While working on a project, James is reading stories by well-known authors to see how they’ve handled similar topics—a bit of exploration to find inspiration. The Gifted Underachievers wonder: is this wise? Is it valid, or is it too close to stealing? What are the risks? When balanced against the rewards, are they worth it? How do we find inspiration and new ideas anyway?

We go to prolific creatives like Jess Walter and Twyla Tharp for some answers. Our conclusion? Creating a project often means drawing on centuries of history and creative work as well as your personal experience, the characters or concepts you’re exploring, and everything else you come in contact with. This is how we don’t lose the thread, get into the same sensation, and bring out your own originality.

But then again, we’re MIDLEVEL creatives. What do we know? Are we suffering from the Dunning-Kruger Effect? You be the judge.

Questions for Listeners

* Do you avoid other creative works while you work?

* How do you find ideas and inspiration?

* Where is the line between using others’ work for inspiration and outright theft?

For Further Exploration

The Case for Making Art When the Worls is on Fire:

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