The 21st Century Creative

Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey

Listen Later

Season 3 opens with a Steven Pressfield interview about his latest creative manifesto, The Artist’s Journey. If you know Steve only as the author of The War of Art or the novelist behind The Legend of Bagger Vance, this episode reveals the larger pattern that links his fiction, his non-fiction and — crucially — your own creative path.

This conversation explores why the celebrated Hero’s Journey is just Act One. The real work begins afterwards, when a creator confronts their gift, turns professional and learns to shuttle — hour by hour — between inspiration and logistics. If you feel you’re resisting a call, or wonder how to balance mystique with mundane discipline, you’ll find Steve’s insights bracing, practical and reassuring.



‘Every book I’ve written surprised me,’ Steve says. ‘The works themselves tell you who you are.’ Listen below (or on your favourite app) and decide whether you’re still questing on your Hero’s Journey or already walking the artist’s road.





Episode summary
Steven Pressfield

An ex-advertising copywriter turned historical novelist, Steve has written nineteen books across two intertwined careers. His Ancient-Greek battle epics such as Gates of Fire inspire the US Marines; his creative handbooks — The War of Art, Turning Pro, Do the Work — pepper studio walls from Hollywood to Hackney. The Artist’s Journey distils forty years of that experience into a field-guide for anyone who feels called to make meaningful work.

Big ideas in this conversation
  • From Hero to Artist – Campbell’s template is only Act One; the artist’s real apprenticeship starts when you answer your gift. (Think of Good Will Hunting — the film ends where the Artist’s Journey begins.)
  • A universal pattern – Luke Skywalker, Odysseus and Dorothy follow the same twelve beats because those beats are coded in us. George Lucas even pinned Campbell’s checklist above his desk while drafting Star Wars.
  • Mysticism + mechanics – Rosanne Cash’s late-night epiphany led to athlete-style training and militant diary-keeping. Great art is forged in that daily oscillation between the ether and the calendar.
  • Creative bottoming-out – Burn-out, boredom or addiction often precede the decision to turn pro — Steve’s favourite business example is the guilt-stricken Vietnam veteran who founded FedEx.
  • The Creative Challenge – Map yourself: are you mid-quest, or have you crossed the threshold into your own Artist’s Journey?
    • Advice worth hearing in full
    • Practise the shuttle – Cultivate the rapid movement between intuition and technique, dozens of times an hour.
    • Spot the threshold – Life simplifies the moment you accept the Call and stop running.
    • Design your day – Discipline isn’t swagger; it’s the scaffolding that lets inspiration land safely.
    • Ask a sharper question – Not ‘How can I be original?’ but ‘What gift am I withholding from the world?’



      • Where next?

      Explore The Artist’s Journey in e-book, print or audio at BlackIrishBooks.com or your preferred retailer.

      Read Steve’s weekly ‘Writing Wednesdays’ essays at StevenPressfield.com.

      About The 21st Century Creative podcast



      Hosted by creative coach and award-winning poet Mark McGuinness, The 21st Century Creative podcast helps you succeed as a creative professional amid the demands, distractions and opportunities of the 21st century.

      Each episode features insights from Mark and interviews with outstanding creators — including artists, writers, performers, commercial creatives, directors, producers, entrepreneurs and other creative thought-leaders.

      Make sure you receive every episode by subscribing in Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

      Join the mailing list to have every episode delivered to your inbox, along with the free 21st Century Creative Foundation Course.

      The post Steven Pressfield on The Artist’s Journey appeared first on Creative Coach | Mark McGuinness.

      Click the icon below to listen.
           
      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The 21st Century CreativeBy Mark McGuinness
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9
      • 4.9

      4.9

      67 ratings

      More shows like The 21st Century Creative

      View all
      The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

      The Rest Is Entertainment

      921 Listeners