Are you looking for recognition? Praise? Approval? If so, voice over may be the wrong profession for you. Sending your best auditions into the ether and never hearing back. Being selected for a call back and then not getting job. Being put on a hold only to be released the day before the session. This industry is brutal and if you are looking for someone to be your constant cheerleader then you many be looking in the wrong places.
Social media is not the answer. Voiceover is a supportive community. But if you think the best of the best are going to take time out of their day to critique you and pat you on the back for your shiny new demo that you posted on Facebook……think again. In most cases it will be budding new talent who comment whilst they were checking if anyone had left a comment on their demo!
I’ve been shortlisted! This can be a really deep hole that you can get yourself in. Many of the big online casting sites give the visibility of whether you have been shortlisted by the client or not. On the face of it, this is a remarkably interesting thing to know. But it shouldn’t be to fulfil your need for recognition. It should be an indication as to whether you are competitive or not. I used to be guilty of this. Constantly monitoring my likes and thumbs up and getting that endorphin kick when it’s good and feeling like absolute crap when they don’t come for days! It’s a time suck and it can be extremely demoralizing. You need to stop it. Check your auditions once a week and only to see if your ratio of likes to listen is within the boundaries of your expectations. You should be doing the best that you can in your auditions with freedom. You shouldn’t be looking for likes or thumbs up. Booking the job is the only thumbs up that counts.
Please like my posts! If you post on social media and are constantly checking to see how many likes or comments you have received, please see above. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, whatever. They are all designed to get you addicted to that endorphin buzz when you receive a notification that someone has liked or commented on your post. TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS on your phone. Set specific times of the day that you check in on social media and limit your interaction time. This can be seriously detrimental to your productivity and overall mental health. When you post, send and forget, unless you are asking a question.
And on a positive note. The reason I am telling you this is because I was guilty of all of the above. I wanted to feel wanted. I yearned for any indication that I was doing well. I wanted approval. Since stopping, the relief and freedom it has given me is unmeasurable. My auditions have a much better creative freedom. My decisions are more natural, and I don’t make them based on what I perceive other people will think. I do the best I can and then send and forget. It is one of the most freeing feelings you can get as a creative. Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.