As this is a bank holiday week end here in England, today’s post is a short one.
It’s a mini post of sorts, but the picture says it all.
Be yourself…as you are (not including personal self improvement) is good enough! You CAN make your dreams come by recognising and celebrating your own personal value, and what you “bring to the party!”
I love this poster. I found it on Facebook!
Cheers!
http://www.stefsvoice4u.co.uk
http://www.positiveaffirmationsandaudiostories.co.uk
I decided the other day that it was time to change my Voiceover working environment. Short of tearing up walls, or building an addition on to the house what else could I do? I decided to try and change the energy of my recording environment. I moved furniture around and changed the location of the mic and installed a more sound absorbing material around the perimeters of my recording space.
Then I found some inspirational pictures and hung them on the walls of my recording space. These were just small changes, but what a difference it made in the feel of my little “booth”. It felt very comfortable and cosy. Next on my wish list was “smell”. I envisioned filling the space with a fragrance that energised, but didn’t overpower. I found my special spray at a Mind, Body and Spirit festival. It’s made from herbs and essential oils which I spray in the area before every recording session. NOTE: This would be a definite faux pas in an outside studio where perfume, etc. is a no no! So don’t try this in the field kids. But at home, it’s a kind of signal to my mind that it’s time to do some very special work.
One thing I discovered after shifting everything is I have more room to move around as I record whilst still remaining on-mic. Nice! Because the space has now become fresh and new, I feel more creative and ready to work. I’m also purchasing some additional software which has different capacities than my current recording programme. So I can be more flexible in meeting a client’s requirements by being able to switch between different programmes as needed.
It’s good to keep ourselves on our toes and always moving ahead in a positive way. It’s great how change in one area of life spills over into the others. It’s good I think to keep our personal environment in a way that pleases and enriches us. If we are happy and productive then we’re in a better position to be useful and serve others.
How are you enhancing your working environment – whatever your career might be? Or maybe you’ve already done the work and are totally content and cool with where you are right now! Life is grand!
Cheers!
I found this article from the “innerspace” centre here in England in Covent Garden, whilst I was clearing out my emails this morning.
It’s a good one, so I thought I’d share it with my friends in cyber-space.
As a matter of fact, I’m thinking of changing the way I relate to the term “bad habits”…from now on, I’m going to call it “unproductive behaviour”. That motivates me to change things which have no purpose, rather than beating myself up over something that I perceive to be “bad”. This is a more positive and loving way to look at change & personal evolution, I think!
Breaking Bad Habits
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. How to break bad habits:
- focus on changing just one habit at a time
- acknowledge how the habit dis-empowers you
- realise how you alone can break the habit, no-one else can do it for you
- separate yourself from your habit and understand that you aren’t your habit
- visualise yourself without the habit
- replace the bad habit with something positive
- don’t focus on the “not doing”, but instead, focus on ” doing” the positive action
- don’t beat yourself up when you slip up, just break the habit as many times as it takes
Maybe we can take some of these tips to leave unproductive habits behind us, with regard to our VoiceOver careers as well!
I’ve started monitoring my auditioning, marketing efforts, etc. in journals on my iPodTouch. I’m finding this makes it much easier for me to keep track of things and see just how diligently I’m working (or not working) on the various aspects needed to keep a VoiceOver career more often in full bloom, vs languishing.
Take care friends, and thanks for all of your much appreciated support!
Cheers
I came across an article in today’s email that is very relevant to us as Voice Artists with our constant focus on ‘signature sounds’ AND to everyone as people and citizens of Planet Earth. So I’ll share it with you now. It makes great food for thought.
“When we have high self-value, our desires require no justification as purpose. ~Mark Petruzzi
Value yourself. Value your Self. Your value never changes. You can’t increase it and you can’t diminish it.
Sure, the value of your actions can vary, but the value of who you are never, ever will. Never confuse your actions, possessions and connections with who you are. If you don’t yet know the difference between who you are, and all the things you do and own, it’s time to get started on getting to know yourself in a new way.
Imagine yourself as a song. What is your personal “tone,” your personal “sound?”
Make it part of everything you do. Put more YOU in your life. To deny your worth is to deny the worth of the Divine spark in us all. Value who you are.
Value Yourself Enough to Dare Not to Compare…When used in a way to make your ego feel either superior or inferior to someone else, comparison is a happiness-killer.”
Cheers, my friends
Stefania
Here’s a brief description of the conference. It’s strictly for working voiceover professionals, rather than those just starting out in their careers!
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Now eating Reese’s Pieces (chocolate & peanut butter sweets)on the train into London.
The thought has just come to me that they remind me of friendship. Many wonderful thoughts are coming to me of times I’ve shared them with friends & loved ones.
Sharing them with a pal on the way home from the Anime convention, going over the events of the day; sharing them with hubby whilst on holiday.
It’s good to have cheerful memories! What reminds YOU of friendship?
Cheers!
Stefania 
Well, I’ve joined the Podcasting brigade! I’m quite enjoying it…broadcasting news about voiceover, lifestyle, travel, audiobook narrations… I’ll be broadcasting twice a week.
I’ve done three so far, – they’re under review at iTunes, so it will soon be possible to subscribe to them via iTunes.
Here are the first three that I’ve done. I’ll be working on the 4th one this week.
1st Broadcast – Children’s fiction narration
stefsvoice4u Broadcast – Podcast #1
2nd Broadcast – Voiceover A-Z, Events in London, iPod App of the Week
stefsvoice4u Broadcast – Podcast #2
3rd Broadcast – St. Albans Market, events coming up, Children’s fiction narration, Pt. 2
stefsvoice4u Broadcast – Podcast #3
Cheers all!
Bob Soeur, myself, Deidre Cooper, and Philip Banks
Attending VOX2009 was fantastic. It was so good to meet some voiceover peeps whom I’d only known through the VO-BB (see sidebar for a link to this forum) and to hook with some vo colleagues based here in London. Above are some of my mates from the VO-BB.
Trish Bertram and Anthony Richardson
London-based voiceovers – Trish and Anthony
David, and Mike Cooper
More London peeps — David (not sure of surname)
[just found out! David Vickery],
and Mike Cooper
Meeting the various producers was a wonderful opportunity to present my voiceover services to people whom I don’t ordinarily have a chance to interact. Speed networking is something else! 15 seconds for producers to tell about themselves,and then 1-minute for me to present myself, then the whistle blows and it’s move along swiftly to the next chair and producer. Wow! It was very exhilarating experience. But if you’re clear on your purpose, know your services and where you’re coming from, and listen carefully to the producer’s intro… it’s very do-able.
Now all the excitement is over and it’s back to gigging, marketing myself and everyday life. I’ve just received a script for a Dr. Who internet radio drama. My character wasn’t ravaged by the monsters…she’s back. Hooray! I love acting. I love voice acting.
I’ve also produced two real estate/travel oriented video tour narration demos. They’re in the videos section of this blog. Just did an audition for what looks like a fun project — so fingers crossed on that one!
Keep smiling, keep positive, keep voicing!
Cheers
Cornwall Robin (photo taken by myself)
I’ve invested a lot of time lately learning a bit more about voice over marketing by reading articles/blogs from admired peeps such as Philip Banks, J.S. Gilbert and Susan Berkeley.
The word for the rest of 2008 and into 2009… market more specifically; market locally; and do my homework and target my market — I’ll work smarter, not harder! To get the local marketing ball rolling, just left something at my dentist’s office the other day. Sent holiday greetings to past and current clients as well. I seem to be getting lots of encouraging emails re upcoming projects, so let’s hold the energy that they’ll come through — whilst investigating other projects. Feeling optomistic, confident and positive!
Tuesday, 16 December, 2008 was the 60th Birthday of the Scrabble game.
There’s an interesting and inspirational back story here! The creator, Alfred Mosher Butts, painstakingly worked to develop his game — Criss Crosswords –bit by bit from 1931. By 1938 he’d revised it and then offered it to each of the established games manufactuers — it was turned down by all!
Maybe that should have been the end of the story, but a colleague, James Brunot, came across one of Butts’ hand lettered home made sets; made some changes; & called it Scrabble – copyrighted in 1948. After more trials and tribulations Scrabble finally hit the big time in 1952 when the department store, Macy’s, placed an order. By 1953 Scrabble was licensed to one of the big manufacturers who had previously turned it down. It’s now the world’s biggest selling game.
It looks like sometimes we just have to perservere, strive to improve our product (our voice technique, way of marketing, etc.), learn more about our field, network like crazy, and hold down a good part-time alternate source of income till the dream becomes reality!
Attention all narration voice over artists!
According to the Independent (15-12-08) newspaper, current affairs programmes are having an unexpected renaissance.
This includes traditional current affairs programming and immersion television (encouraging the viewer to make their own conclusion about the facts presented on the programme).
Better polish up those narrative demos and get them out on the market!
The following is an article reprinted from Ayd’s newsletter– very topical for voice over peeps and Clanger fans!
The Genius of Oliver Postgate
Oliver Postage died this month. His voice, instantly recognisable to millions of British children, harks back to a fairer, more generous, more innocent time. A time of wonder, of looking up to the nights sky and wondering about life on a small blue planet in space and the strange whistling knitted creatures that live there. His animated stories of ‘The Clangers’ gave us a sense of politeness and calm. A world of soup dragons and copper trees, of magic froglets and music that grew on trees that you could use to power a flying boat (or to eat). “It’s nice to have visitors” said Oliver’s narration, “but sometimes it’s even nicer to see them go”.
‘Ivor the Engine’ told us the stories of a Welsh steam engine who sang in the choir. The stillness and warmth of the tales gave children a sense of peace and friendship not found in modern television storytelling with its crashes, bangs and rushing around. My three year old son loves Ivor. He has a tiny toy train and imagines his own adventures, making the sound, “Sher-ta-coo, sher-ta-coo” as his plays.
The same alternative energy was found in the most loved children’s programme of all time, ‘Bagpuss’. The story of the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world. He lived in the window of a junk shop who came to life with all his friends, to mend whatever item Emily brought to the shop.
As you may remember, the Clangers spoke only in whistles. This is what Oliver Postgate said about that challenge:
“They spoke a language of very articulate whistling squeak, which needed to be translated from its natural medium of nuclear magnetic resonance (there being no air to carry sound) into audible terms. The nearest I could get to that was to write out the script in full and then persuade Stephen Sylvester to help me record the dialogue…by reading it, or rather playing the inflections of it, on a selection of Swannee whistles. In this way I was hoping to make a sort of wild-life film in which, by listening carefully, the viewer would be able to understand what was being said and work out what was going on … I made a separate voice-over tape, a sort of intermittent running-commentary on what was going on. It worked quite well but I have always wondered how the films would go in their original form.
I did try it once, I took an episode of The Clangers to the 1984 E.B.U. conference in Germany and showed it to the participants without my voice-over. Afterwards I asked them whether they had been able to understand what the Clangers were saying. ‘But of course.’ they replied. “They are speaking perfect German.’ ‘But no.’ said Gerd, ‘That is not so. They spoke only Swedish.’”
See the remarkable and creative story of the making of the films at this URL:
This information originally appeared in ‘Ding!’, the free ezine produced by Ayd Instone, available at http://www.aydinstone.com”;
HAPPY HOLIDAYS to everybody and BLESS…
will be back in January….
Cheers…
