Last week I had to fly back to the UK to attend the funeral of one of my mentors. I would not have missed it for the world. It was a Hindu funeral. A celebration of life rather than a somber occasion. It was such a privilege to listen to his close family members recall stories of what a joy he was to be around. That really moved me. As I get older, I am starting to understand more and more that you will take the wonderful memories of relationships you have had wherever you go in the end, but you can’t take material things.
This is a lesson that you can apply to your creative business too. I don’t love my job as a voice over just because of the financial success it brings me and the freedom it provides to be my own boss. More importantly, I treasure the relationships that I am building with other fantastic creatives who love what they do. It is just such a joy to collaborate with fellow creatives and be part of an end product that can make a positive impact on people. Whether the audience is a few hundred or even a few million, the fact that my voice in conjunction with someone else’s creative visuals can help someone learn something, help a brand get its message across or change someone’s emotion about a subject is quite amazing. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
That is what drives me. Every time I see a finished project, I am blown away by how all of the creatives involved combine to create something amazing. The passion in a project can continue to shine long after the people involved have moved on to their next work of art. Making a difference to people, even if it is just one person is enough to make it worthwhile.
So, next time you get lost or frustrated with your creative life. The jobs aren’t coming in as fast this month. You are getting burnt out on your marketing efforts. Remember that you are making a difference. Remember that you have created something that was not there before and will help someone feel an emotion. You can’t take your microphone or Red camera to wherever we go after this life, but you can take that feeling that you made a difference.
Craig Williams is a professional British Voice Over Actor who works with clients like Amazon, Barclay’s, Rolls Royce and more.
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