The Artist's Journey

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The hero's journey comes from Joseph Campbell, the great professor and student of legend and myth. He said that the hero's journey is a sort of a piece of software that we're born with in our minds. And usually it involves being sort of cast out into a crazy world before he or she returns home like Odysseus did to Ithaca where he was the king. But they've become a changed person by this journey.

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Steven Pressfield returns to the podcast to discuss his newest book, Govt Cheese: A Memoir. He recounts his decades-long journey in "the wilderness", working as a truck driver, apple picker, and struggling screenwriter, before discovering his true calling. Joe and Steven discuss the stories we tell ourselves when faced with failure and how hard work can be our saving grace.

About Steven (@SPressfield)

Steven Pressfield is the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, Virtues of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, The Profession, The Lion’s Gate, The War of Art, Turning Pro, Do the Work, The Warrior Ethos, The Authentic Swing, An American Jew, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, The Knowledge, The Artist’s Journey, and A Man at Arms

His debut novel, The Legend of Bagger Vance, was adapted for screen. A film of the same title was released in 2000, directed by Robert Redford and starring Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron.

His struggles to earn a living as a writer (it took seventeen years to get the first paycheck) are detailed in The War of Art, Turning Pro, The Authentic Swing, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t, and The Knowledge.