Gifted Underachievers

The gifted underachievers have lots of ideas. We’re not saying they’re good ideas, but sometimes you don’t know how a creative project’s going to work out until you do it. If you get partway into the project and discover you no longer care, is it time to ditch it? Or are there other things you can do?

How about when you have two equally interesting ideas at the same time—which one do you work on first?

Have a listen and find out.

Questions for Listeners:

* Have you ever ditched a creative project partway through?

* If yes, why?

* If you’ve put an idea on hold while you work on something else, how did that work out?

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:

Berms and swales 101:

Sunk Cost Fallacy: Not Knowing When It’s Time to Stop

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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

The Gifted Underachievers’ corporate HR Rep has installed a livestream device in the content creation clubhouse, pissing off the two biggest GUs in the whole org chart. Listen to Pat and James discuss their options in this battle royale with HR.

Questions for Listeners:

Do you think podcasters should have complete creative control of their content? YES or NO.

Why?

Buy HR a Coffee and Win a Book

HR is forcing us to buy them a coffee. Please help us out. The first coffee angel will get a free guide to creative productivity!

For Further Exploration:

Bayerisches Restaurant (Monty Python) — warning, EXTREMELY silly

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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

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?

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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

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

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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

You might not believe this, but it’s true: We Gifted Underachievers sometimes make mistakes.

In this segment, we discuss why mistakes happen, what to do when you realize you’ve made one, and how to not just survive the experience, but learn from it.

Questions for Listeners:

* What’s the worst mistake you’ve made at your creative or creative-adjacent work?

* Were there extenuating circumstances?

* What did you learn from the experience?

* How did you fix the mistake?

For Further Exploration:

Research shows that how you handle mistakes matters more than the mistakes themselves. Here are four suggestions about what to do next:

https://achievecentre.com/blog/4-steps-for-recovering-from-a-mistake-at-work/

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

After a hectic few weeks (lifetime, really) the Gifted Underachievers gave in to their underachieverness and are taking a week off for calm reflection.

But with soooooo much wonderful content over our TWO YEARS!!!!!! we couldn’t leave a total void.

Our interview with wildly achieving Burlington, Vermont, artist Kath Montstream (first aired on October 7, 2024) was a ton of fun and filled with lots of wonderful stuff:

02:00 Resilience and persistence

05:20 Art as savior

08:02 Becoming an artist - 10,000 hours

12:00 Marketing, shows, and feeding the dragon

15:03 Mentorship is instrumental

20:42 Not to mention courage

21:31 Failing is part of the process

25:46 Inspiration needs to find you working

27:14 Getting into your process & working to music

32:28 The Red Hot Chilly Dippers!

34:42 Pechakucha and photographing dips

36:15 [A merch bargain is struck]

37:49 The power of personal marketing & current show, The Color of Snow

47:27 Business model, commissions, freedom, and the value of experience

53:02 Mother Mary in prayer

55:03 Kath’s not-so-delusional ambition

57:08 Exploring the next thing that hits you over the head

We will be back with fresh new content next week!

In the meanwhile, Kath will add light to your day.

Sincerely,

The Underachievers

Buy us a Coffee and Win a Guide to World Domination!

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!

If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time.

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

For Further Exploration:

The Color of Snow, Kath Montstream and her daughter Charlotte Dworshak’s exhibit in honor of Kath’s dad, is at Montstream Studios til November 2, 2024: https://www.kmmstudio.com/129 St. Paul Street, Burlington, VT.

So many great works!

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

James comes out of the marketing wing of the Gifted Underachiever clubhouse feeling disillusioned. The marketers are coming up with catchphrases, but they’re not producing anything. He wants to know, “What makes my creative work matter?”

Pat can sympathize, but she’s got no real answers except that while you’re creating something, it has to matter to you.

We do many projects that never achieve monetary success—that’s the nature of the industry. But Pat believes that the project has meaning, as long as it matters to you while you’re making it. You just need to keep creating things (and sometimes find another way to pay the bills). Once your project is out in the world, you discover whether it matters to others only if it finds its audience, makes money, wins awards, or gets some other kind of attention in the marketplace.

We talk about the continuity of themes throughout a career and other ways you can look at the meaning of your creative work.

Questions for Listeners:

* What themes keep surfacing in your creative work?

* Can you attribute them to anything in particular, in your past or just an obsession you have?

* Do you know of any famous creatives whose projects are wildly different in theme or content?

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:

Cherry Jeffs: How to identify themes in your art to create meaningful work:

https://www.cherryjeffs.com/discover-themes-in-your-creative-work#

Orla Stevens: How to look at seemingly separate projects and uncover connections in your 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. 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