Content warning: Strong language.
Here in the Gifted Underachievers clubhouse, we have realized that the ability to constantly adapt and transform is a key piece of earning our livings from creative (or creative-adjacent) work. This insight was sparked by developments in the year 2024, when James’s usual work pipelines became blocked and he had to step back from beating his head against the same brick wall and take some time to rethink and reinvent.
His solution? Becoming more directly engaged with finding clients for his core work of ghostwriting and developmental editing. He leaned more on connections, bypassed the gatekeepers whose focus had shifted, and said no to certain opportunities he might have said yes to before.
In this segment, the Gifted Underachievers talk about how risk aversion can influence our decisions, how exploring decision tiers takes huge amounts of time, and how we can design a process for deciding what only we can do vs. what we can offload to someone else.
Questions for Listeners:
Have you changed big things about an aspect of your work? If yes, what led you to do that?
Do you have a process for figuring out what to change, and when?
Do you outsource any of your work? If yes, to whom, and what do they do?
Buy us a Coffee and You Can 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:
Outsourcing for creatives:
Read the transcript here: https://www.starvingartistnomore.com/blog/Outsourcing-For-Creatives















