Gifted Underachievers

An Underachieving Note: We’ve underachieved again. Summer is waning and\or peaking depending on whether you are going back to school or not. And we are, well, crazy busy with the details of life while fulfilling important family duties. And so, we bring you an incredible interview with the guy whose notebook is described as “off putting with serial killer vibes.” We love him. You love him. Here he is…
In this episode, Pat and James have a wide-ranging discussion with Gifted Achiever and author Richard Kelly Kemick. His most recent book—Hello, Horse—is a wonderfully unique collection of short stories that features a coterie of ghosts, nuns on ice, and an above average number of dogs while exploring the mirage of authenticity and the impact of decisions we make—for better or worse.
In a word, Richard is brilliant and funny (yes, I know, that was two words). As but a taste of the topics Pat and James explored with him:
* Pen or pencil?
* His writing and publishing process, which includes his fair share of rejections (something we all have experienced).
* The pleasure of working with a fabulous old-school editor.
* Moving up the rejection ladder.
* Can an arts community become too dependent on grants? And can funding abundance disconnect the artist from their audience?
* Our favorite authors and books.
* Why the writer/creator must work harder than the reader/viewer/audience.
* When applying for a grant, have an idea not an emotion.
* Rejection is just another step forward.
* Richard’s top five grant pitch tips.
* How being creative forces you out of yourself.
* There is no better life than the creative life.
Segment Questions:
* What do you believe the difference is between an idea and an emotion?
* What is your favorite book/movie/song/artwork?
* What are your five pitch tips?
Segment Links:
Richard’s Website:
https://richardkemick.com
Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kelly_Kemick
Hello, Horse on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7yy9yPm [Gifted Underachiever tip: Download a sample on Kindle, then after you discover Richard’s brilliance, purchase a copy at your local independent bookstore]


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There are lots of accusations of AI use in the arts—especially writing—based on both human detection and AI detection apps.
So many creatives are worried that they could get accused of using AI when they are not.
And those that publish or promote creative work are afraid that the creators they work with might be using AI.
The problem is, that neither or human senses nor the AI detection software being used is accurate. False positives and false negatives happen…a lot.
This is something we should all keep in mind when we hear the next high-profile accusation of AI use. There’s just too much room for errors that could permanently taint a creative person’s reputation.
Questions for Listeners
* Have you been falsely accused of AI use? If so, let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
* Is AI a feral baby?
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!
For Further Exploration
The most recent case: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jul/31/crime-novel-deal-collapses-questions-ai-jerry-falade-call-me-ill-hide-the-body
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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 you sell your creative work or provide creative-adjacent services online, you’ve already made decisions about your market—ranging from the language and images you use for your website to the currency you accept payment in.
As a Canadian, Pat’s begun to realize that the country many of her clients and students are based in (the USA) has become politically and economically unstable. This instability has affected every aspect of the book trade, including the ability of individual authors to keep writing when they have to work more to due to the increased cost of living, the burden of creating new work in a regime that’s hostile to the arts, the increasingly risk-averse climate in traditional publishing, and the effect of rising fuel prices on book distribution.
She hoped this was a phase that might end with the current president’s term. But realistically, it could last for a decade or more as the country to the south rebuilds and regroups. And that’s only if the systemic changes happening now are reversed.
There’s not much we can do about economic instability in another country, but we can diversify our offerings into more stable markets. In this segment, we discuss why and how to do this.
Questions for Listeners:
* Do you have a particular geographic market for most of your work?
* If yes, where is it?
* If you were to diversify, what would you do first?

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!
For Further Exploration:
Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations

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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 this disturbing short segment, the Gifted Underachievers discuss the basement of their Clubhouse, now free of any captured creative folk. Who should we nab next?
NOTE: No captives have been held in the GU Clubhouse. We’re just being silly.
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!
For Further Exploration
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

What meaning do you get from your life as a creative?
· Who are you now?
· What have you done?
· Are you heading where you want to go?
The Gifted Underachievers discuss a challenging thought experiment to help you gain perspective on these questions.
From there, you can tweak, choose, manage, and direct your current and future creative projects for maximum meaning and value to your body of work.
Questions for Listeners:
* Where would your personal retrospective be held?
* Who would come to it?
* What would it show?
* What clues to meaning are in your work?
Buy 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!
A Creative Retrospective, Unfortunately Featuring Me (by Genna McWhinnie):
Art & Fear: Source of the quote from McWhinnie’s video (above), “The clues are in the work.”
A Creative Retrospective:
Your Life’s Work: The Artist’s Retrospective: https://artbizsuccess.com/virtual-retrospective/
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