It’s really easy to feel despondent over what you perceive as a stagnating voice-acting career. Believe me, I’ve been there; it can seem like you are miles from where you want to be. Plus, when ecstatic folks post their audition wins on social media, you can feel like a total loser. But you’re not.
I have experienced every high and low you can imagine as a voice actor, and I can tell you that the old adage is true: wherever you go, there you are. How you feel about yourself doesn’t magically change just because your voice is heard all over the nation, or maybe even the world.
I expected that when I became a successful voice actor all of my inner struggles would disappear and I would suddenly be that vibrant, confident, and beautiful person everybody dreams of being.
It’s true, you do get an emotional high when you book a job, but it doesn’t last. Remember: what goes up must come down. I know I am not alone when I say that booking huge jobs leaves you hankering for more. There’s always that shinier plum just out of reach.
Can you name any other job where you spend most of your time, essentially interviewing? That’s what auditioning is. Think about all of the different companies and people you have auditioned for and how many talented folks you’ve been up against.
If you listen to your family or friends, you may throw in the towel. But if you keep doing the inner work as well as the outer training, you will begin to get past the notion that you’re not good enough just because you are currently not booking a lot.
What’s really cool is if you hang in there, you’ll start to see that you are a voice actor no matter how many bookings you get.
Is an artist still an artist if no one buys their paintings? Of course they are.Being a voice-actor is your art form.
Try looking at auditioning as a big part of being a voice actor, and accept the reality that booking a job is mostly out of your hands.
When we stress less – we book more!
Letting go of the need to prove our self-worth every time we audition allows the magic of authenticity to occur in our performances, and that’s what casting is looking for. When we don’t care as much what people think we allow ourselves to take risks and have more fun!
Here are more ways to lift ourselves out of the “not booking” doldrums:
- Audition more
- When you feel down, you may feel like auditioning less, but that’s exactly when you should step it up! This builds momentum and creates positive energy. Try doing at least one audition every day. Be committed. Look at the process as a way to explore your creativity with the script. Auditioning creates opportunities and continually sharpens your skills.
- Keep up with what’s going on in the industry
- Read industry articles daily and follow your favorite actors, coaches, and casting directors on social media. You can learn a lot from their postings.
- Keep training
- There’s a saying among actors: when you’re not working, you’re training. Just like Olympians, you’ve got to keep your skills sharp.
Finally: quit comparing yourself to others. There’s nothing more damaging and less productive than telling yourself you should be on the same booking level as your favorite video game star.
Everybody’s timing for success is different, so give yourself a break and keep working your craft. Yes, it’s all very challenging; but each day you will be closer to doing what you love, in an amazing career that is anything but routine.
As Tom Hanks once said, “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.”
Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!
Want to learn more about voiceover? Signup for our introductory VO webinar.
