I’ve spent so long focused on improving myself (sleep habits, organization skills, cleaning skills, etc.) and my voice over skills, that I completely neglected my hobbies and other interests. I feel like a misshapen pizza dough that was rolled only in a couple of directions so I’m going to redo my blog practices… and my life but that’s more of a side note. Not only will I use the blog to mark my VO milestones, I’ll also be using it to touch on topics of interest, from crafts (hand sewing, painting, book binding, etc.), to investing, to exercise and indulgences.
Speaking of indulgences… There are lots of secret YouTube pleasures that I indulge in that I’ve never shared with anyone else because, frankly, I get enough weird looks. But with a blog, heeheehee, I can share my good feelings and interests without fear of judgmental looks. Sure you can still give ‘em but it won’t steal my joy, hahaha! Okay, it’s not about weird looks, they’ve just never come up in conversation, especially in these times, we’re hustling and don’t have time to chat about some things. Though there is one indulgence that serves both as a warning and a pleasure that I’d like to share. If you’ve ever watched Dr. Bernard (look for chubbyemu on YouTube), you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sometimes when I watch his videos a little too much I start to hear him narrate my life. That’s when I know to change my behavior. Lol. If you’ve never watched… then feast on this! And if you’re going about your day and ever hear him say, “This is what happened…” – reconsider whatever you’re about to do!
My intention, going forward, is to do two blogs a month. One on something that catches my interest and the other blog will still be on my VO milestone. At least starting next month. In the name of energy conservation and the fact that there are only a few days left in the month, I’ll add my VO milestone here.
I wish I remembered to share it sooner because for the past couple of weeks (maybe three) I’ve been raving about discovering my real voice! Which seems silly to those outside of the narrating world but those who narrate will get it. When most of us enter the voice over world, we speak with a “narrator voice”. It’s so hard to lose. It’s like spinach in your teeth. Everyone but you can see it and even if someone is brave enough to tell you about it, doesn’t mean much because when you try to fix it following their instructions it’s usually to no avail until you finally see your own reflection. But I finally got to narrate using the voice that I speak to my friends with, instead of sounding like a depressed orator. LOL. It means a total overhaul of my demos but it means that I finally stepped into the world of consciously competent! Hahaha! I kept thinking I was there multiple times but then I found myself still dwelling in the world of consciously incompetent. Where you know that there’s so much you don’t know but you just can’t get a solid hold.
Right now, I’m preparing for my fourth Audible narration. This time I’ll be narrating a wonderfully meaningful children’s book. When I first read it, I immediately began scouring Amazon for a stuffed animal that fit the character I’ll be voicing. There’s just something about it that made me want to immerse myself in it and voice something that children and adults alike could enjoy. Maybe because its underlying sentiment is such a timeless truth that it speaks to all ages. It spoke to me and the child within me. I’ll share more later but that’s all the teaser I’m offering today.
Ah, the picture I’m using is from lunch today. Every time I make a salad, I think of the first Audible book I narrated, Saucy Southern Stories. In it, she talked about the salad dressing in such words that I HAD to get it. Ever since I tried it, it has been my favorite salad dressing ever. I love finding bonus treasure chests in stories, this one just so happened to be Vidalia onion flavored.