Steven Pressfield is the bestselling author of The War of Art, Gates of Fire, and The Legend of Bagger Vance. In this episode we discuss:

• How shame, honour, and resistance shape the creative life

• The ancient idea of the "daimon" and its role in artistic destiny

• Lessons from decades of rejection, hard work, and his eventual breakthrough

We also talk about Steve’s unconventional path to success which involved him working 21 different jobs in eleven states and his reflections from writing his memoir Government Cheese.

Kevin Kelly is an editor. He is the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and has also been a writer, photographer, conservationist, and student of Asian and digital culture.

He has written multiple bestselling books including What Technology Wants, The Inevitable and Cool Tools and has written many novels on his interest in cybernetics and all things tech.

His latest book, Excellent Advice for Living, is a collection of Kevin's wisdom on everything from career to relationships and travel to finances, and is the starting point for our conversation. 

This conversation was recorded on Monday 29 May 2023.

Steven Pressfield is a writer. He is the author of historical fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays including his novels Gates of Fire and The Legend of Bagger Vance and his non-fiction books The War of Art and Turning Pro.

Steven was fifty two years old before his first novel was published. Along the way he worked 21 jobs in seven states including schoolteacher, mental hospital attendant, truck driver, fruit picker, copywriter and Hollywood screenwriter. 

None of this was intentional. All of it is in his latest book, a memoir called Govt Cheese, which is the starting point for our conversation. 

This conversation was recorded on Wednesday 24 May 2023.

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: closing the gap between knowing & doing, the challenge of living your values and the path to human progress.

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to ask great questions, the role of curiosity in progress and the impact of modern media and technology on expertise, sensemaking and democracy.

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: the importance of creativity for individuals and society, the process of discovering your genius and the difference between the gift and market economies.

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to understand your emotions, the patterns driving human behaviour and why mental health culture isn't improving mental health. 

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to focus in a world full of distractions, the challenges of ADHD and how to deal with it and why myths about attention are harming you.

The Next Loop is a 12 part series summarising the most important insights from 6 years of conversations with some of the world's greatest thinkers, entrepreneurs and artists on the MetaLearn Podcast.

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss the topic of futureproofing yourself - how to adapt to a rapidly changing environment whilst maintaining your humanity so you can thrive in the modern world of work and live a good life.

- How to apply Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power in practice- Avoiding manipulation and how to defend against people using power plays- The true nature of power and how we misunderstand it in modern society

So whether you want to become a modern Machiavelli, realise your true potential or stop being the victim of other people's games, this episode will give you everything you need and more.