VAM 108 | Q & A Session 22 – How to Overcome Anxiety and Fear as a Voice Actor
Welcome to episode 108 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!
As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:
http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast
In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.
For this round of Q & A, I answer a question from Greg from Nashville, TN.
Greg wants to know what he can do to overcome his feelings of anxiety and fear when it comes to voice acting. He feels like it’s getting in the way of taking his voice acting to the next level.
His question is a very common question. In fact, probably the most common question I get other than simply how to become a voice actor, is whether or not I can help someone overcome their feelings of anxiety. I actually did my best to address this question way back in episode 9 of the podcast entitled “Building Confidence“, and I encourage Greg and everyone in my audience to listen to that episode if you haven’t already.
However, I’d like to applaud Greg for asking this very common question in a very uncommon and insightful way. When you listen to his voice mail in the episode, you’ll realize that he’s clearly taken the time to analyze his own patterns of thought and his own internal emotional life. He understands the importance of mastering his own anxiety and he’s even aware that it’s possible to channel his nervous energy so that it can help him rather than hinder him.
Because Greg has put so much forethought into his question, and because he articulated it in such a clear and thorough manner, I’d like to take this entire episode to share with all my listeners the best tools I know of to help overcome anxiety from an actor’s perspective. Hopefully that will give Greg and my entire audience added confidence when pursuing your own voice acting goals.
If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:
323-696-2655.
Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks for listening!
Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #108 Here (MP3)
DDP has said that there are only two things you can really control, how you think and how you breathe. It calms you, gives you life.
Now, I’m just reflecting on what I’ve done this year, which isn’t much. I’ve done a little bit more on that one role I got, but the rest is out of my hands. Not to mention I spent half the year trying to upgrade my equipment after the Blue Yeti thing.
I did start my own podcast though. It’s super fun.
Thank you, as always, for your time and wisdom. In case we don’t come in contact again, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope we get to work together again. I’m so glad to have you as my mentor.
I hope you had a good holiday season. Glad you enjoyed this episode as well. Take care.
Fantastic podcast episode, Crispin. I really enjoyed this one.
I really want to experience the fever pitch technique, just as an experiment into my own human psychology, see what I do when under unbelievable amounts of stress. I just need the time and a subject to focus on for extended periods of time.
Can’t wait till the next episode! And happy holidays and a happy new year to you and your wonderful family!
Yours,
~ Kalyn
I’m glad! The fever pitch technique is an interesting one. And I agree with you, it’s important to do it when you have enough time and a safe space to do it. Take care!
Hey Crispin,
I’ve listened to almost every one of your podcast episodes so far and I’ve noticed that you have this awesome ability to take many of the personal struggles of voice over, like issues with confidence and anxiety, and refocus them into a healthier and more positive way of thinking. In fact, many of these things you talk about can be applied to life in general, which is a huge, huge plus.
I know personally, I’ve been able to implement so many positive changes to my own way of thinking thanks to your podcast. It’s reduced my own anxiety tremendously and I think I can honestly say, you have offered me new and positive ways of approaching voice over and life that I wouldn’t have even considered years ago.
Your positivity and love for the craft are quite inspiring and I can’t wait to hear more from you in the New Year. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Crispin!
All the best,
Kai Skrotzki
Thank you Kai. I’m glad you’re finding my advice on voice acting applicable to larger life issues. I’ve always thought that that is a nice effect of studying acting, you have to explore your own emotions and psychology. As Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.”
I’m very glad that my advice has helped you reduce your anxiety. That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for letting me know that. I really appreciate it.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season as well! Take care!
I’ll need to be sure to listen to this one often and practice the techniques within hard, because that tantrum spiral of self-doubt and second-guessing has definitely happened to me before. Hell, it even happened when I tried to call in with a question of my own just now ;__;
Thanks so much for continuing to share with us the little tips and tricks like these that help overcome some really crippling internal, psychological issues, not only in the process of recording, but in even getting out of one’s shell and finding opportunities to try new things out. Big thanks to Greg as well, for bringing it up in such a well-articulated, relatable, and thorough manner.
Can’t wait to hear more.
Good! I’m glad that you’re finding useful techniques in this episode! I wish you the best.
Hi Crispin,
I wanted your take on handling social issues in the professional setting. It’s not quite voice-acting, but definitely related.
For sure, at other jobs or social settings there are bound to be people you butt heads or do not agree with. I feel I’m fair when it comes to professional mannerisms. However, when is it okay to just drop the project and say no? Even small indie projects, I’ve encountered groups with what I consider to be toxic environments that added unecessary stress on top of my life offline. I’m just wondering what you would do if similar situations occured in the professional entertainment industry (I think it’s safe to assume the level of organisation is much different from indie productions). Do you ‘suck it up’ and just get the job done? Or do you leave when things get nasty?
Thank you, and take care!
Sage
You ask a very difficult and nuanced question Sage. It really depends on the project and how much you’re willing to try and get along with your colleagues and when you have to draw the line and say enough is enough and you can’t in good conscience work on the project anymore.
Usually when people have reached a professional level of voice over work, they have learned to collaborate with others effectively and they also tend to have a good and generous work ethic. However, there are always exceptions. I’ve only had to walk away from a handful of projects in my professional career.
Sometimes I find myself working with a difficult director or producer but I know I can do a good job and that the gig will probably only last a couple of hours. If so, I usually do my best for the sake of the project and move on. However, there have been cases where I could tell going in that it was going to be a train wreck. In those instances I’ve had to graciously bow out of the project.
The key is to spend time thinking about your boundaries, establish them and then be consistent. People in the industry can respect someone consistently sticking to their principles.
I apologize if this has been asked before but I’m a huge fan. Do you have a motto or a personal philosophy when it comes to confidence? Lemmy once said “if you think you have it run it up a flag pole and see who salutes it”.
What would be your motto?
I’ve never thought about it in terms of a motto or a mantra to help with confidence. I’ve always been inspired by Joseph Campbell’s advice to “Follow Your Bliss.” I’m not sure I have a motto or manta other than the quote from Stanislavski that I often repeat on the podcast, “Love the art in yourself more than yourself in the art.” I am fond of the quote about fear from Frank Herbert’s novel, Dune, which Paul Atreides recites often, “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”