Gifted Underachievers

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 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:
Creativity and Mental Health
You 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.

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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

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 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:
Written Reports on The Grant Experiment: https://giftedunderachievers.substack.com/p/written-reports-on-the-grant-experiment
Previous podcast segments on grant and contest experiments:
03-Apr-26
03-Apr-26
12-Mar-26
12-Feb-26
05-Feb-26
08-Jan-26
08-Jan-26
18-Dec-25
12-Nov-25
29-Oct-25
17-Sep-25
04-Sep-25
24-Jul-25
06-Jun-25
06-Jun-25
22-May-25
15-May-25
07-May-25
17-Apr-25
02-Apr-25
05-Mar-25
20-Feb-25
17-Jan-25
23-Dec-24
19-Dec-24
12-Dec-24
29-Sep-24
29-Sep-24
08-Sep-24
If 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 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:
Monty Python – Theory on Brontosauruses by Anne Elk
If 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 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!)


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 Beginners
How to Build Creative Confidence
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

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 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