Musings, Mantras, Truths and Questions within The Creative Quest

or what I've learned along the way so far...

1.)  Ask not what your producer can do for you, but what you can do for your producer.  JFK moment of voiceover truth.

2.) Today the landscape of our business trends toward quantity over quality.  Who is working the most.  Doing the most.  Being seen the most.  Instant fame versus years of hard work and talent backing up the ultimate testament of true worth.   How many gigs have you booked? How many followers do you have?  When it comes to voice over work, I can tell you for one that I have not hit the 1000 mark yet.  But who's counting?  Odd that the quality of select, professional projects seems to resonate less than the sheer volume of work one may have amassed in a short period of time.  In addition, the days of talent mentoring are also dwindling (if not simply over), especially when it comes to having an agent.  How much money can be made off of your services and what are YOU bringing to the table for US?  A bit one-sided no?

Gear Obsession

3.) We throw up images and bragging sessions of our equipment like it's VO porn (no not that kind).  "Gear Porn" on social media becomes the equivalent to size comparisons of certain somethings. “Well, from my DAW I compressed my audio, sent it through a light noise gate, then processed it through Izotope but set the noise floor at -60DB so I could enhance the mid-range by diminishing the frequency of gain threshold and administering the low end.”  Talk of this nature goes on for hours, days, and sometimes months.  People who don’t care about this: Ad Agencies, Executive Producers, Agents/Managers, Voice Coaches. People who do care: Geeked-out voice talent snobs, Audio engineers, AES..etc.

4.) Market, Audition, Hustle, Let Go, Repeat.

People You Can Hang Up On

5.) Don’t give a dime to the SEO sharks.  They’re so desperate for your money they’ll say anything.  No one understands the Google algorithm - not even Google.  The minute some stranger calls, usually from Utah or Arizona, and asks,  "Do you have a moment to talk about your website?" just hang up.  Generate your own content and be consistent.  It’s what I’m doing and having a lot of fun while learning a ton.  Don't believe me?  Pay up and have fun...

6.) What do they say “Poetry is the window to the soul"?  Yeah, that.  But start with Keats. Then skip about 100 years to Bukowski.  Surprise yourself with the power of words.  And silence.

7.) It’s immensely helpful to have a support system of friends and colleagues both in and out of the  business.  Surround yourself with people whom you can rely on for advice, both personal and professional.   A select few people who inspire you to do your best work in your career as well as your personal life.   Hopefully the feeling is mutual and someday you can take great pleasure in returning the favor.

8.) The take you hate is usually the take they love.  Gets me every time.

Bad Movies Are Good Movies

9.) Watch a Steven Seagal flick from the 90's. Laugh at the weak plots, bad dialogue and the ass-kicking scenes. “Out for Justice" (pictured above) is one of his more violent films, but the script is so bad it’s good.  Point being?  Unwind.

10.) I’d hate (or rather, dislike heavily) to be starting my voiceover career today knowing what I know now.  I wouldn’t know where to begin and I’d probably quit after the first few months.

Staying Inspired

11.) Wanna hear an amazing voice over?  Hint: Ray Donovan.  I’m blown away every single time and and it continues to inspire me in all my work.  This is subtlety.   Find yours.  Hit PLAY whenever you're feeling not so great.

12.) Do we really need yet ANOTHER voiceover conference?  What are they giving us?  Is it all about networking with each other, or are we learning, growing, developing our talent and businesses on a real level? And what is their overall effect on the industry as a whole?  Food for thought...

13.) We all make mistakes.  Forgetting to buy milk, flubbing a line, mispronouncing a name or running out of breath.  Someone who truly appreciates and admires your efforts will understand this.  You shouldn't have to apologize profusely for being human.

#creativity #inspiration #marketing #voiceover #movies #life #motivation

Pause for Power. Yes, really.

Taking a moment has more benefits than we might think.  

Earlier this week at my usual Bikram Yoga class, I had a revelation of sorts.  At the end of class, while we were all lying down in (the unanimously loved) Savasana pose, I started to notice several people leaving early.  A true Yogi realizes that this is not advised, as our bodies need to come to full rest (at least 2 minutes) and sometimes more to make the necessary transition from the hard work we’ve endured over the last 90 minutes.  As a rather harried young woman jumped up and gathered her things before resting, our instructor took notice and said:

“Don’t tell me you don’t have 2 minutes. Get back down! I get it, you’re a New Yorker and you have to be onto the next thing.  Everyone has 2 minutes. Just relax.”

I wouldn’t be wrong in assuming others might feel her approach/tone was less favorable.  But regardless, I was relieved when she said this because it brings up another issue.   Not everyone thinks they have the time. Not everyone thinks that 2 minutes is what their body really needs to finish the meditation to clear our minds of the clutter, the activity and release unnecessary toxins from the body. Once the class nearing a close, you can see it in everyone- that urge, that impulse- the worry settles in and the energy is palpable.  ‘I just need to get out of this heat and move on with my life.'

What propels us to leave? The heat, yes, is obvious.  An important deadline back at the office, a first date with the person of our dreams, drinks with an old friend, writing a term paper?  Whatever it is, it’s valid.  Our lives are each very different and often so complex.   There are tight deadlines, tasks, activities, and little 'drama-sodes’ we carry with us each day.  New Yorkers, especially do claim to be 'busier’ than most.  It’s like their birthright to proclaim supreme stress levels over anyone else in the world.  Many of us live out our days putting out one fire after the next, both professionally and personally.  And not everyone can embrace the power of pausing. It’s rather simple.  You stop whatever it is you’re doing, stop over-thinking, and let go. 

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

#life #motivation #yoga #nyc #health