Pat and James dive deep into perfectionism and how it limits the creative mind and creative capacity. The Gifted Underachievers then break perfectionism down into three types:

* Those who never start because they are never ready.

* Those who finish the work but never release it.

* Those who release the work but let it languish from neglect.

One possible answer: Think like a comedian who is willing to go on stage a fail when trying new bits to figure out what works and how to improve them. It’s an experimenter’s mindset if the lab were on a stage in front of an audience.

And then Pat goes off on James over lemons vs lemon juice which leads to a moment of catharsis.

Questions for Listeners:

* Do you have a perfectionist obsession?

* What is the cost to your career?

* Or does it have a net benefit?

Is Perfectionism Just Procrastination?

Stop Being a Perfectionist and Make Better Art

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2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers.

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

Are you a chaotrope or kosmotrope?

For most of his early life, James was an extreme chaotrope.

At a young age, Pat carried a briefcase (obvious kosmotrope).

And yet, James found the religion of defeating chaotic workflows while Pat turned out to be pretty damn cool…and exceptionally organized.

In this segment, the Gifted Underachievers discuss identifying chaos in their respective work habits and then how to eliminate them without driving themselves nuts.

Questions for Listeners:

* Do you thrive on chaos or efficiency?

* How do you iteratively improve your work processes?

For Further Exploration:

Chaos and Creativity

The case for making art when the world is on fire

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We’d be very grateful for your support in either of the two following ways:

1. Visit our 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!)

2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers

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 dynamic duo have learned that sometimes their creative eyes are much bigger than their creative capacities. This realization came about during a chat about the Gifted Underachievers merch store and how it may have been better to launch lean than try to fill out multiple categories.

In essence, go from the exciting idyl to the satisfying achievement. How?

* Be specific.

* Know your capacity for new work.

* Know your audience.

* Simplicity functions better than complexity.

Questions for Listeners:

* Do you have lots of unfinished projects?

* Us, too. Do you think whittling down the scope would help?

For Further Exploration:

Allow Things to Unfold and You Will Find Your Purpose: Peggy Oki

Living a Creative Life Everyday: Dr. Russya Connor

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We’d be very grateful for your support in either of the two following ways:

1. Visit our 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!)

2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers

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’re less than a month in to the contest experiment (that is, entering contests with our creative work as a way to potentially make money, get published, raise profile, etc.). In this segment, James astonishes Pat with his assertion that the experiment so far is “exciting,” even “Thrilling.” He describes his stringent research process for finding a good “fit” and weeding out scams. Pat, on the other hand, has failed to launch, but she does have a plan for finding contests, limiting scam exposure, and controlling costs.

Questions for Listeners:

* Have you ever entered your creative work in a contest?

* Did you win?

* Do you have a go-to source for contest listings?

To comment, hit the button below!

For Further Exploration:

Funds for Writers: https://fundsforwriters.com/

Writer Beware: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/

The Reg Flags of Writing Contests by Hope Clark: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2012/0...

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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!)

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. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love.

Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide!

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’s your first instinct when you encounter a new opportunity? Do you tend to say yes, no, or “let me think about it?” Should we always say yes? If you’re interested but lack the capacity to go all in, how can you negotiate the terms of your engagement?

The Gifted Underachievers discuss various ways to respond to a new creative opportunity, whether it’s an offer of a job, a project, or a collaboration.

Questions for Listeners:

* Have you ever turned down an opportunity and later regretted it?

* If yes, why did you turn it down?

* Have you ever jumped on an opportunity you later regretted pursuing?

* If yes, what went wrong?

Click the button to leave a comment :D

For Further Exploration:

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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!)

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. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love.

Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide!

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

All is not well in the Gifted Underachiever Clubhouse as James threatens to yet again derail a segment with his spurious “science facts” and Pat draws a very heavy line: Stop it or Die. Will the GU odyssey end here? Or will harmony prevail?

Questions for Listeners:

* When’s the last time you had a work fight?

* Who won: you or the enemy?

* Do you like James’s “science facts?”

Click “Leave a comment” to … leave a comment!

For Further Exploration:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-recover-from-workplace-argument-lisa-earle-mcleod/

6 tips on resolving conflict at work:

Healthy vs. Unhealthy conflict at work

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Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

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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!)

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. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love.

Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide!

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

Special guest hosts Bart and Jimmy (if you are a literary agent: ignore any references to Pat and James) explore recent reporting by Jane Friedman that literary agents are feeling upset that acquisitions editors are taking too long to reply to submissions, if at all.

In fact, some agents are proposing a mandatory three week turnaround time for submissions. Yep, the same people who tell writers that if they don’t hear back in SIX weeks, that’s a rejection, feel waiting too long or getting ghosted is beyond the pale. If we all hate submitting into a void, what can we do?

Questions for Listeners:

* Should agents respond to all queries?

* Why or why not?

For Further Exploration:

How Literary Agent Holly Root Submits to Editors

The Role of a Publishing House Editor

Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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We’d be very grateful for your support in either of the two following ways:

1. Visit our 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!)

2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers.

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 the sensation of being creatively ‘blocked’ or, perhaps more aptly, getting stuck creatively. Then the Gifted Underachievers press on with a deep dive into how to get unstuck…creatively.

First, Pat and James describe being blocked as something that often happens in the moment, as the creative work is in progress but we are broken from our flow. It could be a sensation that the work of the past fifteen minutes lacks emotional connection or that we simply do not know what the next brushstroke should be. James advocates for seeking the next true statement while Pat has the most excellent strategic use of scene cards to brainstorm and analyze ideas…with examples.

The lad and lass then call BS on some common tips but find merit in a few other ideas to get unstuck and come up with the next great idea. As Tom Hanks said, our job is to show up on time, know the text, and have an idea.

Questions for Listeners:

* Is being creatively blocked a real thing?

* When the next idea isn’t coming, what do you do?

For Further Exploration:

Is Creative Block Real?

How to Get Unstuck by Jonathan Safran Foer

Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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We’d be very grateful for your support in either of the two following ways:

1. Visit our 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!)

2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers

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

Unbelievably, John Irving has yet another book out (at 408 pages a novella for him) despite his stay at the Gifted Underachiever club house. Nevertheless, we drop in on Pat and James as they discuss their plans for preparing John Irving for the holidays.

Question for Listeners:

How many books does he have in him?

For Further Exploration:

John Irving on Obsessions

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.

Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

We’d be very grateful for your support in either of the two following ways:

1. Visit our 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!)

2. Help us harness the wisdom of our Gifted Achiever guests!

Here in the GU Clubhouse, we’ve gleaned and gathered incredible wisdom from our creative guests, whom we fondly call the Gifted Achievers. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love. Click here to donate $5 toward the project. The first 20 donors will get a free guide! https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers

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

For a full year, your Gifted Underachievers applied for grants to fund our creative projects. Were we good at it? Not really. Did we enjoy it? A hard no. Did we have any success? Sort of. Dobes did qualify for a grant, but the funding body ran out of money before they got to her name. In other words, they said yes to the project but no money changed hands.

Our takeaway? It’s a tricky system to navigate, with no guarantee of success.

But this system did prompt Pat and James to think of alternatives, and we’ve come up with a possibility that bears further research.

Hence the Grant Experiment Pivot: Die Hard.

Listen in as we discuss the differences between the grant system and this OTHER way of finding opportunities, and join us for a brand new year of experimenting with ways to fund our creative work.

Questions for Listeners:

* How’s YOUR grant experiment going?

* Have you ever submitted your creative work to a contest?

* If yes, have you gotten any money or ancillary benefits from the experience?

* Do you think this idea has legs, or are we delusional?

For Further Exploration:

The best way to find writing competitions by Kieren Westwood:

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.

Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

Get some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee!

Visit our 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!)

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. Help us put this wisdom into a series of handy guides that you can take on your so-called vacation to learn how to grow your audience, increase your capacity, and make more money doing what you love.

Click here to donate $5 toward the project. https://ko-fi.com/giftedunderachievers

The first 20 donors will get a free guide!

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