DIY Rules for a WTF World: How to Speak Up, Get Creative, and Change the World

by Krista Suh

From the creator of the Pussyhat Project comes a manifesto for every woman to create her own distinct and original path to joy, success, and impact.

On January 21, 2017, millions of protestors took part in the Women's March, and many of them created a "sea of pink" when they wore knitted pink "pussyhats" in record numbers. The pussyhat swiftly found its place on the cover of TIME and the New Yorker, and it ultimately came to symbolize resistance culture. Creator of the Pussyhat Project, Krista Suh, took an idea and built a worldwide movement and symbol in just two months. But like so many women, Krista spent years letting her fears stop her from learning to live by her own rules.

Now in DIY Rules for a WTF World, Krista Suh shares the tools, tips, experiences, "rules," and knitting patterns she uses to get creative, get bold, and change the world. From learning how to use your own intuition to decide which rules are right for you to finding your inner-courage to speak up fearlessly; from finding what your passions are (this might surprise you!) to dealing with the squelchers out there, DIY Rules for a WTF World not only inspires you to demolish the patriarchy, but also enables you to create your own rules for living, and even a movement of your own, all with gusto, purpose, and joy.

A Vogue "Book to Change Your Life in 2018" Pick
A Bustle "Best Nonfiction Book of January 2018 to Get You Ready for the Year"

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Self Help, Audiobook

Audiobook

First published January 16, 2018

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this how-to for feminist activists from the POV of a millenial, one who had an idea for a knitted pink hat that became the symbol of a march. Krista Suh, a young writer in Hollywood, gave birth to The Pink Pussyhat Project, and her experiences from that inform much of the activist guidelines found in this book. But it is far more, providing concepts and exercises to realize your full potential - as a feminist, an activist, a creator, a person.

The book is incredibly accessible and very enjoyable, written in short chapters, filled with unique and colorful artwork, and workbook-style exercises that engage you from page one. It's quite frankly fun! There is nothing preachy or stuffy here! I found it best to read this book a few chapters at a time, in order to best absorb and consider the content. It also does not have to be read sequentially; it is a perfect book to just 'dip' into a bit at a time.

I think this book can be read at any age. In fact I am gifting it to a teenager I know as many chapters are about self-acceptance, something young women need help achieving.

This was my book on feminism for 2018 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. Also fits 2018 ATY #10. An author's debut book.

[Georgia Roybal · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter recently met Krista Suh (the developer of the Pussyhat Project) and bought me an autographed copy of her book. If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be: peppy. The main premise of the book is a feminist one: don't let the patriarchy decide what works for you. The feminism is presented in a very empowering way, with little to no confrontational rhetoric. The chapters are short and easy to read with little exercises. The author is very good at taking every day life experiences and translating them into a broader perspective for the reader. She is also not the least bit arrogant, rather, she is quite humble in admitting her mistakes. I usually read a book from cover to cover and I did that with this book. I would recommend reading a chapter a day and pondering the points during that day. In fact, I will stop writing and go do just that!

A couple quotes I liked in the book:

Girls (and women) get hardly any time or encouragement to make messes, learn on the go, and get by with the bare minimum if needed. You can do anything. Some of the things that you can do might be done awkwardly and ungracefully and messily at first, but you can still do them.

So next time you're wondering if you can do something, make sure you're not adding the silent conditions "gracefully and efficiently and with minimal mess," because that's nothing but the patriarchy holding you back.

We learn so much about just trying things, and possibly failing, and then trying again. As Samuel Beckett used to say, "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

[Akello Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real gem! It provides a comprehensive, accessible and very palpable socio-psycho, reflective conduit for examining our own behaviors through her lessons learned approach. It reads like a personal diary of "secrets and strategies" to develop your creative ideas and really make an impact upon those around you - both those known to you and unknown. By the end of the book, Krista will feel like an old friend you just and lunch with!

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get this book. Plonk it down somewhere perfect for picking up and reading a (short) chapter at a time for good feels and inspiration day after day. This book is downright delightful.

Before returning it to the library I went through and made notes of all the gems of advice I want to make sure to remember (ie. basically every chapter). It has a light, positive vibe, but also practical, and seriously helpful advice for making it in the world as a woman - explained with great stories from the authors life.

Some pieces of advice I had already figured out on my own and it felt cool to see someone else recognizing their wisdom. Others were lightbulb moments - new insights for me. Some of my favorites included: "Lush Feminine Wealth", "Are You the Horse or the Goat?", "The Joy Spiral", "How to Talk to Rich People" and "The Bee in the Swimming Pool".

Even the existence of this book itself is a great lesson. An inspirational book might not have been what many would consider a "logical" next step for the founder of the Pussyhat project, but personally I am so glad she wrote this. We can do what is right for us, and not just what others expect of us.

[Danni Schaust · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Krista’s wisdom and wit left me feeling empowered, inspired, and excited for all the possibilities to make an impact and get creative in this world. Somehow she achieves a self-help book without being too highly prescriptive or preachy, and leaves you feeling powerful. Highly recommend to all my sisters out there who need or want a boost!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of ideas and positivity! A definite re-read.

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a bad book. It was a perfectly fine book. If you are a millennial feminist, you will probably really like this book. I'm definitely a feminist and almost a millennial, but culturally I think I'm very "second wave" and overall too "serious" for this book. (I didn't even know there was a fourth wave until I googled terms right now to make sure I was using them right)

The Women's March and the Pussyhat Project have been accused of being "white feminist" projects. This book will not dispel that. I mean, Suh isn't racially "white" so maybe we need a different term... "middle class feminist"? "Privileged Feminist"?

That being said, "white feminists" have some good ideas too. I kind of AM one, so I'm not exactly above it.

This book is about the warm and fuzzy things you can do to "believe in yourself" and "follow your bliss". And that's not nothing. Overall if the chicks of the world started believing in their own value, the patriarchy would be half-smashed, amiright?

I also give props to Suh for finding creative and interesting new ways of putting things. Never before have I heard anyone compare themselves to a "bee in a pool". I found her metaphor of gliding in a backstroke so perfectly fitting that I've called it to mind dozens of times since reading it. And her metaphor of viewing the things you are currently working on as "cherry on top" of your already premade sundae may prove to be tremendously liberating!

Suh is a good writer and I suspect she will continue to be an influential leader. The illustrations in the book are very beautiful. Overall a good book for a young person and an ok light book for the rest of us.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of years ago, a friend recommended this to me and she was right, I definitely liked it! I think I waited for the exact right time to read this book - when I need more hope than usual but also don't need to feel like everything is going to be perfect overnight.

There wasn't a lot in this that was brand new information or blew my mind or anything like that, but it was engaging, fun, and inspiring. It touched on a lot of personal growth topics and explained them in a grounded way, which isn't super common. I was impressed!

[Rich Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was one of the best I've ever read.

Full disclosure: I personally know the author and I therefore was really hoping the book would be good. I'm incredibly happy to report that I loved it. In fact, I'm about to start it over and listen to it again, because it has become one of my new favorites of its genre.

I've read a lot of self help books. To me, this book is one of the best I've ever read.

First of all, it's easy to read/listen to. I'm super picky about my audiobook narrators. The author narrates it herself and she nails it. It's not very long either. At no point does she over get long winded or say anything extraneous.

Secondly, the lessons she shares are very much on point. There's not a lot in the book I haven't heard before as far as core life lessons go, but she has a way of condensing major life lessons into acutely poignant analogies. I feel like I've relearned lessons in a better and more memorable way with this book than I have before.

Also, she just radiates positivity. I assume this comes off in the printed version as well, but definitely in the audio version. She's super intelligent, warm, funny and helpful. Every time I listened to this book I just felt better. And I don't think this is because I know her. I think it's because she wrote/narrated an amazing book infused with her personality on every page.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this book at the library, I picked it up, skimmed through the pages, thought it was interesting and then found out that the author Krista Suh is the creator of the Pussyhat Project. Since I thought the Pussyhat Project and the recent Women March movements weren't inclusive of other intersectional identities (I'm looking specifically at you TERFs), I wasn't planning on reading the book. For some reason, I picked it up anyway and overall I'm glad I was able to give it a go.

While reading it and even a couple months after having completed it, I find that I still refer to some of the exercises and life lessons in the book. Suh is able to include some nice activities, thinking exercises, and analogies in the book. The book is easy to read and flip through with the lessons laid out in the chapter's title. I like this book and wouldn't mind having a copy of it.

There are some moments in the book where I kind of felt "uhhhh" and wasn't necessarily vibing with everything she was saying, but I think the main points are especially important. Read this with a critical lens in mind. I'm not really all for swooning over blue-eyed blonde men or for having everything kind of told to me as #girlpower with no questions asked, but it's good & accessible. I roll with it and therefore recommend it if you get the chance.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like a blog that is well worth reading (a rare thing to find) and it's in my favourite format, real paper!
Reading Krista's book is like visiting with a really smart and dear friend. You can take it in small portions, one chapter a day, or binge the whole thing because it's really an easy read (and you won't want to put it down.) But I made myself take it slow so that I could absorb and implement each wonderful little insight as I got them! (not every topic resonated with me personally, but most did, and if I read it again in a year I'll certainly find different tidbits that inspire me!)
Look, Krista started a movement, she did it ON purpose and WITH purpose, but that's not what this book is really about. It's about women waking up to see how society has conspired to stunt us as people, and about finding the confidence stand up and say 'whatever! I'm a person with intelligence and value and something to offer the world. Deal with it!' OK, that's what I came away with, not a quote from the book. But that's the point, you'll find something that inspires you here and it doesn't have to be the same experience as mine, or Krista's.
Whether you're looking to launch something or join something or just figuring out who you are first, this book is a great place to start!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very ambivalent about those pink pussyhats this time last year. The way it centered feminism on whether or not you have a vagina really rubbed me the wrong way and felt exclusionary. And knitting just didn't seem like the right response for me to the rude awakening - this is real, this is real , I remember saying out loud to myself on more than one occasion.

So when I received a copy of this book for review consideration, I wasn't expecting to connect with it. But I did. Sure, it was the kind of short form advice that I was used to reading on blogs, but I found I actually liked the weight of the book in my hands. And even though the constant references to the pussyhat project didn't resonate with me, I realized that for the author, that personal act of resistance becoming a nationwide phenomenon really did impact her life, and doesn't actually detract from her advice, which was very practical and did resonate. Her writing style is conversational and accessible.

This is the perfect book to have on your nightstand for when you are needing a bit of inspiration, or solace, or perspective.

[Jillian Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of DIY Rules for a WTF World by Krista Suh by my dear friend Ashley of Sewfragettes, who thought I might enjoy it given our shared interests and values. I flipped through it a bit and then set it on my mantle to look pretty, knowing I would get to it eventually in my long line of to-be-reads. It sat there for a couple of months, through a major transition in my career and a move into a new home. Last week, while talking with Ashley about all these shifts and how they’ve been impacting me, she gently nudged me back in the direction of this book, suggesting that I might find it particularly helpful during my current moment of feeling unmoored. And, in the way that only a true friend can see what you need sometimes when you cannot, she was right.

DIY Rules for a WTF World is far less about the Pussyhat Project, which graces its cover and is the movement inspiring the book, and far more about our social conditioning and internalized “rules” we prescribe to ourselves. Once we identify these rules, Suh argues, we can determine the ones which serve us and which ones we need to toss, and offers ample inspiration for creating new ones. The chapters are short and non-narrative, and the book is structured in such a way that the reader is encouraged to pick up and start with any chapter in any order, seeking what you need for the current moment. Being the rule follower that I am (ha, ha) I read the book in order, and was struck by how therapeutic it was. It’s cheeky and bright while also being powerful and inspiring, and is grounded in the belief that creative and feminine endeavors can and will change the world. Suh, and her pussyhat, are evidence that it’s possible.

Recommended for anyone stuck in a rut, especially a creative one. This is definitely a book I will pick up and return to in moments of creative funk!

4 stars.

[Magdelanye · Rating 4 out of 5]

We want to feel like our lives have meaning and purpose....a story in which everyone was a hero or heroine with an epic story line. p129

I liked this book so much that I sent KS an e-mail. Maybe she never got it and for sure she is busy, for this is a woman with big plans. She never answered.Should I demote her to a 2?

The flip side of having a plan is giving in to the inevitable chaos that is part and parcel of the workings of the universe. Things will go differently, embrace it. It means the universe is co=creating with you-the combination of planning and going with the flow. p187

Fresh from the resounding success of her pussy hat project, KH brings a delightful combination of whimsy and practical advice in a sparkling, accessible format. I love some of the ways she redefines common words and concepts, and that she recommends self-care as part of the program Here we have cheerleader as mover and shaker on all levels.

Go after the thing you both fear AND want....You can do anything but you don't have to do everything

[Raechel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a love/hate relationship with empowerment books. I like how they can sometimes make me feel like I can get my life together. But I always find them mired in a white, straight, cis feminism that isn't helpful.

Krista Suh's book manages to avoid a lot of those problems. As the creator of the Pussy Hat and a WOC, her book addresses a lot of issues that I find myself dealing with: living creatively in a society that has rigid expectations of what success and living should look like. I found a lot of what she wrote relevant to what I am trying to do with my own life right now. Reading that someone else is experiencing what I'm going through with regards to patriarchal expectations makes me feel like I'm not alone.

The only thing I would have liked to see addressed is the transphobia that engendered by the idea that vagina (pussy) = woman.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOMEONE PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK FOR ME.

My goodness, I LOVED this book. I renewed it from the library 7 times because I couldn't part with it (hence my plea for someone to gift me this book). The advise Krista Suh shares may seem simple, but it's life changing when put into practice.

I highly recommend this book to people who are sick of being beat down by the patriarchy, who want to speak up and gain confidence.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The repetition of "because the patriarchy" got a bit irritating and simplistic, BUT this book also had some of the greatest morsels of advice I have read. There were lines that I had to re-read in order to digest, they hit me so hard, but she also provided comprehensive advice with accompanying activities to try out. Loved it!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the way this book was set up. Very short chapters that had a main theme. I don't necessarily agree with everything she says, but the point of the book is great-appreciate and love yourself. This is not a preachy, all men are evil rant. I felt that she really does want women to realize their inner potential, and to have a positive impact on the world while doing it.

[Meneghin Livia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and genuine AF, Suh lovingly gives advice to readers on how to carry themselves with confidence, be more kind to themselves, and find success in life. DIY Rules has a golden nugget for everyone, and she demonstrates the power of her ideas through her success with the Pussyhat Project.

A real treat!

[Kelly Brocklehurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide if I want to rate this 3 stars or 4 stars, so for now, I'm going with 3.5 rounded down to three. There was a lot I loved about this book, especially some of the exercises Suh provided, but there were also parts that weren't quite as interesting. I also thought some of her explanations/metaphors were a little confusing. Overall, it's a quick, fun, mostly inspiring read.

[Davida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn’t read this because I found the title and the whole premise hokey, but I’m glad I got over it because I marked a whole bunch of pages and got a lot of good messages out of this book that I will share soon…and then will pass this book on to a friend or put back into another Little Free Library! 📚 🐱

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel so empowered by this one! Glad I didn't pay attention to the number of stars for this one before starting, or I probably wouldn't have, and I really liked it! So many great thoughts, perspectives, tips, and ideas! Again, leaving this one feeling empowered!

[Caroline Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and much deeper than your usual book of this type. Even having read widely in this genre, I found myself very moved by this book. Not one you’ll read straight through- this is a great one to keep on the bedside and dip into from time to time for an inspiring boost.

[Amberwench · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was fun. One of the better "OMG what am I doing with my life?!" books aimed at young women, this book is broken into easy to digest chapters with projects of both both hands-on and brain-stretching at the end of (most of) the chapters.

[Unna · Rating 3 out of 5]

TBR

[Michelle Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[AJ Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected (crafting guide) but a manifeso for being.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thought-provoking, empowering book for women of any age. It is easy to read because the chapters are short and the illustrations are adorable.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable! Krista has many fun outlooks on life, and a few of her ideas will stick with me.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this one caught my eye. I most liked reading the sections relating to the Pussyhat Project.