A brief discussion of autumnal sartorial choices segues into a new segment: Theatre Talk with Gifted Underachievers! In this fun, somewhat farcical, and relatively informative exploration of the delights that are community theatre, Pat and James dig into exactly how is ‘Godot’ pronounced; the big Norwegian himself, Ibsen; what is so fun about local theatre, are the great plays perhaps a bit dated, and other interesting topics with humor, pathos, and lots of emoting.

Questions for Listeners:

* Hop on over to the segment web page or click the button below to leave a comment.

* Who loves Ibsen? Why?

* Is Shakespeare overrated?

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For Further Exploration:

Why Should You Read ‘Waiting for Godot’?

I Tried Theatre. It Changed My Life

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We’ve been inviting some guests to be interviewed on the Gifted Underachiever podcast, but not everyone has responded with a yay or a nay. James proposes a revenge system so inefficient that it would become a full-time job, and Pat agrees that his approach is actually 100% on brand for your GU hosts.

Questions for Listeners:

* Have we invited you to be interviewed on the podcast?

* Who would YOU like to see on the GU podcast?

Want to Show Your Support for the Gifted Underachievers?

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!)

For Further Exploration:

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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

In August, 2024, the Gifted Underachievers began a one-year Grant Experiment. The goal was to find out if we could get grants to help offset the cost of some of our most important work—creating new stuff.

We had spreadsheets, we had lists, we had references, we had projects.

We had hopes, we had dreams, and naturally, we had delusions.

In this segment, we give a summary of our successes and failures in applying for grants and residences. We then reset our delusional ambitions toward a new focus and title it Grant Experiment 2.0: Die Hard.

Questions for Listeners:

(Click the button below or hop on over to our segment web page to leave a comment.)

* Have you applied for one or more grants or residencies in the past year?

* What were your results?

* Is there something about this grant ecosystem that we’re missing?

* Would you like to join us for Grant Experiment 2.0: Die Hard?

For Further Exploration:

Why Apply for Artist Grants—Brainard Carey

Pros and Cons of Art Contests for Freelance Illustrators—Ness

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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

All types of organizations around the world are wrestling with AI: how to use it, how not to use it, and how to establish balanced policies to govern its use and prevent abuse. The intrepid Gifted Underachievers wade into this relatively new world to discuss their own use of AI, their self-imposed limits, and the personal AI policies they live and work by.

Questions for Listeners:

Hop on over to the segment web page or click the button below to leave a comment.

* Do you use AI?

* If so, what for?

* If not, why not?

* What limits do you set?

For Further Exploration:

The Andy Series by Dirk Walvoord—describes a world where the androids are more humane than the humans: https://a.co/d/31wwitg

Artists on AI – Intentionally Blank

MOMA on AI

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In this short segment, the Gifted Underachievers discuss their own hands and come up with a title for James’s memoir.

Questions for Listeners:

(Hop on over to the segment web page to leave a comment.)

* How many fingers do YOU have on each hand?

* Do you believe James’s claim of a two-pad spread?

For Further Exploration:

The Family with Six Fingers:

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If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! Always 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

Large and even huge media platforms (New York Times and mass audience podcasts) do not necessarily translate into increased sales for creatives. Yes, they are great, but we must be aware that there is a real difference between a ‘big breakthrough’ approach versus a ‘building toward a tipping point’ approach. The former is rare while the latter is within our reach by taking a long view to building an audience for a particular piece of work and our portfolio of creative work.

Questions for Listeners:

* How can you identify where your marketing tipping point is?

* Do you want the big break or to build toward a tipping point?

Segment Links:

Jane Friedman Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/janefriedman/podcast-book-sales?mc_cid=3c0c24f7d1&mc_eid=effed7d90b

Amie McNee: I went on one of the biggest podcasts in the world: and it didn’t sell any books:

The Jay Shetty Effect (or lack thereof): What one author’s high-profile interview reveals about the real ROI of big podcast appearances:

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 has reached a higher plane of existence: she is unbothered by the more than 6,000 unread emails clogging her inbox. How? Why? Well, as with most things, Pat has a system. Opening with a song—a duet a la Deux Fleurs—the Gifted Underachievers hash out how email can eat at our capacity while discussing the solutions they employ to keep it from mostly (I mean, Pat has 6,000 unread emails) getting out of hand.

Questions for Listeners:

* How many unread emails do you have in your inbox?

* If they disappeared tomorrow (or were deleted) would you miss them?

Segment Links:

Deux Fleurs

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Here in the Gifted Underachievers Clubhouse, our discussions of the creative life sometimes extend beyond topics like capacity, money, and audience to bigger questions, like “What’s a Caesar?” Pat initiates James to the mysteries of this bracing drink, then things (as usual) go downhill...

Questions for Listeners:

* Have you tried a Caesar?

* Did you like it?

Canadian foodie Glen with Friends debunks the Caesar origin story!!!

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Pat’s lolling on the GU lounge chair, ignoring emails. Why? BECAUSE IT’S AUGUST, she’s got a case of ennui, and fascism is in the air. Meanwhile, James has removed his kimono and privacy piece, and Pat can hardly bear to look.

Questions for Listeners

(Hop on over to our Substack page to leave a comment.)

* What’s your August been like?

* Is Z a code letter for Zero in your world?

* Would you like to see a photo of James sunbathing?

For Further Exploration

Is Fascism Tiring?

https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/09/09/fascism-shattered-europe-a-century-ago-and-historians-hear-echoes-today-in-the-u-s/#:~:text=Politics%20&%20society%2C%20Research-,Fascism%20shattered%20Europe%20a%20century%20ago%20%E2%80%94%20and%20historians%20hear%20echoes,technology%20provoked%20extreme%20economic%20insecurity.

Why August in Paris is the Worst Month:

https://youtube.com/shorts/gBd7XzhoNpI?feature=shared

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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

Of late, here in the GU Clubhouse we’ve noticed a pattern with two components:

1. People buying creative services for ‘vanity’ projects (NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT).

2. Creatives achieving VERY high-volume production to compete for this demand while maintaining that they do not subcontract—it's all their work.

This pattern raises the question: How do these high-volume creatives do that?

In this segment, we do a case study of sorts, where we compare a very high-volume ghostwriter (who shall not be named) with one whose pace is more believable and books more bespoke (alecquig.com).

Will our conclusions surprise you? Have a listen and find out!

Questions for Listeners

(hop on over to the segment web page on Substack to leave a comment.)

* Are you currently purchasing creative services?

* If yes, what attracted you to the offer you chose? Turnaround speed, process, something else?

* Would you prefer to work with the unnamed ghostwriter or someone like Alec Quig, James Buchanan, or Barry Fox (in the video below)?

For Further Exploration

James Buchanan on mastering the tools & skills of your craft and being able to use them to create something of lasting and unique value:

https://creativemornings.com/talks/james-buchanan

Alec Quig’s website:

https://www.alecquig.com/

The Book Ghostwriting Process Explained (this is NOT “he who shall not be named”)

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If you’re not already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! Always 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