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Feck Perfuction: Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life
"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, bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
Begin before you're ready and other lessons on living a happy and creative life : 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. In Feck Perfuction , Victore will 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 ( 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. Fans of Austin Kleon's Keep 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad and Steal Like an 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative will love James Victore's inspiring book on embracing authenticity and unleashing your creative self.
Begin before you're ready, live dangerously, take a risk, and other lessons on living a purpose-driven life
Begin before you're ready and other lessons on living a happy and creative life : 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. In Feck Perfuction , Victore will 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 ( 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. Fans of Austin Kleon's Keep 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad and Steal Like an 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative will love James Victore's inspiring book on embracing authenticity and unleashing your creative self.
Begin before you're ready, live dangerously, take a risk, and other lessons on living a purpose-driven life
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2019
384 people are currently reading
2983 people want to read
About the author
James Victore
73 books41 followersJames Victore is an artist and designer who teaches creativity and personal growth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
December 9, 2019
To quote the book:
‘Bad art makes you say, “Wow! Huh?”
Good art makes you say, “Huh? Wow!”’
Well, this book did make me go ‘Wow’ a lot, but it was usually followed by something a lot more vulgar than ‘huh’. Just what the world needed, another Baby Boomer yelling about young people wanting such frivolities as not being homeless. (Section 14 in the book, lest you think I’m joking.)
I don’t know this guy’s life, but it’s obvious that he had some robust fall-back position in case of complete failure when he was starting out — maybe mooching off the girlfriend who eventually got sick of all the eviction notices, maybe crashing in his parents’ basement, but something — and shows no inkling that this might not be in the case for everyone. I mean, his worst case, absolutely catastrophic ‘your life completely implodes’ scenario in section 41 ends with “a lonely death in a trailer park.” Wow. Huh. Not in a ditch as the traditional phrase goes, not on the streets, but in a trailer park. Yeah, that wasn’t stuck up at all.
He shows no awareness whatsoever of how much privilege has supported his hard work in creating his success. In fact, he literally states that society’s unwritten rules of behavior are “unisex and one-rule-fits-all.” Wow. Huh. I would love to live in a society where we’re all judged by the same metrics regardless of sex, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, etc., but only an oblivious fool thinks we’re already there.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. A person can absolutely achieve a creative, satisfying life without Victore’s level of privilege. You’re just not going to find much good advice on how to do it in here. If you’re looking for a good alternative to this book, I recommend Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist and its sequels. Kleon’s work is much more flexible and universally applicable. He is not exasperated by his readers’ desire to eat food on occasion and maybe live inside a building. (And if that building happens to be a trailer home, Kleon does give advice on how to foster creativity in a small living space.) He understands that you may need a day job and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, especially when you’re starting out and finding your voice, that can be a very good thing because it keeps your art intrinsically motivated, which makes better art. “If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do.”
‘Bad art makes you say, “Wow! Huh?”
Good art makes you say, “Huh? Wow!”’
Well, this book did make me go ‘Wow’ a lot, but it was usually followed by something a lot more vulgar than ‘huh’. Just what the world needed, another Baby Boomer yelling about young people wanting such frivolities as not being homeless. (Section 14 in the book, lest you think I’m joking.)
I don’t know this guy’s life, but it’s obvious that he had some robust fall-back position in case of complete failure when he was starting out — maybe mooching off the girlfriend who eventually got sick of all the eviction notices, maybe crashing in his parents’ basement, but something — and shows no inkling that this might not be in the case for everyone. I mean, his worst case, absolutely catastrophic ‘your life completely implodes’ scenario in section 41 ends with “a lonely death in a trailer park.” Wow. Huh. Not in a ditch as the traditional phrase goes, not on the streets, but in a trailer park. Yeah, that wasn’t stuck up at all.
He shows no awareness whatsoever of how much privilege has supported his hard work in creating his success. In fact, he literally states that society’s unwritten rules of behavior are “unisex and one-rule-fits-all.” Wow. Huh. I would love to live in a society where we’re all judged by the same metrics regardless of sex, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, etc., but only an oblivious fool thinks we’re already there.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. A person can absolutely achieve a creative, satisfying life without Victore’s level of privilege. You’re just not going to find much good advice on how to do it in here. If you’re looking for a good alternative to this book, I recommend Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist and its sequels. Kleon’s work is much more flexible and universally applicable. He is not exasperated by his readers’ desire to eat food on occasion and maybe live inside a building. (And if that building happens to be a trailer home, Kleon does give advice on how to foster creativity in a small living space.) He understands that you may need a day job and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, especially when you’re starting out and finding your voice, that can be a very good thing because it keeps your art intrinsically motivated, which makes better art. “If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do.”
September 15, 2020
Another pretentious “self-help” book written for the privileged upper class white American by a privileged upper class white American. Also really over the whole use of profanity in the title of books to grab attention and come off as edgy.
I wish there were self help books that offer ACTUAL guidance for creatives on how they can pursue their creativity besides being aggressive about quitting your 9-5 and ignoring the opinion of your family. This whole movement of “self help”/“self love” often comes off as selfishness when its spoken from a person with an abundance of financial freedom.
I wish there were self help books that offer ACTUAL guidance for creatives on how they can pursue their creativity besides being aggressive about quitting your 9-5 and ignoring the opinion of your family. This whole movement of “self help”/“self love” often comes off as selfishness when its spoken from a person with an abundance of financial freedom.
January 30, 2020
Motivational at first glance. Creative for sure and the kind of the book that makes you want to get up and take life by the balls, but, but, but also with no real actionable suggestions. And also with a complete blind eye turned towards things like systemic and systematic discrimination because of gender, race and economic background. Best for those who are creatively stuck and are looking for anything to pull them out of their slump.
March 10, 2021
This is hands down one of the best books I've ever read. Not because it is a Literature masterpiece or something, but because it is full of true, inspired and practical advice for life and for work. Each page contains simple, direct and meaningful wisdom. I read one page each day and it helped me start the day full of energy, inspiration and insights about people and about myself. James Victore is one of the greatest creatives of our time and offers great advice for every person, specially those on a creative industry, nonetheless, this book can be read and enjoyed by anyone. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. And do it in physical form, the design on this book is amazing and worthy of space in your bookcase. And you will want to come back to it to gain some perspective from time to time.
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Este es sin duda uno de los mejores libros que he leído. No porque sea un portento de la literatura, la redacción o el diseño editorial, sino porque está lleno de consejos verdaderos, inspiradores y prácticos para la vida y el trabajo. Cada página contiene una inmensa sabiduría simple, directa y significativa. Leí una página cada día y me ayudó a comenzar el día lleno de energía, inspiración y conocimientos sobre el mundo y sobre mí mismo. James Victore es uno de los más grandes creativos de nuestro tiempo y ofrece grandes consejos para todas las personas, especialmente aquellas que trabajen en una industria creativa, sin embargo, este libro puede ser leído y disfrutado por cualquiera. Hazte un favor y léelo. Y pídelo en físico, porque tiene un diseño increíble y es digno de espacio en cualquier librero, además de que será bueno checarlo y recordarlo de vez en cuando.
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Este es sin duda uno de los mejores libros que he leído. No porque sea un portento de la literatura, la redacción o el diseño editorial, sino porque está lleno de consejos verdaderos, inspiradores y prácticos para la vida y el trabajo. Cada página contiene una inmensa sabiduría simple, directa y significativa. Leí una página cada día y me ayudó a comenzar el día lleno de energía, inspiración y conocimientos sobre el mundo y sobre mí mismo. James Victore es uno de los más grandes creativos de nuestro tiempo y ofrece grandes consejos para todas las personas, especialmente aquellas que trabajen en una industria creativa, sin embargo, este libro puede ser leído y disfrutado por cualquiera. Hazte un favor y léelo. Y pídelo en físico, porque tiene un diseño increíble y es digno de espacio en cualquier librero, además de que será bueno checarlo y recordarlo de vez en cuando.
March 25, 2019
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
It's a short book with 77 little pieces of advice, all of them fitting on one page of text. It's generally good advice, though not exactly groundbreaking. The book felt a little too short, with some things lacking detail or practical advice on how to achieve it. There are sections that just have a phrase or sentence written out in large letters, with no accompanying text. Like "You ain't weird, you're free" - sounds great, but I wish the author would've gone into detail instead of just splashing that in huge letters across two pages. But it's a quick read, and I'll come back to it for advice later.
It's a short book with 77 little pieces of advice, all of them fitting on one page of text. It's generally good advice, though not exactly groundbreaking. The book felt a little too short, with some things lacking detail or practical advice on how to achieve it. There are sections that just have a phrase or sentence written out in large letters, with no accompanying text. Like "You ain't weird, you're free" - sounds great, but I wish the author would've gone into detail instead of just splashing that in huge letters across two pages. But it's a quick read, and I'll come back to it for advice later.
January 9, 2020
This book convinced me to read more fiction in 2020. If you only read one book this year, you might like this book. If you read a lot, and a lot in this area (Creative Self-Help?) there might not be a lot for you here. I am first to admit the problem is probably me and not this book. The only dangerous idea I found was the suggestion one should use their rent money to fund their art. Please don't do that.
And please, read the other reviews of this book, most people seem to love it. For me, I'm going back to the Island of Misfit Toys and reading whatever the opposite of this book is.
And please, read the other reviews of this book, most people seem to love it. For me, I'm going back to the Island of Misfit Toys and reading whatever the opposite of this book is.
January 5, 2022
Toto je perfektná vec! Je to taký ten druh knihy, ktorú si človek neprečíta len raz, ale vždy nájde niečo nové, aktuálne. Myslím si, že najmä ľuďom, ktorí pracujú v kreatívnom biznise a tak často hľadajú “dokonalosť” či “pripravenosť”, môže v mnohom otočiť pohľad a povzbudiť k tomu, aby sme isli do vecí odvážnejšie.
July 12, 2024
That's A LOT of pages to say ONE thing
February 6, 2019
This is awesome little book. Lovely, witty, crist, compact, funny, imaginative and magnetic.
.
It gives you ideas and perspectives for your life and business.
.Ideas are relevant and practical.
.There is no useless jargon or repetition or useless long quotes.
If you love small witty chapters then you are going to love it.
Author has done every effort to make it useful as well as tasty.
He has given examples from his own life and lessons taught are; although familiar but are told in innovative way.
There is wisdom modified according to present cultural background and there is hardly any dull page.
.
There are pictures which are nicely enhancing curves of the text.
.
There is influence of Robin Sharma's style who has written very nice review of this book.
.
Title is voluntarily made catchy and there is real effort to deliver wisdom while having fun.
Thanks edelweissplus and publisher for review copy.
.
It gives you ideas and perspectives for your life and business.
.Ideas are relevant and practical.
.There is no useless jargon or repetition or useless long quotes.
If you love small witty chapters then you are going to love it.
Author has done every effort to make it useful as well as tasty.
He has given examples from his own life and lessons taught are; although familiar but are told in innovative way.
There is wisdom modified according to present cultural background and there is hardly any dull page.
.
There are pictures which are nicely enhancing curves of the text.
.
There is influence of Robin Sharma's style who has written very nice review of this book.
.
Title is voluntarily made catchy and there is real effort to deliver wisdom while having fun.
Thanks edelweissplus and publisher for review copy.
May 8, 2019
Life. Changing.
I would give my 20 year old self this book and lock her in a room until she finished it because it’s just that good. I think my life would have taken a very different path if I had this book available to me at that time in my life. But even if you’re like me - a 53 year old woman who has lived an amazing life - it still inspires and gives permission to live the life YOU want to live. His beautifully profound words and ideas spark the inner-creative in all of us and give new meaning to the pursuit of passions that we all have inside. Thank you, James Victore, for your inspiration and for the reminder that perfection is a myth and a standard that society places upon us. It’s not what is real. And what is real is inside our hearts and souls.
I would give my 20 year old self this book and lock her in a room until she finished it because it’s just that good. I think my life would have taken a very different path if I had this book available to me at that time in my life. But even if you’re like me - a 53 year old woman who has lived an amazing life - it still inspires and gives permission to live the life YOU want to live. His beautifully profound words and ideas spark the inner-creative in all of us and give new meaning to the pursuit of passions that we all have inside. Thank you, James Victore, for your inspiration and for the reminder that perfection is a myth and a standard that society places upon us. It’s not what is real. And what is real is inside our hearts and souls.
January 9, 2020
It's ok as an inspo and self improving book, however it tends to over simplify all the problems creatives face in their careers. Also - it contradict itself at times from chapter to chapter.
June 8, 2020
A light read, definitely worth your time if you're in need of a pick me up or motivation to live by.
"Bad art makes you say, “Wow! Huh?”
Good art makes you say, “Huh? Wow!”"
"You don’t have to feed your audience information they already know in a way they already expect. Play with their senses and tease their rational way of thinking. Trust your audience’s curiosity. Whether they confess it or not, the public wants to be intellectually challenged, not spoon-fed a common, boring, or “right” answer. To surprise and enlighten your audience is to give them a gift."
"Your voice is the story you put into everything you do. It’s what sets you apart and makes you and your work memorable. It frees you from following trends or begging for ideas, asking, “What do they want?” Now your most powerful tool is asking yourself, “What do I have to say?”"
"The day shift is not you at your best. The uncomfortable spot is where your true voice is: shamelessly and outrageously you. The brave ones—companies and individuals—who risk comfort and safety for a chance at beauty and meaning have the potential to attain more—to actually move someone."
"Asking questions is the path to knowledge, and asking for help is how you progress."
"Bad art makes you say, “Wow! Huh?”
Good art makes you say, “Huh? Wow!”"
"You don’t have to feed your audience information they already know in a way they already expect. Play with their senses and tease their rational way of thinking. Trust your audience’s curiosity. Whether they confess it or not, the public wants to be intellectually challenged, not spoon-fed a common, boring, or “right” answer. To surprise and enlighten your audience is to give them a gift."
"Your voice is the story you put into everything you do. It’s what sets you apart and makes you and your work memorable. It frees you from following trends or begging for ideas, asking, “What do they want?” Now your most powerful tool is asking yourself, “What do I have to say?”"
"The day shift is not you at your best. The uncomfortable spot is where your true voice is: shamelessly and outrageously you. The brave ones—companies and individuals—who risk comfort and safety for a chance at beauty and meaning have the potential to attain more—to actually move someone."
"Asking questions is the path to knowledge, and asking for help is how you progress."
September 7, 2022
An overly confident and well off writer telling the everyday person to drop everything and pursue what they love. As great as that sentiment is, failing to acknowledge that some are incapable of doing so due to medical, familial, and even religious responsibilities is quite inconsiderate. Also just not a fan of the overuse of profanity -- we get it, you're edgy and cool.
Don't know why I read this.
Don't know why I read this.
October 2, 2024
read this book in two days because it was just that good
any aspiring artist/creative/entrepreneur needs to read this book! victore is clever and brash and nurturing all at the same time, and his insights on how to take yourself seriously and do the work were so helpful to me!
any aspiring artist/creative/entrepreneur needs to read this book! victore is clever and brash and nurturing all at the same time, and his insights on how to take yourself seriously and do the work were so helpful to me!
May 30, 2020
Thought - provoking. One which I'll come back to time and again when I need a creative boost.
August 22, 2023
This is a great book for when you need motivation. It has many great one-liners that are helpful to lighting a fire. It doesn’t give really any actionable steps, presumably because you are the one who needs to come up with the right action for you. This book is trite, nothing really original, but a good compilation of every piece of personal development advice all rolled into one brief, curated place.
September 6, 2021
Advice for every creative / person going through fear.
April 7, 2019
As everything he does, this book is bold, rebel full of inspiration and honesty!
A book worth sharing but also keeping, to read it over and over again.
A book worth sharing but also keeping, to read it over and over again.
August 24, 2019
Loved reading this book. It definitely is inspirational and relays some pretty good and honest to goodness points that will prompt you to take action.
October 30, 2019
Feels a lot like Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative. Short and to the point, it'll probably function just as well as an app that provides pep talk notifications.
September 20, 2020
Lots of helpful points, but ultimately disappointing
I enjoyed this although it felt more like a list of advice rather than a fully formed book. It was good to listen to it with his voice as an audiobook as I felt I could get his message clearer. What was clear was his Alpha male Uber-pride I’m right and you gotta listen to me. This made the whole book disappointing despite some good point that he made - a book with over 70 things you ought to know or do feels too formulaic
I enjoyed this although it felt more like a list of advice rather than a fully formed book. It was good to listen to it with his voice as an audiobook as I felt I could get his message clearer. What was clear was his Alpha male Uber-pride I’m right and you gotta listen to me. This made the whole book disappointing despite some good point that he made - a book with over 70 things you ought to know or do feels too formulaic
May 6, 2020
Yaaaaawwwwnnnn. Wow. For such an aggressive title, this book was full of recycled self-help pablum. The art wasn’t great or augmenting.
The author definitely has a unique voice, hyper abrasive energy and all that.
But I can’t think of a single quote that isn’t Instagram quote card fluff!
Physical book, library loan (better to see the format and art.)
The author definitely has a unique voice, hyper abrasive energy and all that.
But I can’t think of a single quote that isn’t Instagram quote card fluff!
Physical book, library loan (better to see the format and art.)
May 6, 2023
Almost every page gave me a thought or an idea. I just couldn’t bring myself to put it down because I was so enthralled. I had to know what was coming next.
July 7, 2021
“Your voice is who you are. Maybe not the “you” you carry around each day, but the one yelling from inside, demanding to be heard.” – James Victore
We live lives that are all too often diametrically opposed to how we feel inside. We do and say what we think we ought to….even when the words betray who we are inside. Why? For most of us, it comes from the lessons we’ve learned from others. Often, these messages come from well meaning individuals that have also learned to live these same constrained, limited lives.
In his book, Feck Perfuction, James Victore calls on everyone to disregard these lessons. To stop pursuing perfection and to “find out who you are and do it on purpose.” Be who you are. Have an opinion. State it. Do not let this world convince you to bow your head and recite the party line…whatever that party line might be. Victore’s work seems to call us to really be who we originally started out to be. He reminds us that the things that made us weird as kids might well make us great as adults. Remember the words of Sally Hogshead (in her book, Fascinate) when she says that different is better than better. Or the words of Oscar Wilde when he says to be yourself because everyone else is already taken.
What do you fear most in life? I suspect that when that question is asked…you didn’t think of spiders, snakes, dark spaces or falling from planes. I think you probably thought of being seen by others. For some it is just the fear of being seen. For others, it is the fear of REALLY being seen. We create in our minds this idea of what we are supposed to be…perfection as we define it (or as we think the world has defined it). This perfection stops us from striving…from trying to reach our goals…or even from trying to have real human connections. Victore is not saying don’t try to be the best you can…and I’m not implying you shouldn’t do your best. But…when effort moves to perfectionism and stops you from moving forward…then it is not valuable in your journey.
Ultimately, this book is not written as a textbook or even an inspirational read. It is Victore’s attempt to encourage readers to be introspective and, hopefully, force change. It is not written in a traditional format… or really like any traditional book. Victore has written a collection of thoughts that are broken into logical chunks for reading and (more importantly) processing. “This book will reintroduce you to your voice, reconnect you with your weird gifts, and help you find your purpose.” It can easily be read over a couple of days…and then re-read on occasion to make sure that you are applying the ideas and freeing your mind to create…to be who you were meant to be. That isn’t a one-time step…it is a life journey. This book, like many others, is one of the tools in your toolbelt. A tool that can be used whenever needed to help build…to help refine…to help protect…the you that we all need.
We live lives that are all too often diametrically opposed to how we feel inside. We do and say what we think we ought to….even when the words betray who we are inside. Why? For most of us, it comes from the lessons we’ve learned from others. Often, these messages come from well meaning individuals that have also learned to live these same constrained, limited lives.
In his book, Feck Perfuction, James Victore calls on everyone to disregard these lessons. To stop pursuing perfection and to “find out who you are and do it on purpose.” Be who you are. Have an opinion. State it. Do not let this world convince you to bow your head and recite the party line…whatever that party line might be. Victore’s work seems to call us to really be who we originally started out to be. He reminds us that the things that made us weird as kids might well make us great as adults. Remember the words of Sally Hogshead (in her book, Fascinate) when she says that different is better than better. Or the words of Oscar Wilde when he says to be yourself because everyone else is already taken.
What do you fear most in life? I suspect that when that question is asked…you didn’t think of spiders, snakes, dark spaces or falling from planes. I think you probably thought of being seen by others. For some it is just the fear of being seen. For others, it is the fear of REALLY being seen. We create in our minds this idea of what we are supposed to be…perfection as we define it (or as we think the world has defined it). This perfection stops us from striving…from trying to reach our goals…or even from trying to have real human connections. Victore is not saying don’t try to be the best you can…and I’m not implying you shouldn’t do your best. But…when effort moves to perfectionism and stops you from moving forward…then it is not valuable in your journey.
Ultimately, this book is not written as a textbook or even an inspirational read. It is Victore’s attempt to encourage readers to be introspective and, hopefully, force change. It is not written in a traditional format… or really like any traditional book. Victore has written a collection of thoughts that are broken into logical chunks for reading and (more importantly) processing. “This book will reintroduce you to your voice, reconnect you with your weird gifts, and help you find your purpose.” It can easily be read over a couple of days…and then re-read on occasion to make sure that you are applying the ideas and freeing your mind to create…to be who you were meant to be. That isn’t a one-time step…it is a life journey. This book, like many others, is one of the tools in your toolbelt. A tool that can be used whenever needed to help build…to help refine…to help protect…the you that we all need.
June 10, 2019
This book is a work of art, and I mean that in every sense of the word. The design of the cover, the construction of the text, Victore's own art within the pages; it's all about art and creation. I will fully admit that the sole reason that I even picked up this book to begin with was the cover. The flaps fold outward to reveal a more complete cover, where certain words and phrases had been cut off by the folding (all of which is intentional.) Even the title had me at "go," and I was ready to see what was inside.
At just over 150 pages long, this book is a super fast read. At least half of the pages are host to Victore's art and most of the pages that have writing on them are only about a page long. What I quickly came to realize (from the first page,) is that this is a philosophy book. Not in the way that you might think of Voltaire or Camus, but that Victory is sharing anecdotes, courage, and art in a way that can only be described as philosophical.
If you're looking for a book that is actually going to encourage you to get off your butt and create, then this is a pretty good book for that job. Victore says some things that you might not want to hear, how you're the one who is getting in the way of your art or how the death of creativity is inaction, and that makes the mark of a good motivational book, in my eyes. Because, more than anything else, Victore opens your eyes. He makes you reconsider your motivations, inspirations, and characterizations of yourself and your work.
At just over 150 pages long, this book is a super fast read. At least half of the pages are host to Victore's art and most of the pages that have writing on them are only about a page long. What I quickly came to realize (from the first page,) is that this is a philosophy book. Not in the way that you might think of Voltaire or Camus, but that Victory is sharing anecdotes, courage, and art in a way that can only be described as philosophical.
If you're looking for a book that is actually going to encourage you to get off your butt and create, then this is a pretty good book for that job. Victore says some things that you might not want to hear, how you're the one who is getting in the way of your art or how the death of creativity is inaction, and that makes the mark of a good motivational book, in my eyes. Because, more than anything else, Victore opens your eyes. He makes you reconsider your motivations, inspirations, and characterizations of yourself and your work.
May 22, 2019
I haven’t read many so-called inspirational books on creativity, business, etc. so it’s hard to judge this book in the context of that landscape. But my personal experience reading Feck Perfuction was great.
I was always fascinated by Victore’s ideas – I’ve seen him speaking at OFFF festival in Barcelona in 2012, but I’m sure back then I was just too young to understand and to relate to things he was talking about. Well, 8 years later I’m in my 30’s and I feel like this stuff starts to make sense.
The book reads like a “best of” compilation of texts written over the years accompanied by his legendary posters and illustrations, which is great if you always liked his ideas and visual work but never read any of his texts.
Victore’s words are razor-sharp – page after page you are bombarded with incredibly concise and succinct ideas. As, I imagine, the author would say – no BS, only the truth.
Have your voice. Have your damn opinion. Be weird. Get rid of your ego. Stop worrying. Make work that matters.
What I also like about this book is how flexible its format is – each text is no longer than one page and there are 80 or so texts in total. That means there’s no linear order and the reader can always come back and read one or two texts whenever he or she needs some advice from Victore.
One other thing to note – I absolutely think this book is targeted at every single professional in a wide variety of fields, not only designers or people working in creative industries.
I was always fascinated by Victore’s ideas – I’ve seen him speaking at OFFF festival in Barcelona in 2012, but I’m sure back then I was just too young to understand and to relate to things he was talking about. Well, 8 years later I’m in my 30’s and I feel like this stuff starts to make sense.
The book reads like a “best of” compilation of texts written over the years accompanied by his legendary posters and illustrations, which is great if you always liked his ideas and visual work but never read any of his texts.
Victore’s words are razor-sharp – page after page you are bombarded with incredibly concise and succinct ideas. As, I imagine, the author would say – no BS, only the truth.
Have your voice. Have your damn opinion. Be weird. Get rid of your ego. Stop worrying. Make work that matters.
What I also like about this book is how flexible its format is – each text is no longer than one page and there are 80 or so texts in total. That means there’s no linear order and the reader can always come back and read one or two texts whenever he or she needs some advice from Victore.
One other thing to note – I absolutely think this book is targeted at every single professional in a wide variety of fields, not only designers or people working in creative industries.
December 19, 2021
I picked this up because I occasionally find it interesting to read books by graphic designers, since I do a lot of that sort of work myself. It has a dumb title, but I decided to take a gamble on it anyway since it was very well reviewed. I mostly enjoyed it, but it vacillates wildly from useful advice to dumb, cheeseball self-help phrases which almost made me want to put the book down several times. "Pobody's nerfect", reads one page. In another chapter, he advises not seeking approval of your work or criticizing your own work because "you're not qualified" to do. A couple sentences later he says you're only qualified to "get better" at your work, which seems a hard task to accomplish if you're unwilling to be critical (or accept criticism) and recognize which areas of your work need improvement.
Despite its flaws and the annoying haha-I-switched-the-first-letters-of-two-words illustrations, it's filled with mostly good, if often obvious, advice (eat well, exercise, have a plan, build healthy productive habits). He also has some genuinely interesting insights into the downsides of many artists' caretaker mindset and how to avoid them. For anyone put off by the title, just know that the book's contents are better.
Despite its flaws and the annoying haha-I-switched-the-first-letters-of-two-words illustrations, it's filled with mostly good, if often obvious, advice (eat well, exercise, have a plan, build healthy productive habits). He also has some genuinely interesting insights into the downsides of many artists' caretaker mindset and how to avoid them. For anyone put off by the title, just know that the book's contents are better.
May 10, 2025
A (very) bold, motivational book that encourages you to embrace imperfection and pursue creativity with a purpose-driven approach, not waiting for permission and lots of “believe in yourself”.
What I liked:
• Super quick and easy to read (took me in total about 1.5 hours spread out into 3 days)
• Straight to the point - no fluff
• Uplifting and motivating, great for when you need a creative push
• Some memorable quotes, like “With courage comes fear lifted some positive thoughts in me.
What didn’t work for me:
• Some parts/advice felt repetitive, most of it you would find cliché (there not wrong of course but it’s like your parents giving you the same advice over and over again in the same way that’s hard to swallow even though you know that they’re right)
• Gave off a bit of a “TikTok finance bro” vibe, lots of obvious advice without deeper exploration
• I found myself wanting more substance, fresh ideas, and quotes that felt more relatable and grounded
Overall:
A good pick-me-up if you’re feeling stuck creatively. Quick, punchy, and energetic, but might leave you wanting more depth if you’re looking for something truly thought-provoking. More suitable for those working in the creative field, especially entrepreneurs.
What I liked:
• Super quick and easy to read (took me in total about 1.5 hours spread out into 3 days)
• Straight to the point - no fluff
• Uplifting and motivating, great for when you need a creative push
• Some memorable quotes, like “With courage comes fear lifted some positive thoughts in me.
What didn’t work for me:
• Some parts/advice felt repetitive, most of it you would find cliché (there not wrong of course but it’s like your parents giving you the same advice over and over again in the same way that’s hard to swallow even though you know that they’re right)
• Gave off a bit of a “TikTok finance bro” vibe, lots of obvious advice without deeper exploration
• I found myself wanting more substance, fresh ideas, and quotes that felt more relatable and grounded
Overall:
A good pick-me-up if you’re feeling stuck creatively. Quick, punchy, and energetic, but might leave you wanting more depth if you’re looking for something truly thought-provoking. More suitable for those working in the creative field, especially entrepreneurs.
January 19, 2020
nothing particularly inspiring and I doubt the purpose of it was to do so. if you take it as a self help book, it can be boring. If you take it otherwise, it’s twice as boring; my point is, the whole book speaks face to face to you and it’s like any other conversation you may have with a friend. when you’re having a cuppa with a friend who’s sitting there inspiring you and giving you hope, you don’t just stop them because the genre of their talk is like a self help book. I’m saying this because I read a lot of negativity about the book here before I started reading. if you’re already motivated, great, move on. this book probably affirms all of that. if you’re not though, it helps you “a bit” and that’s all the point about it. it doesn’t tell you what to do, it tells you what life can be like and what you can possibly do with it. the book is fairly easy to read, it’s entertaining and it’s organised in sections so you don’t necessarily finish it in one sitting.
May 14, 2020
I absolutely love this book.
While I do acknowledge that there are a couple of areas that could be picked up as controversial (and not without reason) for me personally this book still left me feeling inspired, motivated and a little reassured. And that is what it was supposed to do. And that is why it deserved 5 stars in my eyes. Could you take appart every other statement, look for exceptions and ask: "What about...?" Probably. But as a creative person who is looking for something thought provoking, can you also take away a lot of great thoughts? Yes. It doesn't give step by step advise but that wasn't what I was looking for. I personally don't even really like step by step motivational books that much. I prefer the ones that make me reflect, think and reevaluate my own life. Because after all, it only matters what I make with my own life and what actions I want to take. And James Victore definitively gave me a lot to think about.
While I do acknowledge that there are a couple of areas that could be picked up as controversial (and not without reason) for me personally this book still left me feeling inspired, motivated and a little reassured. And that is what it was supposed to do. And that is why it deserved 5 stars in my eyes. Could you take appart every other statement, look for exceptions and ask: "What about...?" Probably. But as a creative person who is looking for something thought provoking, can you also take away a lot of great thoughts? Yes. It doesn't give step by step advise but that wasn't what I was looking for. I personally don't even really like step by step motivational books that much. I prefer the ones that make me reflect, think and reevaluate my own life. Because after all, it only matters what I make with my own life and what actions I want to take. And James Victore definitively gave me a lot to think about.
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