James Victore is a designer, artist, author and unapologetic creative force. In this conversation, James reflects on the shift that changed his career: realising he didn’t have to design for others—he could design from within. From book jackets in New York to his latest work Hey, Weirdo!, he shares what it means to lead with opinion, why failure has been his greatest teacher, and how firing clients was the best decision he ever made.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
When I first started out in NYC, there was there were a lot of opportunities as a freelance book jacket designer so I started designing book jackets. But in the beginning, because I had no training and school did not teach me how to have a voice or how to put my opinion in my work, I made book jackets look like book jackets. I was making the obvious obviouser. The moment or experience I had was when I realized I had my own way of seeing things, I had my own opinion in my own voice, my own sense of humor, my own sense of color, my own sense of sexuality and I started putting that in my work. That was when my work became more fulfilling rather than working for a paycheck.
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
Failure has taught me the most about my style and approach mainly when I began to use my own style and set boundaries with clients, when I became less malleable. Clients wanted something specific from me— they were less interested in taking risks. That was when I learned I could fire them. That was an important lesson, that I could fire my clients and still have a career And I could do work that made myself happy first instead of trying to please everybody else.
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
Core values or philosophies that guide my creative practice is to have an opinion and put it in my work. I don’t approach a job by asking what the client wants or what the audience needs I ask myself, “What do I have to say?”
What needs to change, so emerging and under-represented creative professionals have more opportunity, are seen and heard?
I believe the Internet has proved a valuable commodity for everybody of every race and Creed and color and gender to put their voice and work out into the world. I would say any change that needs to happen should come from the inside, not circumstances. Each of us has to be unapologetically ourselves. We should all stand for what we believe. Through that we will all find our audience.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
This is key. Your voice is who you are maybe not what 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. Never, never surrender your voice, it is your most powerful tool.
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
I believe this question per pertains to AI and it’s supposed looming devastation of the field. What will separate us from AI is our humanity.
What makes our work powerful is everything that we love and everything that we fear. It’s our flaws in our lack of perfection. It’s our shyness, our insecurities in our audacity. These makes us interesting and makes our work interesting. AI does not have that never will.
How much does your city influence your work?
My city does not influence my work. My culture does not influence my work what influences my work is my children to see their curiosity and their imagination and their boldness in their work. They never make sketches. They never erase they never go back and fix they just boldly move forward and make things. I want that spirit in my work. I want that freedom in my work.
What should emerging creative professionals keep in mind as they begin their design career?
They need to understand that their opinion matters that their voice is ultimately important. They need to learn to trust themselves, trust their voice and trust their audience. They need to not let go of their own personal boundaries and not be pulled in a million directions by trends or social media fads and learn to be true to themselves.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
If you would like a primer on how to be your weird, creative self, take a look at my new e-book "Hey, Weirdo!" is a rallying cry for the misfits, the too-much kids, the grown-ups still aching to feel whole. Through essays and 9 compelling stories—from a badass cartoonist mom to an ex-addict ultramarathoner to a Southern Christian mom turned queer ally—this book shows you how to reclaim your voice, your power, and your weirdness.