17 Dec 2025 · 0 min
Brian Johnson argues that consistent effort works like a force, enabling creative output. Picasso's prolific work and Steven Pressfield's advice on routine show that showing up daily matters more than waiting for inspiration.
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Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one. In our last plus one, we spent some time reviewing my notes from one of my recent coaching sessions with Phil Stutz. As you may recall, we were talking about the power of showing up and doing the work. We quoted Picasso to make the point. As we've discussed, Picasso was one of the most prolific human beings ever. As Mel Robbins tells us in her great book, the Five Second Rule, he created nearly 100 masterpieces in his lifetime. And he created a total of more than 50,000 works of art. That equates to two pieces of art on average, every day. Single day. How do you do that? Endless effort. Which, for the record, Phil says is a force. We've talked about the fact that speed is a force. Well, Phil tells us that endless effort is also a force. So back to Picasso. He knew that inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. And after that Picasso gem, I shared Steven Pressfield's wisdom from the War of Art. He tells us, I repeat, someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. I write only when inspiration strikes, he replied. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at 9:00 clock sharp. Know this. Pressfield's entire series of books on the subject of tapping into your creative potential basically come back to the same theme. Check out our notes on the War of Art. Do the Work Turning pro. Put your butt where your heart wants to be and the artist's journey. His ultimate message is create the conditions through which something much more powerful than your little self can do the work you're here to do. In Following Upward, Richard Rohr quotes his friend Desmond Tutu to make the same point when he tells us, we are only the light bulbs. Our job is just to remain screwed in. And that, as you may have noticed, my dear heroic friend, is exactly the point of all of our work together. Our job with a capital J. Simple. Create the conditions through which something much bigger than our little selves can show up and shine through through us. Or, as we like to say, using our Big Three vernacular, know who you are and how you show up. When you are at your best in your energy, your work and your love, then be that best version of yourself. That is how we will make our lives a masterpiece we're proud of. Now, when shall we do the most important work of our lives. Yep. Today let's show up and do the hard work to be our best, most heroic versions of ourselves. As we remember that endless effort is a force.
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