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Writer's pictureWoody Yates

Are You For Real?


I GOTTA SAY SOMETHING.


And I hope its inspirational. It might be a bit blunt, but sometimes we need blunt.


I hear the term "impostor syndrome" being bantered about. The "pros" use it to give you perspective in the sense that its not you. Not something you're doing wrong. Not your fault, and they're right. It ain't you. Well, it is you, but its not something you're doing other than to yourself. 


Let me give you a bit of encouragement. Yeah, that did sound a bit on the blunt side. Sorry, not sorry. 


Listen. It happens. You feel like someone else made it when you didn't. Perhaps you didn't get a job or gig and someone else did. You're not really sure why. You didn't get feedback. You just know you didn't get it. Guess what. Life's tough. Get a helmet.


Let me ask you this...or rather why don't you ask yourself. "Have I ever produced something that quite honestly I think I did a damn fantastic job at? Was it my best? Is it something I would show my peers? Am I proud of it?"


If you can answer Yes to that, then dammit, you ain't an impostor. You're not a failure. You're not worth less than someone else. 


We all hear "Well, you just weren't the voice they were looking for." And that's the fact. You're not an impostor, you just simply weren't the solution. No big deal.


When you meet with the "pros", either online or in person, you might feel intimidated and inadequate. Heck, I felt that way meeting some in person. But if you step back and think about it, those people; especially in the voiceover industry, generally help others and are pretty nice people. Nothing to be scared about and that lack of fear abates any feeling of that dreaded impostor syndrome.


Ok, so you just got started. You haven't been doing this for some time. I get it. Maybe a year. Maybe two. Three. Who knows. You feel like you "just don't stack up". You might not. So what. Get to that point. Learn from the Pros. Talk to them. Get to know them. Get to know a LOT of them. Be as good as them. That's on you. 


Now. The Impostor Syndrome is real. I get that. But...It's all you. What you really are feeling is "What did they do that I didn't?" So find the heck out. Ask them or ask someone or go on UoYT* and find out. Ya ain't an impostor unless you're lieing to them and ultimately to yourself. 


I can honestly say I have done well over 500 explainer video voiceovers and over 140 political spots. Am I an impostor? NO. Have I been in a game? Well....yes. Am I a game voice? Ehhhh...Yes. Am I a prolific game voice? No. 


See, the impostor syndrome comes from a lie. Either to yourself or to others. So stop lieing. "No. I haven't done XYZ. Tell me about that. How would I go about that?"


So. TL;DR. Get what you can from it. I dunno if it helps but if it does, good at'cha. Cheers.


*University of Youtube


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