Steven Pressfield's Office of Lucky Charms
A charm from a gypsy, a prayer from The Odyssey, an acorn from Thermopylae
I’ve got a million good luck charms (I’m on my second pair of lucky boots) and I believe in them all. I also pick up pennies. I’ve looked like a real idiot many times on the street.
source: Writing Routines.com
Steven Pressfield is a bestselling author known for his works on creativity and the writing process, including The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance.
He’s also written several historical novels, notably Gates of Fire and Tides of War.
Pressfield has a unique approach to writing, drawing on a mix of discipline, spirituality, and a deep connection to symbolic objects that he believes inspire creativity.
In this article, we explore:
The personal significance of the lucky charms Pressfield surrounds himself with.
How these objects create an immersive writing environment that fosters creativity.
The importance of slowing down the writing process to focus on experience over speed.
… and more
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The Immersive Writing Environment
Pressfield’s office is filled with lucky charms and objects imbued with special meaning. It’s not just another room where he writes; it’s designed to enhance the writing experience.
Here’s how he describes his process in The War of Art:
“I head back to my office, crank up the computer. My lucky hooded sweatshirt is draped over the chair, along with the lucky charm I got from a gypsy in Saint Maria de la Mer for only eight bucks and francs, and my lucky Largo name tag from a dream I once had. I put it on. On my thesaurus is my lucky cannon, a gift from my friend Bob Versandy from Morro Castle, Cuba. I point it toward my chair so it can fire inspiration into me. I say my prayer, an invocation of the Muse from Homer's Odyssey, translated by T.E. Lawrence, which my dear mate Paul Rink gave me. This sits near my shelf with my father’s cufflinks and my lucky acorn from the battlefield of Thermopylae.”
The Power of Symbolic Objects
Children instinctively understand the power of props, costumes, backstories, and imbuing objects with special meaning. These elements enhance their experiences, making them immersive.
Rethinking the Writing Process
From the outside, it may seem that all this ritual would impede the writing process. Why would anyone choose to write a novel by hand? Does the decoration of an office really matter? Wouldn't these things just slow you down?
Yes, doing all these extra things can slow down the process. But writing, like any craft, shouldn’t be rushed. It is not just an item on a checklist or an errand to run. Writing is an experience, and the more immersive you can make that experience, the better the results will be.
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