He devotes the vast majority of this book dissecting the limiting nature of traditional thinking approaches in education, government and everyday life, as well as drawing out the immense opportunity for creative thinking.

De Bono believes that creativity is an inborn talent which can be nurtured, developed and taught. “There is a need for more deliberate processes to encourage and enhance creativity actively” (p. 27). De Bono’s solution to supporting the development of creative thinking is his life’s work: lateral thinking methods. Where traditional thinking of argument, truth and logic is linear, lateral thinking means moving across patterns instead of moving along them. The movement in lateral thinking comes from provocation. He provides a brief overview of the key lateral thinking tools he has developed and weaves several examples of the favorable impact these tools have had in his review of education, government and day-to-day life.

I have a personal interest in the notion of creative thinking. I have done some cursory reading about Edward de Bono in the past and thought I would use this opportunity to take a closer look at his work. I’m glad I did as I really enjoyed this book. The book is 250 pages long, costs less then $20 US dollars and is a fast, easy and very interesting read. I highly recommend this book to the reader that is interested in getting an introduction to Edward de Bono’s thoughts about creativity, traditional thinking and creative thinking. This isn’t a deep dive into de Bono’s lateral thinking models and tools. He provides a brief overview of lateral thinking executed in an easy to understand manner that has provoked me to do further research and reading. I think there is something in this book for everyone who has an interest in the area of creativity from school teachers, university professors, government officials, business leaders and parents.

For me, the primary connection was with myprofessional work as a business person. He devotes an entire chapter to leadership and thinking in the business world. It was very interesting to read that in his many years of experience in the field, de Bono believes the business sector is more interested in thinking than any other sector of society. I certainly would agree that the business sector relies on and needs more creative thinking. As a parent, I find this concerning as it relates to education for our children. Children today have access to so much information and answers are so readily available to virtually everything on the internet, where is “thinking” going in our traditional school education? Where is the focus on developing creative thinking skills?

The primary issue raised in this book was the limited nature of traditional thinking methods and the opportunity for creative thinking methods to be taught. I absolutely agree with the limited nature of traditional thinking methods. I find this to be self validating in my personal life and professional experience. I’m profoundly intrigued by the notion of creative thinking being a skill that can be developed. In my role as a husband, father, businessperson and contributing member to society, I know I have untapped creative thinking talent that is latent within me, that if unleashed, could help me be better at working through life’s challenges and helping others. I’m motivated to take further action. I will be reading more about the de Bono thinking systems and investigating formal training in lateral thinking going forward.

This book challenges the status quo approach to the traditional thinking methods of argument, truth and logic. It supports the notion that creative thinking is a skill that resides in all people and is not reserved for intellects, geeks and those living on the edge. The author provides an introduction to the tools of lateral thinking which has a demonstrated track record for developing the skills of creative thinking.

My advice for those considering reading this book, do it. It will provoke you to think more about your own approach to thinking and challenge you to become a more creative thinker.

Patrick Wirth has 25 years professional experience in product development, finance, operations strategic planning and lean. He is currently Director of Product Development Support and Lean Champion at Mattel for Fisher-Price Brands. Patrick holds a BS in Finance from Canisius College, a BS in Industrial Technology from Buffalo State, an MBA from Canisius College and professional certifications in Production and Inventory Control, Certified Lean Professional and Foursight. Patrick has 9 credit hours remaining to complete Masters in Creativity and Change Leadership at the ICSC.

Book Review: Collective creativity: Collaborative work in the sciences, literature and the arts

Written by Graduate Student Beth Donohue Templeton

Creative expression manifests itself in almost every aspect of modern life. Curious minds, digging deeply into the practice of this expression seem to be divided into two camps: the staunch individualists, who believe that the creative impulse exists primarily in the individual mind, and those who believe that creativity is collective, an amalgam of personal experience and interaction with nature, society and certain images from the collective unconscious. When the call for papers went out on behalf of the Sydney German Studies Symposiumon Collective Creativity (2009), this dichotomy formed the very heart of the opening question. Recipients were asked to submit an essay answering the question: “Is there such a thing as collective creativity?” The eventual editors further elaborated in paragraphs detailing positions both for and against the idea. The works selected form the twenty-four chapters that comprise Collective Creativity: Collaborative work in the sciences, literature and the arts, edited by Gerhard Fisher and Florian Vassen. In the introduction, they tell the story of moving beyond “traditional binary opposites” and develop a conversation that might be more productive. They write about searching out the intersections and cross-pollination of artistic, scientific and cultural manifestations of creativity. In this grey area, this interfacing, we might find a new creative energy (in the synergy between individual and collective creative experiences), or we might uncover previously obscured truths about ourselves. The resulting book, at 367 pages was daunting, but the writing within proved to be more than worth the effort.

This fascinating collection of scientific study, philosophy and arts practice certainly promotes new thinking in the reader. The writing, while at times densely academic, provides some of the latest thinking on collective creative practice. The essays are divided into five sections, each focusing on their particular domain. Each area holds a treasure of inquiry for those already interested, and the book invites the reader to enter at any point they see fit. I chose to enter into the essays at the intersection of theater and collective creativity. A representative sample of the type of scholarship in this book can be seen in the editor, Florian Vassan’s own essay titled: From author to spectator: Collective creativity as a theatrical play of artists and spectators. The article is an absorbing journey through different observations and executions of collective creativity in theatrical form. He weaves in historical perspective with his eye on the larger question of the difference between individual and collective expression and delightfully dissects Brecht’s theatrical objectivism, or involving the audience as spectator and vocal judge of the action on stage. Vassen also delves into the work of experimental German playwright Heiner Mueller in exploring the synergy between actors and audience. As a veteran audience member of his 1985 production “Hamlet Machine,” where eight actresses played Ophelia, simultaneously with three Hamlets, while performing a two hour script comprised of eight pages of repeated text, I was delighted to see his name in a serious exploration of post-modern collective creativity. He embraced this synergy as a vital part of performance.

Emboldened, I dove into chapters I perceived to be more challenging. While the quality of the writing was universally high, some of the essays offered fascinating portrayals of individuals within a collective arts experience and, even, articles about successful artistic and scientific collaboration. Alison Lewis’schapter: The romancing of collectivecreativity: The ‘Bitterfelder Weg’ in Brigitte Reimann’s letters and diaries, can be found in the section on collective writing and offers a tantalizingly human tale of seduction and infidelity as an unintended (and largely unnoticed) by-product of a cultural experiment conducted by the German Democratic Republic from 1959-64. The juxtaposition of diary entries with political philosophy is compelling and makes for a thought-provoking read. Likewise, the chapter detailing the partnership between a visual artist and a group of scientists in Australia, which resulted in various x-ray and microscopic images of the artist’s insides forming a unique self-portrait in the atrium of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute (Melbourne), provides interesting insights into collective creative process in an unusual context.

Collective creativity:Collaborative work in the sciences, literature and the arts is not for the faint of heart and lightens the wallet considerably at a hefty $105.00 on amazon. However, for the serious student of creative thinking in the arts and the arts practitioner interested in this creative combination, this book provides a valuable collection of research. It is a comprehensive inter and trans-disciplinary account of collective creativity and its many applications and offers a wealth of insight into the rare place where the individual and the collective come together.

Beth Donohue Templeton is an actor and arts learning specialist currently completing her Masters of Science at the InternationalCenter for Studies in Creativity. Beth has performed on many local and regional stages and is a founding member of Berkeley’s Shotgun Players, a theater company now celebrating their 20^th season. Beth has worked as a Teaching Artist, Trainer and Curriculum designer for affiliates of the Lincoln Center Institute for Arts in Education in Northern California and Western New York and has created arts learning camps and classes for ages pre-K through adult, with an emphasis on student populations with special learning needs. Beth’s graduate work is focused on uncovering the unique relationship between creative thinking and the arts.