Some of us find money a central motivator in our creative projects, which can lead to taking on almost anything that pays. For your gifted underachievers Pat and James, this means a cycle of creative or creative-adjacent projects where our engagement is determined by what we’re offered (or pitch on) and how well it pays.

But can we be more autonomous and deliberate about how we fund our creative work? What are the options—for artists, filmmakers, and writers—and how can we set ourselves up so that some of our work brings in enough money that we can pay focused attention to our more massive, complex, and long-term creative projects?

Questions for Listeners

* Are you a self-employed full-time creative?

* If yes, what field are you in?

* How do you fund yourself and your work?

For Further Exploration

Kickstarter on 70 ways to fund your creative work during quarantine (still relevant!)

https://www.kickstarter.com/articles/70-ideas-funding-creative-work-paying-yourself-quarantine#:~:text=Creative%20fundraising%20ideas%20for%20artists:&text=Take%20fans%20on%20a%20tour,meditation%20on%20what%20home%20means.

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 Some Love to the Gifted Underachievers?

Get yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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

If people are born into a creative life, what is it that draws them to one art over another? If the fates had been different, what creative domain would a person choose? Pat and James both believe that they were slated to do something creative in their lives and discuss what that means. The talk widens to people who are stars in one creative field and very accomplished artists in another. Unfortunately, James’s one-sided bromance with Ben Shattuck brings things to an ignominious close.

Questions for Listeners:

* Are you creative-fluid?

* What field do you work in?

* If you were going to do something else, what would you choose?

For Further Exploration:

Why You’re Not an Artist Yet

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 yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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

The United States of America is gearing up for one of their biggest retail frenzies of the year, aka Thanksgiving. But here in the Gifted Underachievers Clubhouse, we’re overlooking the troubled roots and current expression of this feast day and feeling gratitude for having gotten this far through the year. James takes a break from managing the culling of the turkeys while he and Pat discuss what they’re thankful for in these strange times.

Questions for Listeners:

What are you thankful for right now?

For Further Exploration

Dubious statistics from the National Turkey Federation

Turkey Farmers of Canada present some numbers too

Hypnotist Melissa Tiers presents some context for the US Thanksgiving

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 yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Pat’s (Dobes’s) Pleasure Journal, for example (because nothing says “fun” like a bowl of lemons and a zucchini…or maybe it’s a cucumber):

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

Living a Creative Life Everyday: Dr. Russya Connor

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

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...

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

If you’re not already in the GU Clubhouse, we’d love to have you! Always free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

Get yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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:

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 yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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

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! Always free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

Get yourself some quality merch or buy us a strong coffee and win a book!

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.

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