Comments

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  Tom Dolan July 17, 2009 at 12:02pm

  There are many ways to communicate, many tools to use too. I like Derek Chappell's visual comment: "are you just staring at the box?" We're all in the voice end of things but it's nice to see creative writing still has it's place... especially without the restriction of 140 characters.
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  Penny Abshire July 16, 2009 at 11:53am

  What a great idea, Wesley! Since I'm always telling my students they need to "read out loud everyday" I'll pass this on to them. The great thing is that they'll be learning valuable new things WHILE they are reading. I especially like the suggestion of poetry. A real challenge is reading books by Dr. Suess, but NOT reading them in the rythmn of the poetry (which is what most people do) - but more like a conversational story. It's an interesting exercise.
  
  Excellent ideas! Thanks!
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  Wesley Hind July 16, 2009 at 11:39am

  Well. Wes Hind hear again. I wanted to say thanks for all the material. I am now adding your great comments to the pieces I read out loud in my studio/library as well as my poetry collection other favorite books. My son thinks I've got a chance. He's 20 and has a very good speaking voice which I hope he might use in this milieu. Anyhoo. Thanks again for the material. I was just about to get out my book of poetry by the inimitable Ogden Nash. Good stuff. Bye. Wesley
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  Penny Abshire July 16, 2009 at 11:29am

  Wow! Derek! What a beautifully written post!
  
  Have you every thought about writing a book? It is obvious your words come from your heart - which makes the VERY best books. A book of encouragement for voice actors would be awesome! Think about it, kid! You definitely have the spark!
  
  And Welcome, Wesley - we are so happy you're with us! Be sure to take some time to read some the older posts - there are some real GOODIES you don't want to miss!
  
  Hugs,
  
  Penny
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  Wesley Hind July 16, 2009 at 11:17am

  Hi! I must admit to a certain awe. You folks are a remarkable pool of talent! As a survivor of the San Francisco scene I do apreciate the support given all of you to all of you. I agree entirely with Ms. Edwards. I am a student of life and have been battling my own baggage forever and every time I get to be creative or get to witness creativity I feel the baggage of insecurity and self doubt vanish in the pure joy of the moment. i once counted out the yarrow stalks in an ancient asian ceremony involving the I Ching,Book of Changes. I asked who I was.Whoa! Heavy! The answer I got was really fascinating. It gave me the hexagram of six unbroken lines which denotes the first one in the book,"The Creative". Ouch! Now I have no excuse to not try and be creative in order to bring laughter,information and wonder to life for anyone who might be listening. i am honored to have a page in this marvelous group. Thanks for the welcome! Penny Abshire. And special thanks to my new mentor,Keith Alan.
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  Derek Chappell July 16, 2009 at 4:22am

  From -
  
  Tonight, my daughter and I worked on a puzzle. I admit that she did a lot more "working" on the puzzle than I did. She has an extreme amount of patience for puzzles that I simply do not possess. She can look at the box to see what the puzzle should look like, then seemingly go right to the piece or pieces she's looking for and put them together. While she's being very efficient, I'm spending way too much time looking for just that 'one' piece that's going to really get me started. Well, you don't have to guess who had more of the puzzle put together by the time we stopped.
  
  Establishing oneself in the very competitive voiceover market is much like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. It takes extreme patience. You look at the completed picture of the puzzle on the box, which is actually a picture of you and your goals and your passion, eventually coming to fruition. Then you look at all of the pieces scattered about the table and wonder how you're ever going to put them all together. It just seems too overwhelming. Where do you even start?
  
  Obviously, you start with the first piece. Then you find the next and the next and the next and before you know it you've got part of the picture coming together. Those pieces represent all of the aspects it takes to be a successful voiceover artist in today's market. There are pieces of training, technique, practice, coaching, characters, equipment, computers, software, soundproofing, demo's, websites, blogs, marketing, agents, unions, auditions, etc, etc, etc....a lot of pieces scattered all over the table. But, isn't it comforting to know that you actually have all of the pieces that it takes?
  
  If you will be realistic with yourself from the start and know that it is going to take time, patience, and perseverance to complete the puzzle, then as you put it all together, one piece at a time, you will actually start to see the picture on the box take shape right before your eyes. You must remember that it is YOUR puzzle and that no two people use the exact same piece in the exact same order when putting a puzzle together. Set your pace, your strategy, your technique and follow it, piece-by-piece and enjoy the successful feeling of accomplishment along the way.
  
  So, have you started putting your pieces together, or are you just staring at the box?
  
  Derek Chappell
  The Voice of Your Business

  Derek Chappell - The Voice of Your Business
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  Penny Abshire July 16, 2009 at 1:06am

  Dearest Sonnie,
  
  We're so glad that neither Bambi NOR the Harley won - and that you are safe and going strong! Thanks for a great post!
  
  Hugs,
  
  Penny
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  Bryan Cox July 15, 2009 at 6:47pm

  Be the kind of person, that as soon as your feet hit the ground in the morning, the Devil says..."Oh Crap he/she's up"
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  Bryan Cox July 15, 2009 at 6:30pm

  What a PERFECT commercial and SONG!!
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  Sonnie Brown July 15, 2009 at 6:22pm

  Hi all,
  I've been reading and enjoying your posts for quite a while. Just want to say how grateful I am to Penny for starting this group. I had one of those near-D experiences a few months ago - Bambi v. Harley, (don't want to put a damper on the fun motorcycle msgs! I love 'em too.) Now I'm counting every day as an extra one in life. LOVE reading all your birthday fun. My theme phrase now is - "I think I'll go do _____ (fill in the blank for things you proscrastinate about, think you have no $$ for, no time for, no energy for - but that intrigues or excites you) - shoot, I almost died! I'm gonna do it." I'm plotting out a 3-week road trip to Austin TX and Lyons CO - I'm finally walking okay, and I can certainly drive! I'll see ya'll at Voice 2010!