Fans of Seth Godin and Steven Pressfield, authors of Linchpin and The War of Art, respectively, were in for a treat last night. The two authors and motivators of creative productivity met for the first time at the Columbus Circle Borders to discuss why they write and what holds so many people back. They were tossing out gems faster than we could write them down. Among the best:
- Self help is the only real kind of help there is.
- Seth on success: The only thing all successful people have in common is that they’re successful, so don’t waste your time copying “the successful strategies” of others.
- Steven on fighting the resistance: There is no trick, no royal road, to not take that drink or watch that TV show.
- Seth on schools: Facts are free – you can look anything up on Wikipedia. What we need to teach now is how to interpret.
- Steven on how to consistently do creative work: It’s the difference between thinking of yourself as an amateur or a pro. Anyone can be an amateur, but only a pro will be out there training on the rainiest day of the year.
The place was pretty packed, so we had to sneak a photo of the event from behind the Borders’ Valentine’s Day table:
Luckily, the authors agreed to a close-up later in the night:
