James Victore - Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life (Business Books, Graphic Design Books, Books on Success)

To the most beautiful person I have ever met, my wife, my guide and teacher, Laura. Without you there is no me. And no dang book.

To Luca, because Im pedantic.

To Wyatt and Nova, you are pure love and joy. How did I ever finish this book?

Text and images copyright 2019 by James Victore.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-4521-6643-8 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Victore, James, 1962- author.
Title: Feck perfuction : dangerous ideas on the business of life / by James Victore ; foreword by Danielle LaPorte.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018016361 | ISBN 9781452166360 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Arts--Psychological aspects. | Arts--Vocational guidance. | Creative ability. | Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.) | Success.
Classification: LCC NX165 .V53 2019 | DDC 700.1/9--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018016361

ISBN: 978-1-4521-6636-0 (paperback)

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by Danielle LaPorte

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 cant make art without an opinion. You cant 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 dont have to live this way. Just ask the Creatives on the other side. The Fulfilled People. They are not without their agoniesin 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 doesnt give a shit what anyone thinks, but who is passionately in love with the world. Its a plea from the heart: Have a fucking opinion and go make something with it.

So inspired,

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. Its 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 youre 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 Ive learned, developed, and followed throughout my career. They come from psychology, sociology, philosophy, and the crazy things my mom saidthat 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 goodbut 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 forbecause 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 dont want to hear in a way you want to hear them. Its your guide, your coach, and your cheerleader.

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

With love,

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.

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 were 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 arent necessarily wrong, but they are misleading. Your purpose on this planet isnt to become a millionaire, build a 401K, or even get a good jobyour 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 doesnt 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 or prison guard. I felt no attraction to either. My calling was for the arts, but I disregarded it because I was told it was something talented people did, and I didnt want to grow up to be a starving artist. But the creative urge proved too strongand painfully obviousso I chose to ignore the critics, and to fight and sometimes fail in order to see my vision through. I still do.