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    Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life
    Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life
    Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life
    Ebook160 pages1 hour

    Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life

    By James Victore and Danielle LaPorte

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    "James Victore is a dangerous man. His ideas on optimizing your creativity, doing wow work and building a life that inspires will devastate your limits. And show you how to win. Read this book fast."
    —Robin Sharma, #1 bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

    Begin before you're ready.

    Renowned designer and professional hell-raiser James Victore wants to drag you off your couch and throw you headfirst into a life of bold creativity. He'll guide you through all the twists, trials, and triumphs of starting your creative career, from finding your voice to picking the right moment to start a project (hint: It's now).

    Bring your biggest, craziest, most revolutionary ideas, and he will give you the kick in the pants you need to make them real. No matter what industry or medium you work in, this book will help you live, work, and create freely and fearlessly.

    Here are some dangerous ideas:
    • The things that made you weird as a kid make you great today.
    • Work is serious play.
    • Your ego can't dance.
    • The struggle is everything.
    • Freedom is something you take.
    • There ain't no rules.

    Take a risk. Try them out. Live dangerously.

    More praise for Feck Perfuction:

    "In James Victore's new book, he unequivocally proves why he is the master he is. In every chapter, he challenges and inspires the reader to reach for more, to try harder and to create our best selves. It is a magnificent and momentous experience. (All true)."
    —Debbie Millman, Host Design Matters

    "James Victore got famous creating tough posters that shook me to the core. He now does the same using the written word. To you."
    —Stefan Sagmeister, designer
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChronicle Books Digital
    Release dateMar 5, 2019
    ISBN9781452166438
    Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life
    Author

    James Victore

    James Victore is a designer for bold believers, an advocate for creativity, and an artist whose work has been exhibited at New York's Museum of Modern Art. He lectures and teaches regularly around the globe. He lives, loves, and works in Texas.

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    Reviews for Feck Perfuction

    4.5/5

    89 ratings20 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Quick reading, doable in segments. Great advice presented in slightly off-kilter form to help you 'get' it.
    • 5/5
      Visit this website to edit your photos, and get a free demo. https://picsfast.com
    • 5/5
      Brilliant! Just read the book! It is about you and me!
    • 4/5
      Unique outlook on life that anyone can take inspiration from
    • 5/5
      I definitely will read this again; handily numbered quick-fire entries and a short read!
    • 5/5
      So inspirational, simple and straightforward but dead on. I'll probably read this once a year at least for the rest of my life.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Fantastic book content. Straightforward ideas. Looking forward to read it again and again!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Clear and concise. Filled with practical tips that can be applied right away. Great advice.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A quick read. Insightful and powerful words.

      Victore reminds us of what we may already know and teaches us how to apply/accept it to better our life.

      Two of my favorite quotes from the book:

      "You ain't lost, you're searching." - James Victore

      "Whatever is going to happen, surrender and let it happen. Let go and let the universe do its damn job." - James Victore

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A great book filled with wit, wisdom, and insight in a wonderful format. I'm passing it to my daughters--11 and 14--to help them with their own.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      It is a quick read and a splash of water to the face when suffering from anxiety about the future of one’s career. He’s a little hypocritical and contradictory but aren’t we all.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      Gritty reboot of stale old axioms. If you’re desperately searching for self-help disguised as “real” or “edgy”, this is your book. Wisdom of the ages, it’s not.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I had hoped for some real inspiration for my creativity, but I was disappointed. The pithy little nibbles were very shallow; I've seen deeper memes on Facebook.
    • 4/5
      In life, every once in a while, you do something smart. My most recent (rare) wise decision was to wait on reviewing James Victore’s book, giving it a second chance.Good idea.Every book needs its own state of mind for reading. Any book, movie, television show, photograph, essay, any art of any kind asks the participant to approach with both an open mind and a mind attuned to what is being said. In some cases, no matter how open or attuned the mind, the product being ingested turns out not to have been worth the time or effort involved. And sometimes, if the participant manages to momentarily be self-aware enough, that participant realizes that he or she didn’t approach it correctly, takes a moment (an hour, a day, a month, a lifetime) and then comes back to try again.My first read through Victore’s book left me cold. I felt I was wasting my time on cliched platitudes and hackneyed ideas I had seen many times before. Yet, I was concerned that the fault (dear Brutus) lay with myself rather than the book. That was based on the idea that this is the type of book I generally enjoy – even if I am not a raving fan, I am usually not a rabid hater. And when I finished my first run through of the book (lo, those many months ago) I found myself to be more rabid than raver.And so I waited. And it was a good idea.I am partway through my second try and I am now a fan of the book. Yes, there are a lot of things many of us have seen before. But there is much that is reframed, much that is fresh, and much that should make anybody think. And that means it is a book worth having, reading, and rereading.Let me provide just one example (a part that I just read.) It is titled “Your ego can’t dance.” Yes, we all know “Dance like nobody is watching” and the fact that we hide behind the need to not look foolish. But Victore talks about the concept in a different enough way that it made me start thinking of the issue in different ways (and, in the process, helped me come up with some new approaches in the way I write and speak about the subject.) Let me quote. “…the music builds and there’s a cue: ‘Everybody dance now!” But, not everybody dances…cuz it’s a test. It’s a test of how comfortable you are in your own skin.”A test. What a great, fresh way to look at the concept.Anyone looking for insights in how to change, be better, and be innovative should take a look at this book. And, this is not just for artists; every business person should be doubly encouraged to read it. This speaks to the kind of innovation any organization, company, or individual needs to succeed in the constantly evolving world.
    • 4/5
      Feck Perfuction by James Victore, is an impressive motivational book, lots of pictures an easy read. I was able to get many little tidbits that I can use in my life. A lot of the material is common in this type of book but this presented in a different way. I received this book as part of The Library Thing Early Reviewers
    • 4/5
      Feck PurfuctionA book everyone should read. Get out of your comfort zone. Do it like you’ve never done it. Cross your eyes and dot your tees. This book came at a great time for me. Knocking 50 years old and trying to shake old habits. I started a 100 drawings in 100 days. This has helped because I started running out of ideas. This has shown me what I have missed.I will definitely keep this book handy and accessible. I needed this. Beats a shot of whiskey -- well close. Great book, will share copies with me friends.
    • 3/5
      James Victore's book is an accessible and visually compelling; however, the author's confrontational style will not appeal to all readers.
    • 4/5
      Inspiration meets design in this wild little book. James Victore covers every excuse I have for not taking crazy risks. Some of it is a little over the top (kill your phone) but I get the message! As a diehard perfectionist and pleaser, I need a corrective kick in the pants once in a while and this book really delivers. I'm sure other authors have encouraged me to embrace my unique weirdness and told me that I have only me to bring to the world, after all (I don't have anybody else), but Victore really got the message across. The art is disruptive. The advice is disruptive. I enjoyed the disruption, stuffed the chapters full of Post-Its with arrows saying "THIS" and "WOW" and plan to keep this book forever as a life coaching ready reference. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Mostly positive feels about this book. Although it has a gift-y quality to it, it's not quite right for a new graduate type. You need a little grit from life experience to get the most value from this book, but not so much life experience that you're jaded. Recommended for the person starting their second job or changing jobs/careers - someone at a crossroads of sorts.Not surprisingly since Victore is a designer, it's laid out in an interesting visual way. It's not boring to read, even though it's really a series of short lectures. Tonally, the lessons are imparted as straight talk, like you might get from a big brother type serving you some life lessons over a beer. The point is to shake you from your complacency, encourage you to stretch your creative wings, and jolt you into GTD and making a big change by starting with a few smart, small decisions.There are some solid, counterintuitive gems of advice. Some of my favorites:success comes in hindsightlet the money follow youyou're a teacher whether you like it or notfind your strengths by owning your flawslearn to accept less to get more from lifealways shoot for progress over perfectionIn short, for being a quick read, it's chock-full of a lot of usable value and it's a call to action to tapping your potential and making something from it.
    • 5/5
      With his text and graphics, James Victore provides straightforward, irreverent, wise counsel on how to live a creative, fulfilling life. Seventy-seven short lessons are divided into six chapters covering the subjects of voice, fear, start, action, habits, and purpose. This is a book to be read by anyone who wants to experience life to its fullest and make a difference in the world.

    Book preview

    Feck Perfuction - James Victore

    Foreword

    Danielle LaPorte

    James gave us an assignment. Bowls of various drawing utensils were on the table. He passed each of us an article from the New York Times to read. There was heavy, thoughtful sighing from the group. Were we up to the task? Brows furrowed. Nervous tics were triggered.

    When time was up, we broke the silence to present/defend our sketches on racism, privilege, and cultural divides. James was listening, deeply, smoothing the tips of his moustache. And then with equal parts compassion and dagger: The point . . . , he said, "is to have a fucking opinion."

    Point taken.

    Because you can’t make art without an opinion. You can’t teach the world anything without shattering your assumptions. You cannot break free of status quo zombification until you learn to discern truth for yourself.

    The anxiety that we normalize, the dulling effect of unquestioned obligations, the thud of Is this all there is? when we cross the finish line . . . we don’t have to live this way. Just ask the Creatives on the other side. The Fulfilled People. They are not without their agonies—in fact the more woke you get, the more pain you access. But oh, man, the freedom, the depth, the living.

    Victore believes that normalcy is barbed wire to the human spirit. And questions are the wire cutters. This book is a subversive tool for consciousness-raising from a curmudgeonly mystic who doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks, but who is passionately in love with the world. It’s a plea from the heart: Have a fucking opinion and go make something with it.

    So inspired,

    Introduction

    We are all born wildly creative. Some of us just forget.

    As children we are completely free. We can draw and dream and invent imaginary worlds, even imaginary friends. This gift of creativity makes us powerful but also awkward, weird, and vulnerable.

    At some point and for various reasons, our weirdness becomes less an asset than a target. We learn to hide our great and goofy qualities in order to dodge criticism and assimilate. We choose not to stand out or act on our creativity. We take the accepted adult route, content to be paid for learning rote skills and showing up on time.

    In this reality, choosing to accept our weirdness, invent our own future, and live a purpose-driven life becomes a dangerous idea. It’s dangerous because it lets the creative beast out of its cage and allows us to see what we are capable of without seeking permission or approval. Dangerous because it opens up the possibility that the life you’re living may not actually be yours, but a template assigned to you by scared and unimaginative people. These are dangerous ideas because they challenge your ego, your definition of normal, your crappy job, and your comfort zone. These are dangerous ideas on creativity and life.

    Feck Perfuction is a collection of the lessons I’ve learned, developed, and followed throughout my career. They come from psychology, sociology, philosophy, and the crazy things my mom said—that have all turned out to be true. These are lessons in unearthing our authentic selves in our personal and professional lives. They are also the mementos that I use to be confident, find creative fulfillment, and get paid for being me.

    It is not my intention to be inspirational or make you feel good—but rather to challenge you. I want to ask difficult questions of you, to force introspection and possibly change. I want to tempt you with the possibility that your creativity is not a weekend thing, but an integral part of who you are and something that you should start getting paid for—because inspiration without action is bullshit.

    This book will reintroduce you to your voice, reconnect you with your weird gifts, and help you find your purpose. Full of stern, funny, and fatherly advice, Feck Perfuction tells you things you don’t want to hear in a way you want to hear them. It’s your guide, your coach, and your cheerleader.

    I know from experience that this collection makes for resolutely difficult advice—and is not for everybody. I wrote this book for me, but I hope you find your dangerous self in it.

    With love,

    Chapter 1. Voice

    Your voice is who you are. Maybe not the you you carry around every day, but the one yelling from inside, demanding to be heard. Your voice is the way you see the world and how you translate it back. When you train your voice and allow it to grow and be heard, that beautiful sound will carve a path for you to follow for life. Conversely, if you fail to use your voice, others will be in charge of it. And you. Never give in, never surrender. Your voice is your most powerful tool.

    01. Your parents were wrong

    Parents are amateurs. I mean no slight to parents or to amateurs; I am both. But, growing up, we are given only a few options as to our future path. Either we’re told that we can be anything we want, even president. Or that we are to follow a predestined, familial path with a title like MD, PhD, Dr., or Esq. These ideas aren’t necessarily wrong, but they are misleading. Your purpose on this planet isn’t to become a millionaire, build a 401K, or even get a good job—your purpose is to figure out who or what you are. If you can do that, everything else is frosting. The great oracle herself, Dolly Parton, tells us, Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

    Classically this is called knowing thyself. Admittedly not an easy task. Many of us are presented with a track to follow that may not be our choice. Just because you were born on a farm doesn’t mean you were born to be a farmer. In my hometown, two fields were popular (meaning you could possibly make a living at them): nurse

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