Gifted Underachievers

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 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:
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:
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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

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 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:
Dumb Questions 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. 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 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 Prince Nymph
The New Fly Fisher – a life of nymphing
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

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 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:
Why Most Arts Fundraising Fails—and What Actually Works
How Artists Break Free of the Starving Artist Myth
Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?
Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch Shop
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If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.

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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

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 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:
Work Until You Die: Aging & Retirement for Artists
Yearly Goal Setting for Creatives
Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?
Visit the Gifted Underachiever Merch Shop
We 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