VICTORIES FOR THE WEEK
I play Meggan and Sifris in Dragonheir: Silent Gods.
It's released on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android! Learn More Here
I booked an in-person gig!
I'll be recording in the studio for a project soon.
I started my blog!
Hopefully this is the start of many fun blogs to come.
The point where I started writing for myself was after a work burnout. I'm a science researcher, voice actor, singer, lover, fighter, and more. I realized, I never really had that discussion with myself on how quickly I expected myself to reach my ambitious goals. It was really easy for me to say “I want this” but still continue with my daily routine. I’m a visual and kinesthetic learner though. Thinking back to my school days, I realized writing was the way to cement information and tasks into my brain. Thus, began my journal journey.
How I got journals to work for me is to have TWO journals: my personal journal to write about my dreams, thoughts, and day; and my work journal to write about my agendas and what I did. I made sure to pick journals that appealed to me. I also decorated one of them so I know I would looking at it and, thus, enjoy writing in it.
My personal journal keeps me accountable for self-reflection. As an actor, I think it is important to remember moments in your own. To at least recount events you went through reminds you that you are living a life, just like the characters we create or are hired to play. Not every script will give you a backstory for your character, sometimes it’s up to us to show that dimensionality in our acting. This is what experiencing life and recounting those experiences will be helpful for.
Dreams have been a creative way for me to take inspiration from too, because sometimes bizarre situations happen in dreams that don’t happen in real life. But the feelings or reactions you have in those dreams is innate and comes from yourself. If you’re able to note down anything from a dream, I would highly encourage it. It helps with moments of introspection, but also with being in touch with a creative subconscious.
My work journal is my favorite one of the two (but don’t tell my other journal!). It’s so easy to use and makes me feel accomplished. I used to struggle with to-do lists because I always wrote too many things or gave myself tasks that weren’t practical for the day I knew I was going to have. I almost gave up to-do lists until I make a “to-done” list.
A “to-done” list is a list of tasks that I accomplished, regardless of whether I planned on doing them or not. Making these consistently finally allowed me to see what were feasible tasks to do and set realistic goals for myself. This can also be done
with long term goals! Now, I consistently make a to-do and a to-done list to consistently think about how to best plan my agenda.
While, I still have my day job, I put to-do items for both my voice over career and work shifts. They honestly work hand in hand because it’s not like I can get more time in the day to work on one or the other. Finding success in both is also finding out how to fit both careers into the same day.
Everyone works different, but I think noting your own progress and what is effective for you can be very clarifying. English was my weakest subject and my family still agrees my writing is not my strength. But knowing how to write, to express yourself with words, can be your key to learning to effective communicate to yourself and others about your own wants, needs, and goals. Your writing can make a difference, and it can be for yourself.