Steven Pressfield was 52 years old when he published his first hit novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Prior to that, he wrote tirelessly for decades in obscurity, supporting himself with odd jobs along the way.

After writing several more novels and movie scripts, he distilled all of his wisdom into The War of Art, his now-famous treatise on the grinding process of creativity.

Now in his 80s, Steven looks back on his work and life with a clear-eyed view of what it truly means to make it as a creative professional. In this episode, he explains why he persisted writing for decades with little to show for it, how he compensated for his own lack of talent, why creating great art is actually a grueling war fought within the artist’s own mind, and much, much more.

Enjoy.

Steven’s new book, The Daily Pressfield

All of Steven Pressfield's Books

Get up to 43% off your order of MUD/WTR at mudwtr.com/idgaf

Use code IDGAF to get 10% Marek Health services at marekhealth.com/idgaf

Get 10% off your first month of therapy at betterhelp.com/idgaf

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: markmanson.net/breakthrough

We often think self-discipline requires massive action and a lot of pain and sacrifice—but the reality is a lot more boring. Today, we tackle some common misconceptions about self-discipline, arguing that real change comes from setting up your environment for success, not grinding through endless struggle.

We explore the hidden dangers of romanticizing pain and why true self-discipline is more about boring consistency than epic feats of endurance. Hopefully, this episode challenges you to rethink how you approach your goals and habits. If you're ready to stop punishing yourself and start seeing real, lasting change, you won’t want to miss this.

Use code IDGAF to Get 20% off your one-time purchase of supplements at https://livemomentous.com

Get your first bag of Trade coffee for free when you sign up for a subscription at http://drinktrade.com/idgaf

Use code IDGAF to get 15% off your first purchase of skincare products at https://OneSkin.co

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help you be a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

It’s bonus episode time! Today, I’m doing a Q&A with questions you’ve all submitted. We dive into how I’ve changed my mind, bad habits, regrets, dead dreams, advice to young people, meditation, and a whole lot more.

Submit your questions for future podcasts in the comments or email them to podcast@markmanson.net.

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help you be a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough