Gifted Underachievers

Writing can be a cruel mistress (and as Pat learns from former journalist James, journalism is the cruelest field of all). Both Gifted Underachievers have pulled themselves back from the brink of despair, poverty, and the “Q” word (QUITTING) at least once as they pursue their creative and financial goals. In this segment, we talk about what led to our creative nadir(s) and what it took to get back...

Do we need trigger warnings for people who want to see a show, read a book, listen to a song, enter a gallery, or encounter art in a public space, but are worried about its effect on them? “Art, generally speaking, is supposed to be triggering.” Thus speaks James Buchanan, writer and cohost of Gifted Underachievers. In this short piece, we share our respective positions on trigger warnings for cre...

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 you had unlimited funds, how would you approach your current creative project(s)? What if you had “midlevel” funds? No funds? This is the question posed to Pat by a very helpful grant administrator in a debrief call. Your gifted underachievers discuss the value of feedback, how creatives can improve their grant applications, how to make your project memorable and easy to discuss among grant jur...

We’re in the Clubhouse, minding our business, talking about goals for the fiscal year—which is hilarious in itself, as there is no fiscal aspect to the Gifted Underachievers kingdom. James gets a good idea, then Pat gets one, then we’re off to the races. Before you know it, we’re presenting an award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Questions for Listeners: (Hop on over to our segm...

In this segment, your Gifted Underachievers talk about discovering themselves as writers, fumbling around, experimenting, and trying different things, then the a-ha time when each of us realized…we had found our own unique creative style. Question for Listeners: Hop on over to the segment web page to leave a reply! * Do you know when you went from being so-so at your art to having a style or voice...

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

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

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

Summer is upon us, and here in the Gifted Underachiever Clubhouse we’re falling under the Seasonal Affective Disorder Delusion—worrying about wasting the days stuck inside, while simultaneously worrying about not getting enough done on our creative projects. Join us to talk about how to wring the most out of each season of the year by saying no to delusional thinking and yes to intentional plannin...

James has been looking for fiction that reflects his own experience in modern North America—his years as a single dad, his struggles to establish a career while looking after his family and trying to have a life. He’d love to read stories that explore this territory, but…there’s a problem. Not much is being published in that area, it seems. His experience is nothing like the lives reflected in ear...

Every midlevel creative has encountered a situation where they’re not sure if they can do the thing they’re trying to do. Sometimes you get offered a new or bigger role in a project, one that requires skills you’re not sure you have. In this segment, the gifted underachievers discuss their personal approach to this type of situation and offer listeners some hard-earned advice. Questions for Listen...

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

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

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 overcomes his disappointment in Pat’s despoilment of the GU Clubhouse in order to launch an investigation into marketing to & by creatives. We discuss the point of marketing, bring up examples of people whose marketing “works,” and arrive at the four key determinants of our own interest in working with someone: credibility, competence, vulnerability, and genuineness (or authenticity). If you...

Like many creatives, the Gifted Underachievers must sometimes take extraordinary steps to get the time and space to work on their stuff. Prompted in part by our year-long Grant Experiment, James is applying for residencies both in the US and abroad. Pat’s taking a more DIY approach. In this segment, we discuss the logistics, risks, and potential rewards of leaving the safety and routines of our wo...

As the heads of an international enterprise, we here at Gifted Underachievers are savvy and experienced travelers. So when Pat pulls the trigger on booking a VRBO for her 2026 creative retreat, she’s feeling pretty good about herself. That is, until she tells James where she’s going. Questions for Listeners: (Hop on over to the segment web page to leave a comment.) * Where would you go for a creat...

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

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

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

Your Gifted Underachievers are delighted to welcome artist and social change instigator Sharon Louden into the Clubhouse to talk about the nature of creativity, how artists (and creative people generally) are much more than makers, and the amazing opportunity we have right now to change how art and artists are seen and supported in the world. Warm, funny, and generous, Sharon is a catalyst for the...

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

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

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