Gifted Underachievers

What “career” pathways exist for creative writers, visual artists, and actors? Is there anything analogous to the training grounds of the minor leagues in sports?We examine some options and come to the inevitable question for many people: how do I get into the minor leagues, period? What are the obstacles for your average creative worker, and how can we overcome those obstacles?The answers we found? Drive, ambition, talent, support, resources, access to larger centers, and belief in yourself.Questions for Listeners:* What’s the minor league for YOUR art?For Further Exploration:Pathways to Arts, Media, and Entertainment CareersWebinars on creative pathways in the arts (scroll down for the videos)Working in the Arts: Ditch the Elevator Pitch with Betty XieBuy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World Domination!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The median income for all employed artists in all domains according to the NEA in 2023 was $70,170. Meanwhile, the value that all of that creativity delivers to the economy in the US (sorry Canada and Europe…more data to come) is $1.2 trillion.Does that feel like a disparity?It does to the Gifted Underachievers.Is it going to get worse now that Trump cut nearly all arts funding?You betcha.What can we take away from this?Organize! Organize! Organize!PS: You will find out how bad at math the Gifted Underachievers are.Links to the report below.Questions for Listeners:* Would you like to see more deep dives into financial and other data for creatives?* If so, what do you think would have the most impact for you?For Further Exploration:The Report: THE U.S. ARTS ECONOMY IN 2023Sharon Louden (THE Organizer of Organizers!!!)Income Streams UpdateVirtuous Feedback Financing LoopBuy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World Domination!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

After 100 episodes the gifted underachievers have decided it is time to release John Irving from controlled captivity in the Gifted Underachievers’ clubhouse.*This is it. As of June 18, 2006, John Irving will be free.Shockingly, Irving has still managed to be unbelievably productive.Questions for Listeners:* We’ve enjoyed ‘hosting’ the big man…have you had some fun, too?For Further Exploration:The John Irving DelusionGas Masks in the Basement with John IrvingThe Captive Downstairs: John Irving SillinessBuy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World Domination!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

James and Pat ask questions, discuss options, and debate financial and productivity growth plans for creatives.The debate: Pat must convince James that it’s possible to have a growth plan for purely creative work.The plans: Pat and James run through their respective growth plans for BOTH their creative-adjacent and purely creative work.For both: How to find more capacity to do more and better work, then help it find its audience and grow income.Hint: James says ‘raise my rates’ then discusses increasing the perceived and real value of his work as a ghostwriter.Questions for Listeners:* Can purely creative work have a financial growth plan?* What ideas from this segment resonated with you?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Isaac Hirotsu WoofterBeing Strategic with Limited BurnersCreatives & Money: Ways to View DebtIf you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, no cost, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The gifted underachievers have lots of ideas. We’re not saying they’re good ideas, but sometimes you don’t know how a creative project’s going to work out until you do it. If you get partway into the project and discover you no longer care, is it time to ditch it? Or are there other things you can do?How about when you have two equally interesting ideas at the same time—which one do you work on first?Have a listen and find out.Questions for Listeners:* Have you ever ditched a creative project partway through?* If yes, why?* If you’ve put an idea on hold while you work on something else, how did that work out?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Berms and swales 101: Sunk Cost Fallacy: Not Knowing When It’s Time to StopThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, no cost, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The Gifted Underachievers’ corporate HR Rep has installed a livestream device in the content creation clubhouse, pissing off the two biggest GUs in the whole org chart. Listen to Pat and James discuss their options in this battle royale with HR.Questions for Listeners:Do you think podcasters should have complete creative control of their content? YES or NO.Why?Buy HR a Coffee and Win a BookHR is forcing us to buy them a coffee. Please help us out. The first coffee angel will get a free guide to creative productivity!For Further Exploration:Bayerisches Restaurant (Monty Python) — warning, EXTREMELY sillyThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, no cost, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

After a very busy and at times emotionally challenging past year, the Gifted Underachievers discuss what it felt like to be a kid looking forward to summer vacation and how even during the busy end of school, that thought provided a mental break.But at this time of life—adulthood generally—there isn’t a summer long vacation spanning out ahead of us. Instead, we are busy with work and all of our responsibilities and feeling like our minds need a break. Seriously. A real break.But we have to push through.So, what can we do? How can we carve out time for ourselves when there isn’t enough time for everything and everyone else? How do we manage a heavy mental load?Ideas include:* Cut out of work early one day a week.* Milestone challenge where if you reward yourself with time off.* An artist date where you take yourself out to do something to fill the well.* Slow down between tasks.Questions for Listeners:* Is your mental load too much right now?* How do you give yourself a mental break?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Creativity and Mental HealthYou Hate Your Job…Now What?If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Two experiments are running in the GU Clubhouse, each with the goal of developing an extra income stream and getting some new lines on our creative CVs. Our grant experiment started in September 2024 and we began entering writing contests in October 2025. Both are ongoing.Both have had “mixed” results (aka no money earned, but many lessons learned).In this segment, we discuss the key takeaways in terms of work required, return on this investment, and the importance of understanding your “audience”--grant boards, contest judges, and ultimately, the readership they serve.Finally, we announce the launch of our third experiment, which we delusionally hope will have better results.Questions for Listeners:* How’s YOUR grant and contest history? Made any money? Seen other benefits?* What have you learned from applying for grants and entering contests?* Or if you’ve never applied or entered, can you say why not?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Written Reports on The Grant Experiment: https://giftedunderachievers.substack.com/p/written-reports-on-the-grant-experimentPrevious podcast segments on grant and contest experiments:03-Apr-2603-Apr-2612-Mar-2612-Feb-2605-Feb-2608-Jan-2608-Jan-2618-Dec-2512-Nov-2529-Oct-2517-Sep-2504-Sep-2524-Jul-2506-Jun-2506-Jun-2522-May-2515-May-2507-May-2517-Apr-2502-Apr-2505-Mar-2520-Feb-2517-Jan-2523-Dec-2419-Dec-2412-Dec-2429-Sep-2429-Sep-2408-Sep-24If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Pat is lecturing James on the difference between a sweater, a Jumper, and Kurdistan when her throat seizes sending the Gifted Underachievers down yet another rabbit hole.Questions for Listeners:* What’s your favorite throat clearing technique?* Tea?* Warm lemon water with honey?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Monty Python – Theory on Brontosauruses by Anne ElkIf you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

A brief conversation with an avid reader leads Dobes to a valuable insight about pitching ideas to your audience: sometimes it takes an ‘outsider’ to the field to see problems with your approach.This leads your Gifted Underachievers to question the habit of pitching our story ideas to industry insiders—in the case of writers, we might describe our project to other writers, publishers, or agents, which can lead to technical discussions that miss the point.How do we find people with a ‘pure’ perspective and get their honest reaction to our projects? We have some ideas...Questions for Listeners:* Do you rely on fellow creatives for advice and critiques?* How would you approach a stranger to discuss your work?For Further Exploration:How to Critique Art for BeginnersHow to Build Creative ConfidenceBuy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Gifted Underachiever Dobes returns from a month-long creative retreat (with some remote work sprinkled in) bearing pure gold—golden advice, that is! She got a fair amount of work done on her novel, though not as much as she’d hoped to get done. In this segment, we discuss the situation and “unpack” the lessons learned.Questions for Listeners:* Have you ever taken a creative retreat?* If yes, did you achieve your goals?* If not, why not?For Further Exploration:Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

You might not believe this, but it’s true: We Gifted Underachievers sometimes make mistakes. In this segment, we discuss why mistakes happen, what to do when you realize you’ve made one, and how to not just survive the experience, but learn from it.Questions for Listeners:* What’s the worst mistake you’ve made at your creative or creative-adjacent work?* Were there extenuating circumstances?* What did you learn from the experience?* How did you fix the mistake?For Further Exploration:Research shows that how you handle mistakes matters more than the mistakes themselves. Here are four suggestions about what to do next:https://achievecentre.com/blog/4-steps-for-recovering-from-a-mistake-at-work/Buy us a Coffee and Win a Book!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

After a hectic few weeks (lifetime, really) the Gifted Underachievers gave in to their underachieverness and are taking a week off for calm reflection.But with soooooo much wonderful content over our TWO YEARS!!!!!! we couldn’t leave a total void.Our interview with wildly achieving Burlington, Vermont, artist Kath Montstream (first aired on October 7, 2024) was a ton of fun and filled with lots of wonderful stuff:02:00 Resilience and persistence05:20 Art as savior08:02 Becoming an artist - 10,000 hours12:00 Marketing, shows, and feeding the dragon15:03 Mentorship is instrumental20:42 Not to mention courage21:31 Failing is part of the process25:46 Inspiration needs to find you working27:14 Getting into your process & working to music32:28 The Red Hot Chilly Dippers!34:42 Pechakucha and photographing dips36:15 [A merch bargain is struck]37:49 The power of personal marketing & current show, The Color of Snow47:27 Business model, commissions, freedom, and the value of experience53:02 Mother Mary in prayer55:03 Kath’s not-so-delusional ambition57:08 Exploring the next thing that hits you over the headWe will be back with fresh new content next week!In the meanwhile, Kath will add light to your day.Sincerely,The UnderachieversBuy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World Domination!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.For Further Exploration:The Color of Snow, Kath Montstream and her daughter Charlotte Dworshak’s exhibit in honor of Kath’s dad, is at Montstream Studios til November 2, 2024: https://www.kmmstudio.com/129 St. Paul Street, Burlington, VT.So many great works! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

James comes out of the marketing wing of the Gifted Underachiever clubhouse feeling disillusioned. The marketers are coming up with catchphrases, but they’re not producing anything. He wants to know, “What makes my creative work matter?”Pat can sympathize, but she’s got no real answers except that while you’re creating something, it has to matter to you.We do many projects that never achieve monetary success—that’s the nature of the industry. But Pat believes that the project has meaning, as long as it matters to you while you’re making it. You just need to keep creating things (and sometimes find another way to pay the bills). Once your project is out in the world, you discover whether it matters to others only if it finds its audience, makes money, wins awards, or gets some other kind of attention in the marketplace.We talk about the continuity of themes throughout a career and other ways you can look at the meaning of your creative work.Questions for Listeners:* What themes keep surfacing in your creative work?* Can you attribute them to anything in particular, in your past or just an obsession you have?* Do you know of any famous creatives whose projects are wildly different in theme or content?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Cherry Jeffs: How to identify themes in your art to create meaningful work:https://www.cherryjeffs.com/discover-themes-in-your-creative-work#Orla Stevens: How to look at seemingly separate projects and uncover connections in your art:Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Yes, even bright, well-intentioned people can display an uncharacteristic ability to ask dumb questions. We do it at work and at home. (And if you do that of your teenaged children, you know what the punishment is for a dumb question.)In fact, at one of James’s first ghostwriting gigs, the editor’s biggest question was “would you be afraid to ask dumb questions?”James said, NO! And he was hired.In this segment, the gifted underachievers discuss why they (and every creative) must be fearless about posing the questions that other people might think are not very bright.Questions for Listeners:* What is the cringiest question you ever asked?* As a creative, how do you fearlessly ask questions that might seem obvious?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Dumb Questions for ArtistsThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Well, we’re not proud of this, but here in the Gifted Underachiever Clubhouse we’re starting to believe we might never blossom into our full creative potential.James has delusions about being a giant bead head (an artificial nymph fly-fishers use). After all, if you’re going to be a nymph, you might as well be a giant fake one. In this short segment, we ask ourselves, do we have what it takes to become butterflies? Or are we just immature bugs forever?Questions for Listeners:* Do you think we’re being pessimistic about our creative potential?* Or are we truly nymphs?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:The Prince NymphThe New Fly Fisher – a life of nymphingThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Trump and Republicans decimated funding for the arts in the US with immediate impacts to creatives. This is a loss not just to artists and other creatives but society as a whole. We are a not a better country for this.And yet, creatives are doing what we do best: Adapt.There are signs that a range of creative businesses are adapting their business strategies and planning to adjust to this loss of funding and, perhaps, make these businesses stronger in the long run. This could, too, lead to a stronger arts and creative economy.Let’s do more than hope. Let’s be part of the solution.Questions for Listeners:* Did you lose a US-based grant?* How are you adapting?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Why Most Arts Fundraising Fails—and What Actually WorksHow Artists Break Free of the Starving Artist MythWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Pat is excellent at thinking ahead and taking action to help herself down the road. Her month-long writing trip to [undisclosed location on the Spanish coast] is a shiny example. She set up a set of projects to help her pay and organize for her trip many months ago and the payoff has been a big boon.In this segment, Pat describes how she approaches saving for large purchases and retirement with what she calls ‘pension projects.’ They are minimal in terms of the daily and weekly impact to her time, but over the long haul add up to an evergreen funding source.Questions for Listeners:* Do you have a retirement plan?* Do you have a plan to use your creative work to make large purchases?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Work Until You Die: Aging & Retirement for ArtistsYearly Goal Setting for CreativesWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Both Gifted Underachievers have been through chronic stress for extended periods, and yes, it’s made us even less achieving than we normally are.We discuss this, hope for the best, and, in an unprecedented move for GU, Pat parachutes in with an audio clip toward the end of the segment with some solid tips for combating chronic stress!Questions for Listeners:* What’s your best strategy for combating stress?* Do you feel you’re in a period of chronic stress, or are things pretty good these days?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Living with stress:https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html10 evidence-based ways to manage stress:Your brain on chronic stress:If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

We all have fears. If you don’t, check to see if you might either be a sociopath or the poster child for the Dunning-Krueger effect.In this brief segment, Pat and James explore their biggest fears and how they manage them. The GU team found it interesting that each underachiever’s fears fit two broad categories: * screwing up leading to retribution, and* the fading of creative drive and skillsQuestions for Listeners:* What are your three biggest fears as a creative?* Do you spend much time ruminating on them?* If not, what’s your secret?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Make Art Out of Curiosity not FearThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Despite what James claims to see on the screen as this episode is getting taped, there’s no tequila in Pat’s apartment during her creative retreat in Spain (that’s right, we’re giving away the location). Dobes has been a long time without a vacation, and this is exactly where she wants to be. Her time is her own for the first time in a quarter century. She’s making progress on a novel and on other creative projects, as well as doing client work. …and yet, she’s finding it surprisingly challenging to navigate the huge break in routine. Her approach? Accept the disorientation!If you’re on a retreat, or considering one, this segment could help.[Music “Mi Gata Blanca” Courtesy of Jean-Paul V., Pixabay https://pixabay.com/music/pop-mi-gata-blanca-333231/]Questions for Listeners:* Do you go through periods of feeling disoriented about your life?* If yes, what do you do?* If you had the chance to do a self-directed creative retreat, where would you go?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Why retreat? Disconnect and get a new perspective:Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

You may know of a few online platforms that match up creative service providers with clients who need help with their projects—writing a book, creating a brand image, graphic design, music production, and so on. It’s normal in this type of partnership to have a non-disclosure agreement between creative and client. Both also agree to work within the platform’s rules around payment and other aspects of project management. In exchange for matching up the creative and the client, the platform charges a fee.So far, so good...until one platform added a new restriction to their rules: the creative and the client can’t have access to playbacks of their own video meetings. Instead, the platform will (if asked) provide an AI-generated transcript.If you’ve ever worked in a creative field, you know that a transcript can’t show all the non-verbal parts of a meeting, like screen-shared images, charts, etc.Even worse, this new rule means that the creative and the client can no longer guarantee that the terms of any non-disclosure agreement they’ve entered into will be followed, because neither of them has any control over what the platform does with their intellectual property.What’s the best way forward? We have some ideas, and we’d love to know what you think.Questions for Listeners:* Have you ever worked through a freelancing platform to provide creative services to another party?* Or have you ever hired a creative service provider through such a platform?* Would you continue to do so if your non-disclosure agreement became invalid?* What do you think James should do?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Understanding NDAs for Creatives—a clear, two-minute explanation:Why Creators and Artists Need an NDA:https://nocturnallegal.com/blog/creative-entrepreneurs-need-an-nda/Why an NDA matters in creative and tech projects:https://annap.be/why-signing-an-nda-matters-in-creative-and-tech-projects/Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No cost, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

James has taken on a rational amount of work in the last several months, but some of the projects that have left his hands have entered new phases that require his magic touch.Pat has current client work as well as non-optional personal projects, and all of these need her attention now.When you’re in this situation, you really don’t have time for things that can throw you off: unnecessary phone calls and last-minute emergencies coming in from non-work sources force you to do ruthless triage or let your day get hijacked.In this segment, the Gifted Underachievers discuss their systems and processes for managing multiple projects and delivering excellent results without letting any plates fall. Priority sequencing, task focus, and regular reviews of your project timelines are just a few of our techniques.Questions for Listeners:* How do you manage multiple projects?* What’s your creative or creative adjacent field and what are your goals?* What are your triage protocols for incoming life-related tasks?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:How to Manage Multiple Projects:How to Build Systems to Actually Achieve Your Goals:Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Both of the Gifted Underachievers have personal lives as well as their professional creative and creative-adjacent work. We’ve both had careers in other industries before entering the writing arena—James as a journalist, and Pat as a logistics manager for international conferences and trade shows.In this segment, we discuss how our backgrounds didn’t just teach us myriad skills that come in handy for running a creative business but also gave us the gift of perspective.If you’ve ever wondered whether your background is a logical precursor to your creative work, here’s your answer.Questions for Listeners:* What have some of your previous jobs been?* How did they prepare you for running a creative business?* If you had to live your life over again, what would you change about your work trajectory?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Your past doesn’t define your art career:The importance of variety in a career: https://medium.com/@dialcortez/the-importance-of-variety-in-a-career-57ccb994cfe5Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

In her creative-adjacent work as a developmental book editor and consultant, it is common for Pat to offer prospective clients a sample edit. In fact, it is her policy. In James’s work as a ghostwriter, it is common for prospective clients to ask him to produce a bit of sample writing. The gifted underachievers agree that it’s important to help prospective clients perform their due diligence so they can decide who to work with on their creative project.But looked at from another perspective, there’s free work involved. Essentially, clients are requesting (being offered, in Pat’s case) unpaid work on their project as part of evaluating who to work with.And so, the question is: Work for free?Well, it depends. Pat will do a sample edit with no obligation for either party to work with the other, while James says no to producing any writing before the contract is signed and some payment received. We’re both experienced in our fields, we both have a solid base of clients. The difference turns out to be in our respective roles and where we enter a project’s development and execution. Find out our policies around free work and why we do things the way we do.Questions for Listeners:* Will you do free work to get a gig?* If yes, why?* If no, why not?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Should You Do Free Work?How to Use Free Work to Get ClientsDealing with Difficult Clients for Creative ProfessionalsThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Pat is on the verge of leaving for [undisclosed location] for a month-long writing vacation. Think of it as a self-sponsored writer’s residency without other people except for the very lovely locals.However, with a busy and time-consuming creative adjacent business composed of numerous clients, incoming work proposals, and multiple deadlines, how is Pat creating the space to ensure this trip goes as planned?That is what this segment is about: How to get away without burning down the proverbial house.Questions for Listeners:* Are you thinking of taking a creative retreat?* How will you fund it?* What do you need to do at work before you go?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Sanity Saving Pre-Vacation Checklist for Solopreneurshttps://dawnmentzer.com/sanity-saving-pre-vacation-checklist-for-solopreneurs/#:~:text=Don’t%20only%20inform%20them,ample%20time%20to%20complete%20them.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The grant experiment has been a mixed success. Let’s just call it a near-failure. Let’s just call it a nightmare. James has applied with equanimity, while Dobes (Pat) has let the sheer amount of fruitless work involved get her down. In this short segment, we talk about her resulting self-sabotage and learned helplessness, and what happened with a recent grant application she assumed would be an easy submission.Mistakes were made, and the battle played out in public (more or less), in a sunny location at the public library.Listen to discover a few tips and tricks for finishing those grant apps when the will is gone.Questions for Listeners:* Any success with grants in 2025 or in 2026 so far?* Are you applying for grants and residencies? If yes, how’s it going? If no, what’s stopping you?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:The Marian Hebb Research Grant: https://www.acfoundation.ca/eligibility/What you need to know to win grants in 2026: https://youtube.com/shorts/ScLz4On8j-Y?si=nNBg1c7nWjVnoMpLApplying for Funding: Top Tips for Artists: Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Something has gotten into Pat. A love of [undisclosed location] meats? The desire for warmth? The stench of privilege?Nope (well maybe the latter one).Pat is leaving her home digs for a place on the Mediterranean cost of Spain to focus on her own writing project leaving behind an obviously jealous cohost and gifted underachiever.Congrats to Pat!Questions for Listeners:* If you could escape everything for a month, where would you go?* Are worries about work, family, relationships getting in the way?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Travel Tips for CreativesThe Effect of Travel on the Creative MindWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

A critical aspect of being a midlevel gifted underachiever with delusional ambitions is massively overestimating your abilities and capacity to learn. In this segment, Pat and James prove this by declaring that they know podcasting.Nevertheless, the gifted underachievers provide a glimpse into how things started, early processes that worked, those that did not, and how they manage to produce three segments each and every week through 85 episodes of three segments each.Hint: have fun and laugh as much as possible while not sweating the small (and sometimes the big) stuff.Questions for Listeners:* Are you thinking of starting a podcast?* What’s your plan for getting started?* What are your goals?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:50 Podcasting Tips in 15 MinutesWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Spring has not quite sprung, which means it’s the perfect time to ponder your priorities for the season. For the Gifted Underachievers, spring means changing things—Pat’s gonna paint her office, James is gonna move to his preferred office, and they’re both looking to gain energy from the longer days, shorter nights, and better weather.Questions for Listeners:* What’s YOUR favorite season?* Any creative changes coming for spring?* What’s your #1 upcoming priority?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:MOD Assistants 5 tips for spring cleaning your business:Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The highly organized and business-oriented Pat offers great insights for how to prepare, be prepared, and remain prepared for tax time this year and every year. James offers his more casual and anxiety inducing methods for making sure he is not only paying his fair share but reporting it accurately.WE ARE NOT ACCOUNTANTS OR TAX EXPERTS!!!!!But we have been dealing with taxes in Canada and the US in our creative adjacent work for a very long time. Our core message: You are not alone.Questions for Listeners:* What is your key tax strategy?* What’s your worst experience with the tax collection system in your country?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:5 Common Tax Pitfalls for Artists (and How to Avoid Them)https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/5-common-tax-pitfalls-for-artists-and-how-to-avoid-themCREATIVE BUSINESSES AND TAXES: Things Creative Entrepreneurs With Small Businesses Should Know Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Hey guess what? As writers and dedicated keyboard jockeys, your Gifted Underachievers have developed musculoskeletal issues and repetitive strain injuries. Down the road, their sedentary work lives make them prime candidates for heart disease and stroke. And writers are not the only creatives subject to a surprising range of job-related health risks, both mental and physical. What can we do? Well, that’s what this segment is about.Questions for Listeners* Has your creative field led to any health issues?* What’s the worst injury or issue you’ve had from work?* Any advice for avoiding this kind of thing?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:The Cleveland Clinic on the causes, symptoms, and treatments for repetitive strain injuries: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17424-repetitive-strain-injuryKyle Heath on on Art Habits and Rehab Tips to get back to making art:Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! Always free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Like Sisyphus forever pushing his boulder uphill, James and Pat have been circling around the topic of creative grants and residencies for many months. In this segment, we discuss an insight shared by writer Joe Ponepinto—the creative force behind the Beyond Craft Substack—who suggested that grant committees should judge the work, not the network. This pithy, six-word mantra set the fevered minds of the Gifted Underachievers into motion and opened up new insights about a more merit-based selection process for grants, residencies, and just about everything else.Questions for Listeners:How would you define a merit-based appreciation of creative work?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Artistic Merit vs Success as a Measure of Creative Work: https://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/area/artistic-merit-versus-success/Hard Truths for Poor Artists: Merit is a Trap: Five Criteria for Judging Art: Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! Always free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

James writes books. Lots of books. Pat wants to know how he does this—what is his process for organizing, managing, and executing a big creative project like a book? She puts on her listening ears as James walks listeners through the crucial decisions and principles required for organizing a big creative project, such as:* knowing your goals* for the audience who will experience your art* and for the art’s passage into the world* knowing your unique thematic element—the north star that tells you what is relevant to your project, what to include and what you can leave out* knowing how you’re going to open the book (or the performance, the film, the standup show), and from there, understanding the work’s structure and component parts, and the mission of each part for your audience* on the process level, knowing how you will quickly re-immerse yourself when you go back into the project after a few hours away* and many more nuggets of wisdom to take awayThis segment is pure gold for anyone who’s managing one or more big creative projects in the course of their work, whether that project takes a month, a quarter, or a year.Questions for Listeners:* Do you have a repeatable process for managing big creative projects?* Or are you winging it with each one?* What are some of your techniques for getting from “great idea” to “finished and released into the world!”Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Pat Dobie’s 7 Project Management Principles for Writing a Bookhttps://awritersroadmap.com/7-project-management-principles-for-writing-a-book/CoMuse: Top 5 Ways to Manage Creative ProjectsHow to Manage Multiple Creative Projects (Tips + Tools)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Money, clients, our personal goals can add up to constantly feeling the need to rush in a very anxious way. And yet, we know that high-quality, thoughtful creative work simply cannot be rushed. Yes, there are exceptions and rushing is not the same thing as efficiency. In fact, they are opposites.So, how do we push back on that anxious sensation that creates an imperative to rush?Pat and James have you covered…mostly.Questions for Listeners:* What happens when you rush your work?* Yep, we thought so.* How do you deal with this particular creative anxiety?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:How hurry kills creativity and what to do about it: https://www.creativitywakeup.com/blog/eliminate-hurryInside The Chaotic Studios of Jean-Michel BasquiatThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Branding and marketing are in the same room, but they’re not the same thing. Branding involves capturing the essence of who you are in a few pithy words—the right words in the right order. Or maybe it involves how the people who work with you feel about the way you work, the things you create, or the services you provide.We feel pretty secure about the Gifted Underachiever brand, but if you weren’t aware, we also underachieve in other areas. (That’s a joke, folks!)Listen in as we realize that our respective creative businesses could use much better branding.And when you’re done listening, please, let us know what your brand is all about. How do you articulate it in (say) 25 words or less?Questions for Listeners:* What’s your brand?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:What is Branding? 4-Minute Crash Course (short on details, long on perspective)Bro lays out The Creative’s Guide to Personal BrandingIf you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The MacDowell Colony is perhaps one of the most revered and elite artist residency programs in North America, and it also ranks highly around the world. In an attempt to democratize their admissions application process, they have temporarily suspended the formerly required references.Good start.Ack!But then they require applicants list seven professional achievements. The last two require listing education or training and the number of non-MacDowell residencies they have attended.Argh!Is MacDowell committing the sin of hypocritical virtue signaling by removing the references requirement to improve equity, then asking for a list of accomplishments that demonstrate an audience, awards, grants, publications, performances, and so on? Hmmmm…we here in the GU Clubhouse don’t think we’re objective enough to judge this. You tell us. Questions for Listeners:* What do you think?* Hypocritical virtue signalling?* Anti-democratic?* Or reasonable and appropriate?Treat us to a Coffee? You could Win a Book!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Art Just Became Even More ElitistThe NEA Creative Writing Fellowship program got killed. It was a disappointment for me—and points to a dark future for the arts.Mona Lisa’s Face Redacted in Latest Trove of Epstein FilesThe decision to cover the world’s most famous portrait feels particularly misguided as the DOJ faces accusations of releasing sensitive victim information.Artist Residencies 101 Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Always free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

During a meaningful discussion on guilt and creativity that rose to a high moral and intellectual plain, things fell apart rather quickly and devolved into some fun silliness.Questions for Listeners:* Do you ever just find yourself needing to get silly with a friend?* Give that person a call or send a text to let them know.Treat your Gifted Underachievers to a Coffee and Win a Book!Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Now for Some High-Grade Silliness: The Fish Slapping DanceThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Always free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

If an aspect of your creative work isn’t going well, it can be tempting to think it’s solvable. We might see our work as a system, with a set of tools and a process for fixing issues. Or we can even see it as a machine and the same thing applies—there are schematics, processes, and visible steps toward fixing whatever’s not working.But here in the Gifted Underachievers clubhouse, it’s becoming apparent that we operate in something more complicated than a system or a machine. We ask: Is it true that rules can be followed and problems “fixed”? Does it serve us? Not really. Sometimes it leads to analysis paralysis, random ineffectual actions, or even worse, the belief that a malign force is keeping us from achieving what we want to achieve.As James says, “Agency cannot exist in the presence of nihilism. Nihilism cannot exist in the presence of agency. Yet both are in constant states of existence and pushing against each other within a much larger unknown that is not here to serve or deny us—it is merely here.”Climb up into the Gifted Underachiever tower of ontology and let’s smoke our philosophical pipes as we puzzle this out. 😀 Questions for Listeners:* What’s your position on the agency / nihilism front?* Do you think there’s more to the world than humans can perceive?* Pat says, “Ease up.” Bad advice, or good?Buy us a Coffee and Win a GuideHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains Nihilism: https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/Excellent 8-minute video on the universe and Optimistic Nihilism by KurzgesagtThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Have you ever been to a party where another guest asks you what you do for a living? What do you say? Do you confess to being an artist, writer, performer or musician, then wait for them to ask why they don’t recognize your name? Or do you lie low and make stuff up?What about when you’re pitching your own work. Do you have a strategy for explaining it in a way that makes the pitchee want to buy it?Finally, in the unlikely event that someone’s curious about how your creative process works, would you be able to describe it to them?These are the scenarios Gifted Underachievers James and Pat kick around. Unsurprisingly, things get a little weird.Questions for Listeners:* How do you explain your creative work at a party?* In a pitch?* Viz your process?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Talking About Your Art More Good – 10 tips from Raffi and KleeGigi Rosenberg, Learn HOW TO Talk About Your Artwork as a Professional ArtistThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Life gives everybody more than enough to feel guilty about. It’s endless. Creatives, by contrast, are given a double helping of guilt.In this segment, Pat and James explore what we should and should not feel guilty about and how to manage guilt when it crops up unbidden by actually doing something to earn it.Hint: Getting our work done does not make the feel guilty list.Bad parenting? Absolutely does.Questions for Listeners:* What gives you unearned guilt?* How do you navigate it?* Or are you more like Picasso?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:What All Those Half-Done Projects Are Really Telling YouWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Gather around, creative friends, and listen closely. It’s clear that here in the Gifted Underachievers clubhouse, we are underachieving all over the place. It’s not only our “brand,” it’s our way of life.How do we do it? We set the bar very, very low.Questions for Listeners:* What’s the last thing you underachieved at?* Or is it a way of life?* How does underachieving make you feel?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Solving the Riddle of Underachievement: Kenneth Christian (TEDX talk)Yogi Cameron asks, “Is it time to underachieve in parts of your life?”Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

When the Gifted Underachievers meet for their Friday meetings they usually spend about an hour laughing and telling stories. During one such period of buffoonery, James noted his copious cowlicks. Pat took it from there…Questions for Listeners:* How do you get rid of a cowlick?* Ever have a perm?* Ever have a moustache hair grow up your nose?Buy the Underachievers a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Core Quaker BeliefsHow to Deal with Cowlicks in BeardsThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

The dumpster fire known as 2025 is in the rearview mirror and your Gifted Underachievers are taking stock. Pat’s welcoming the new year, while James suspects it’s still a dumpster fire but now with potential to expand to something bigger. Both are battling burnout, and both have plans to make the most of their projects in 2026. How are they doing it? By rearranging TIME.Questions for Listeners:* Have you been doing anything new with your time lately?* Is it helping you get where you want to go?* Or do your old habits take over?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:How to work less and achieve more by focusing on fewer projects: https://youtube.com/shorts/2he5qrXKIsY?si=OeXnqXcWrssBtbwTAchieve more by doing less (enhance downstream effort to reach authentic goals):Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Working with a respected mentor—either within the classroom or one on one—is often seen as a steppingstone toward greater things for creatives. However, a mentor who is rigid in their principles and beliefs can foster self-doubts and frustration in the mentee as they push against what feels like arbitrary creative boundaries.However, a mentor who takes on the mindset of a guide or teacher can open new creative doors while also, hopefully, acting as a sponsor to help us expand our careers and the reach of our creative products. As midlevel creatives, it is not unusual to find ourselves on either side of the equation as mentor or mentee. So in this segment, the Gifted Underachievers explore the two opposing mindsets and how mentorship can work best for everyone.Questions for Listeners:* Have you ever mentored someone?* Have you been mentored?* Did you find either experience fulfilling?Buy us a Coffee and Win a Book about Creative WorkHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:The Importance of Mentorship in the Creative Industry https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-mentorship-creative-industry-sandcup-ltrsf/ Virgil Abloh and Samuel Ross: Mentorship and Creativity Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Pat and James explore how creatives can be more prone to feelings of helplessness due to the subjectivity of success as a creative, constant rejection, and the systems we exist within. And then, the Gifted Underachievers explore ways to push back to regain our not just our sense but actual agency.Questions for Listeners:* Have you had a ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ moment that felt overwhelming?* How did you overcome it?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:How to Live a Creative Life: Dr. Ray HsuWant to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

“Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody’s willing to do anything about it.” With this agreed, Pat and James discuss their rather different strategies for handling the winter season and its ills—limited daylight, cold weather, depression, anxiety, the impact of an exhausting December, and the urge to hibernate. The takeaway? Check out Kath Montstream and the Red Hot Chilly Dippers, who LOVE being outside in the January cold.Questions for Listeners:* What’s YOUR season of discontent?* Do you have any tips for handling it?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Red Hot Chilly Dippers on Instagram: ttps://www.instagram.com/redhotchillydippers?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

Submissions to literary mags can involve lots of rules, lots of waiting, and lots of rejection. Writers send their bright jewels of stories into the void to live or die on their literary merits, or on the hope that they’ll align with the magazine’s aesthetic.But what if there’s a way to spice things up? What if we told them how we’ll help sell copies, so that we’re pitching not just our stories but also our platforms, connections, and willingness to pay for ads?With nonfiction, if your platform is relevant to your piece’s content, it’s good to mention it. But with fiction, the consensus seems to be that literary mags evaluate submissions based on merit alone. It’s the quality of your writing that matters, not your reach or your marketing skills.In this bold new experiment, Gifted Underachiever James is willing to risk his literary reputation to find out if that’s true.Questions for Listeners:* Would you ever pitch your platform to a literary mag?* Or does it cheapen the whole affair?* Are there parallel situations in other creative fields?Buy us a Coffee and Win a BookHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Author platform requirements by genre.Editor Matthew Fox talks about how to submit to literary mags: Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch ShopWe have T-shirts, notebooks, hats, fridge magnets, mugs, and more. (Note: We’re working on getting free or low shipping in all countries!)If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Always free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

In any small business, whether it’s an art, a craft, or a trade, there is this tension between paying for the tools and training you need while at the same time being aware of the return on your investment. Sometimes you don’t know where a particular bit of training will bring you, but you’re willing to bet on yourself getting value out of it and seeing new opportunities on the other side. At other times, there’s no question that you need the thing (computer, supplies, whatever), because without it, you can’t produce.Your Gifted Underachievers delve into the topic of spending money on your creative business. Is it always debt, or is it more accurately described as overhead? When is it worth it? How do you decide?Questions for Listeners:* What do you call it—overhead, or debt?* Have you ever spent money you didn’t have to improve your creative work or life?* If yes, did you see a return on investment (ROI)? * What was the ROI, and was it worth it?Buy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World DominationHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Reduce your overhead by 25% to a) get out of debt or b) create some wiggle room in your creative business:https://youtube.com/shorts/u_GwbzSlvLc?si=6JOvaM7BaDmL2K_aThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to see you in the GU Clubhouse! Always free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com

No matter where you live, no one will build the creative life you want for you. In fact, no one will build anything for you to help you live the creative life you seek. We have to be DIYers to the extreme because everything we do and want requires a self-driven and self-motivated “build-it-ourselves” mindset.This is our superpower (one of them, anyway).Questions for Listeners:* What have you successfully built for yourself?* What do you want to build?Buy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World DominationHere in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. We’re putting this wisdom into a series of handy guides so listeners can study how to make a good living doing what you love. Click the coffee cup below and you’re on the list! The first 20 coffee angels will get a free guide!For Further Exploration:Five Steps to Design a Life You LoveThanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse. Always free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com