Recently in Law of Attraction Category
Every cruise ship director hires a variety of performers who must amuse and entertain the passengers. The nightly shows during our sailing on the glorious Norwegian Pearl were particularly enjoyable. We heard pianist Nadia Zaitsev perform some incredibly complex arrangements of Bach, Beatles, Gershwin, and Chopin before tackling a truly thrilling rendition of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag. Another night, we watched a guy known as Los Gauchos twirl rope with balls at each end with such terrific speed so that it looked like swirling laser beams encircling him. Okay, it sounds like a lame act, but trust me, this guy was mesmerizing. We watched Professor Watson move effortlessly between solos on fiddle, mandolin, and trumpet in successive songs.
With each performer, I first admired their talent. My second thought was about the enormous number of hours that each must have spent in practice of his or her art in order to perform flawlessly before the audience. As voice talent, we also have the responsibility of practicing before we're in front of an audience, whether that audience is face-to-face, as in a studio session, or virtual in an on-line audition.
During our trip, fellow voiceover artist Terry Daniel wrote an article on his blog about the merits of practice. Terry wisely points out that voice talent have a perpetual need to voice copy out-loud in order to find the best technique and interpretation.
When I'm on vacation, I usually do practice voiceover almost every day. I'll read aloud the ingredients of shampoo bottles (great practice for medical narrations), the ship's daily newsletter (practice for travel narrations), and books (practice for audiobook narration and characterizations). However, I admit that I have been lax sometimes about practicing voiceover while at home.
While many people think that voiceover work is simply talking or reading aloud, the ability to read smoothly out-loud is just the starting point in this career. I always encourage newcomers to read everything out-loud in order to bring some reality to their dream.
As a voice talent gets some paid jobs and starts growing a business, it's easy to forego practice for the sake of practice. We may think we get all the voiceover practice that we need in doing auditions. If you view an audition as part of the job of being a voice talent, though, you can see dedicated practice is necessary before undertaking any auditions.
In addition to Terry's article, I read a couple of other things recently that re-affirm to me the necessity of constant voiceover practice. An editorial in the New York Times reminds me that reading aloud is a very different physical experience than reading silently. Also, comprehension can be measured by a person's skill in reading out loud because "...it reveals far more than whether the reader understands the words. It reveals how far into the words -- and the pattern of the words -- the reader really sees."
1) Your muscles become strong.
2) Your muses conspire to help you realize your intentions.
3) Your mind is focused on a single point, which causes manifestation to occur more quickly.
(Hmmm...maybe that should be 4 Ms!)
Anthony further states that by doing, you will BE.
I can think of no better reason to practice voiceover every day. Toward that end, it's my intention to record this and future blog posts as part of my practice sessions.
Do you practice voice-over? I'd love to get your thoughts on this topic, so please leave a comment on the blog.
The numerous new-age, Law of Attraction books that I have read all state that you have to detach from the outcome if you want your desires to be fulfilled. Recently, I read about the Law of Paradoxical Intent and had an epiphany concerning the progress of my voiceover career.
In her brilliant, thought-provoking book Secrets of Success: The Science and Spirit of Real Prosperity, Sandra Anne Taylor explains this law as follows:
This law says that the more desperate you are about achieving your goal, the more you'll push it away, actually creating the opposite -- or the paradox -- of your desire.
So many people never even realize that it's the negative energy associated with their own needy attachment that's sabotaging the results they're looking for. This is a very common phenomenon....
When your desire becomes a large part of your life, it's a natural emotional response to become hopeful about the outcome. It's very important, though, to reel in any fear, urgency, or neediness because those vibrations are both resistant and repulsive, causing you to move out of the synchronistic flow of Universal manifestation. You become attached to the result when you value the future over the present. This creates vibrations of desperation, jagged waves of energy that push against the current of abundance, sending away that which you desire most. Remember, the natural flow of the Universe is love and peace, but when you move in the direction of frantic worry, you counter that intention, magnetizing more effort and disappointment in the process.Æ’
You have to do things to progress your dream without being tied to a particular conclusion. You can't expect the Universe to provide without taking appropriate action aligned to your thoughts. Before you roll your eyes and think "she's writing about woo-woo stuff again", let me give you some real-life examples of this principle.
While on my IRS job, I observed someone who desperately wanted a promotion. This person is the sole money-earner for the family and has a great need and desire to earn more money. This person was praying every day for a promotion and was convinced it would soon materialize.
You might think that this person was working extra every week, asking to help others with their work, and generally becoming an indispensable member of the team. Instead, this person is completely unreliable, taking leave every single week and not finishing the simplest tasks for months.
At first, the sympathetic manager wanted to find a way to promote the person. After further inspection of the person's work ethic and leave patterns, though, the manager decided to cancel any move toward a promotion. In fact, the manager is now documenting the performance of the employee and may take an adverse action.
Sometimes it's easier to learn from the experiences of others than to see how these Universal laws apply to oneself. I therefore was a bit shocked to discover I also had unknowingly integrated the Law of Paradoxical Intent in pursuing my voiceover career.
The facts:
- I desperately wanted to be a full-time voice actor instead of working full-time at the IRS.
- Drew and I agreed that we needed to save $X in the bank in order for me to take an early retirement if one were offered to me. I had been desperate (there's that word again) for an early-out for the last 5 years. (The early retirement thing is subject to a bunch of government rules that are out of my control and too dull to relate here.)
- I spent a lot of money on classes, equipment such as an ISDN box and marketing materials in order to make my voiceover dream happen. I added up my expenditures and found I actually had spent the equivalent of the $X we decided we needed to save PLUS another 20 percent.
- Since I spent the money, I no longer have it, causing me to feel more financially insecure.
- If an early-out were offered to me now, I wouldn't automatically take it because I haven't saved $X.
- Therefore, my choices might have prevented me from obtaining the thing I wanted most.
I wrote in a previous entry about the desperation I have heard in the voices of those wishing to enter the voiceover industry. These days, I'm also noticing desperation in the actions of fellow voice talent. Whether they are spending their days networking with voice actors and prospects on dozens of sites or chasing every low-paying lead on the pay-for-play sites, they seem to be desperate for the next client and the next job.
While you want and need to be focused on your voiceover career, I've learned that single-mindedness of purpose to the exclusion of everything else will invoke the Law of Paradoxical Intent. By relaxing and accepting my life, I not only have found balance, but voiceover jobs and new clients have come to me with little or no effort on my part.
Talented and witty UK voice talent Philip Banks posted a blog article yesterday titled Success and the new (or not so new) Voice Actor in which he listed 10 steps for success as a voice actor. I particularly liked #9:
You practise failure or success by the day
so ensure that you do something every day for your Voice Over career.
Keep a record of what you do and of the progress you make.
Coincidentally, the very story I wanted to relate today, on this first day of 2009, is about that very point. Once again, I'm going to quote another talented voice actor.
so ensure that you do something every day for your Voice Over career.
Keep a record of what you do and of the progress you make.
Coincidentally, the very story I wanted to relate today, on this first day of 2009, is about that very point. Once again, I'm going to quote another talented voice actor.
On p43 of the book Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It, nationally-recognized promo voice talent Joe Cipriano offers the best and most charming explanation I've ever read about why you need to do something every day for your voice-over career. Here for your reading pleasure and call to action are Joe's words:
My first acting teacher in Los Angeles, Wayne Dvorak, told a story one day that always stayed with me. He asked, "Why do some people make it, while others don't?" There are many answers, but his story was this: When you work towards your dream, a little red light glows on top of your head. When you stop or are distracted, the light dims or goes off completely.
It's important to keep the light glowing brightly and consistently. Why? Because the Gods of Making Dreams Come True are sitting up there in the heavens and looking down. Their joy is to help people fulfill their dreams. They just need to know how much you want it, and they can only see you if your red light is on.
So, keep working at your dream. Devote one hour a day, that's all -- just one hour a day -- but make it every day, and do something that moves you toward your goal. Whether it's a workshop, or study, or writing cards and letters, or working on your demo, or making calls, whatever it is, do it for one hour every day.
You'll be amazed at how you'll make progress, and your light will shine brightly. You'll make it easy for the Gods of Making Dreams Come True to find you.
Since I've written recently about creating a road map for your success, Joe's story perfectly illustrates the famous quote from Lao-tzu: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
The single step today may not seem like much, but the cumulative effect of daily effort is awesome!
The single step today may not seem like much, but the cumulative effect of daily effort is awesome!
Photo: BlackJack3D, iStockPhoto
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?
Do you get
What you're hoping for
When you look behind you
There's no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know...?
-- Diana Ross when singing the theme from "Mahogany"
Those song lyrics have been floating in my mind after reading another voice-over blog in which the author wrote, "I have no idea where this is going." While I have taken the writer's words out of context, the face-value of that thought inspires today's post.
Do you know where you're going to in your voice-over career? When planning either a trip or a career in voice-over, it's important to know your desired destination. You don't need to know HOW or WHEN you will get there, but you do have to decide where you want to go. When you make that decision, you might as well decide to have the very best outcome you can possibly imagine.
Continue reading Mapping your success by thinking BIG.
'Twas three
weeks before Christmas, when all through the land
Voice talents
and producers were wringing their hands.
The mics were
connected to computers with care
In hopes that
paying jobs would soon fill dead air.
The voice
talents were trained and looking for leads
With high dollar
amounts to fill all their needs.
Accounting soon
closes for another year
But some said
the good jobs are no longer here.
When on the TV
we kept hearing such clatter
From pundits,
newspeople and those who don't matter
Such negative
folks declared a recession
I hastened to
write this poem and confession.
I don't watch
the newscasts or read the headlines
I know less of
the world, but that's just fine.
Instead, I think
good thoughts and make them come true
Hey, it works
for me, and it can work for you!
Banish the
naysayers and their words of gloom
You're in charge
of your thoughts, so why think of doom?
Think of what
you want as if it's already true
Then take action
on the ideas that come to you.
"Now audition!
Now blog! Now create your podcast!
On with writing
and speaking for impressions that last!
To the cyber
world! To the events in your town!
Keep promoting
your work, and your career won't slow down!"
If you only
think of money you wish you had
The focus on the
LACK of the thing will be bad.
Whatever you
want in your reality
Must first be
visualized in your mind, you see.
Of course, voice-over
is just one part of life
Be thankful for
your blessings and forget the strife
Let your loved
ones know that you hold them dear
Have a magical holiday season and happy new year!
Photo: Denise Torres, iStockPhoto.com
Before becoming a professional voice talent, I volunteered as a reader for 5 years at the Georgia Radio Reading Service. I read newspapers, Sunday sale pages, magazine articles and books for visually-impaired listeners who heard the broadcast over a special radio. I loved using my voice to help other people.
It is still important to me to be of service to other people. While Drew and I give money to charitable organizations, nothing can match the satisfaction of volunteering one's time. I have been looking for a service project where I could once again give the gift of my time and voice-over experience to benefit others.
I am pleased to announce that I have decided to volunteer as a narrator for LibriVox, which is an Internet organization that creates audio recordings of works in the public domain. While working in my stunning soundproof studio, I can continue to serve a larger audience of visually-impaired and other people who need and enjoy audiobooks.
Cruiser Karen Commins contemplates the Caribbean colors
seeps through yr fingers into the keys of yr keyboard&beyond
What exactly is a negative mindset? According to Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of numerous books on the Law of Attraction, you will have a negative mindset any time that you feel a negative emotion. They say that a negative emotion indicates you are feeling a lack of harmony with what you really WANT.
Continue reading Think/Write/Speak what you WANT into BEING!.
Buddhist teachings refer to karma, which is the universal law of cause and effect when related to a person's actions. Kara Edwards recently wrote about karma in her voice-over career, which is a perfect lead-in to my story today.
From childhood, I've always heard that it's better to give than receive. I didn't understand until the last few years that you actually receive by giving. Whenever I have unselfishly given my time, money and/or energy to another person or charity, I have been rewarded in surprising and unexpected ways. Kara's story wonderfully illustrates this principle.
About the same time that Kara wrote her entry, I was contacted by a newcomer seeking advice about the voice-over industry. Each week brings similar inquiries, and I admit that I have become somewhat jaded by them. I am perpetually asked what I can do to help the person who called or wrote to me for advice. People seem to want the shortcuts to voice-over success and glory.
This time was different.
This time, the newcomer asked me what she could do to help me.
Continue reading It's better to give than receive.
When is the last time that you cleaned out your filing cabinet? Until recently, Drew and I might have answered "about 20 years ago." If I had realized the negative effect that the overstuffed file drawers were having on my voice-over career, I would have done something about it long before now! Perhaps my story will inspire you to sort through your own files.
We decided to redecorate my office with new furniture, which meant pulling all of the files out of the drawers before the furniture could be moved. We made numerous trips to gather armfuls of hanging file folders that we stacked on the floor in the upstairs hall. Although the clutter in the hall was overwhelming, we agreed on the arduous task of examining every piece of paper and file so that we would only keep those things we needed.
Throughout this project, we have shredded at least 6 bags of paper and thrown away countless sheets. In addition to finding a multitude of outdated records about our health, finances and possessions, I was incredulous to see just how much paper I had accumulated in my work as a voice talent.
When I do an audition, I save the script so that I will have it available when I am booked for the job. I had folders overflowing with scripts from agents and on-line casting services. I also maintain folders for clients and their jobs.
My system works well -- EXCEPT that I never got rid of anything! In making decisions about voice-over paperwork to toss, I combined principles discussed in 2 books on seemingly disparate subjects: Michael Port's bestseller Book Yourself Solid : The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling and Catherine Ponder's classic work The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity.
Continue reading Filing scripts under "P" for prosperity.
Seattle voice talent Jeffrey Kafer recently wrote a terrific blog entry about ways to go above and beyond in your service as a voice talent. While I do several of the things on his list, the most important one is expressing gratitude for the voice-over gigs that come my way.
Don't suck up! Please! Don't spend a lot of your time and money finding little gifts for your clients or sending thank-you notes after each session. I know this advice flies in the face of other opinions, but it's what has always worked for me. Think about it. You don't receive much more than a Christmas card from the people who work for you, like your mail carrier, your paper delivery boy, or your dry cleaner. There is no reason to be overtly grateful for the work. You're doing them as much of a favor by performing consistently as they are in giving you the job in the first place. It's a very symmetrical synergy.
Whenever I first work with a client, I always send that person a hand-written note and include a small gift card. I have been surprised how many people respond by thanking ME for the gesture! They truly seem touched by the thoughtfulness. Apparently, many people emulate Don LaFontaine's view of thank-you notes and gifts:
-- Don LaFontaine, Secrets of Voice-Over Success, p. 20
While I don't pretend to have the stratospheric demand or accompanying financial blessings of Mr. LaFontaine, I disagree with his statements about thank-you gifts on several points. First, voice talent cannot compare themselves to postal workers. American postal workers are salaried employees of the US federal government who automatically earn a paycheck and benefits. As I worked for much of my life as a federal employee, I can also state that federal employees are prohibited by law from accepting gifts exceeding a very modest value, and all gifts received in a calendar year count toward that value.
Aside from these monetary issues, the bigger difference between voice-over artists and postal carriers is that the postal service has a monopoly. If you want to receive mail and have it delivered to your house each day, you know you must contact the postal service.
Someone choosing voice talent doesn't have such a clear-cut decision. The decision-maker could search for the ideal voice-over specialist through millions of individual web sites of voice actors or on various on-line casting sites. The person looking for voice talent may decide to contact a talent agent to narrow the field, or they may be influenced by the marketing efforts of a particular voice talent. Perhaps the person asks someone in their industry for a recommendation.Regardless of the manner through which they decide to hire me, I am well aware that my clients had a choice. When they have another opportunity to contract voice talent, I want to do everything in my power to ensure they choose me again. My thank-you note may signal the end of the first job, but often, it is the bridge to a long-term relationship.
In the big picture, gratitude is a critical attribute for attracting prosperity and abundance. How can you expect to receive more of anything -- including voice-over jobs, wealth and prestige -- if you don't convey constant gratitude for everything that you already have?
Showing gratitude today will not only set you apart from other voice talent, as noted by Jeffrey Kafer, but more importantly, you will put the right kind of energy out in the world. As I continue to read and learn from works based on the Law of Attraction, I understand more and more that what you put out in the world will come back to you and probably in ways that you didn't expect.
Because of the energy that I am sending forth into the universe, I expect someday to achieve the level of success in voice-over currently enjoyed by Don LaFontaine. Even then, I would still send a personal thank-you note to each new client.
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