Taking Back My Voice
Or I could have titled this just as easily - “It’s Personal, but don’t take it Personally”.
There are many different types in this world — different faces, different mindsets, different abilities, different personalities and more than 7 billion different voices.
Mine is just one voice, but it is mine.
And yet, my voice had felt a little less my own for some years. But one thing has always been true from the very onset of my being. I’m a creative type with a huge imagination and a playful spirit that hasn’t been playful at all in years.
It was not anyone’s fault nor had it been my voice that suddenly betrayed me, it was me that betrayed my voice. I let it disappear and become silent and a little laissez faire. I’m more introvert than extrovert … actually, there is nothing extroverted about me. On the Myers-Briggs Personality Type tests administered to me, the I and E indicators had some significant space between them on the scale. So, some might imagine personality wise perhaps, shrinking into a backdrop, making myself small and moving unnoticed could just be a natural result in losing my voice.
It is almost a year ago, I stood with my hands in a dear friends as she looked me in the eyes and I vowed to take back my life. I have. I’m still an introvert, but in doing so, I’ve begun to hear my voice a little more, and as I did …. Well, I liked it.
I liked not being afraid of being honest about how I felt. I liked feeling empowered again. I liked my actual voice.
Taking Back My Voice is more than a hashtag or blog title though as I realized my voice was very clearly and precisely leading me back to myself. That playful, creative, interesting, independent voice I lost somewhere between Milwaukee, Kathmandu, Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo and the more than 60+ other places between them and the little town I currently live.
I realize that this new path is not something you do on a whim and that not everyone who has a pleasant voice can make it on radio, tv, or online using it. Until this year, I had not even realized there was a career choice in voice over or narration work. However, once I opened my ears, it is now the first thing that registers when I’m seeing or hearing anything on tv, radio or online. Voice over work and narration all of a sudden resonated with me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time.
It feels right. It feels scary. Right now, as I begin and am practicing and listening and applying techniques … It feels like bloody hard work and it IS hard work. It feels like the biggest risk of my life and a huge challenge. And that brings me straight back to …. It feels right.
But at some point I had to either commit or just keep hearing myself through my headphones while sitting in a room all alone wondering if I had what it takes to make it on this path.
I believe I do, so as of right now, I’m Taking Back My Voice and applying it, practicing with it, improving it, growing it and using it for a career in voice over and narration.
For my immediate family and friends who may have just read this wondering … What? Did you ever believe I’d seriously retire? And, no, I haven’t quit my day job … YET!