How to stop from feeling overwhelmed?

It can feel like everything is burning…

The cognitive dissonance of the internet has got to me.

The economy is a mess.
Global conflicts continue to escalate.
Talented people get laid off to boost CEO bonuses.

You can say 'it's always like this'....
But f**k me man.

The job of an actor is to 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗘.
It's to find the resonance in other people's stories.
But if you actually do that, it can be tricky to disconnect.

Like most of us, I'm just trying to keep the lights on.
If I can do that in an entertaining and educational way that helps my business, even better.

But the first step in any problem is acknowledging it.

So this week I'm mainly going to be:

Spending less time online
Spending more time outdoors.
And donating to UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org.uk/

You’re not alone, if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
And I hope that you get to find the space and time to do what you need to do, to recuperate ✌️

Voice Acting tip of the week:

The quickest way to improve your message?
→ 𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦

If what you're saying:

❌ Isn't building on what's already been said...

OR

❌ Isn't moving the message forward...

Then see what happens if you cut it.

A great example is this speech from 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴.

Steve Martin recently spoke about how John Candy's performance of this speech moved him to tears...

✂️ YET writer/director John Hughes cut it to a single sentence.

It didn't add to the character.
It didn't add to the relationship.
It didn't help the rhythm of the film.

It's a beautiful piece in its own right.
But its inclusion would have diluted the whole.

Look for this in your own writing.

I'm NOT saying only use simple language.
I'm NOT saying only use short sentences.

But if you're ever in two minds about a section of writing, then try removing it entirely.

It might just provide the space for other words to breathe.

@chrisnaturallyrp

‘IT’S THE GIVNG’ - PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES by John Hughes #planestrainsandautomobiles #johncandy #johnhughes #delgriffith #johnhugh... See more

Behind The Scenes of the week:

Stephen Fry’s narration of the Harry Potter series is iconic, so this recent retrospective with him courtesy of Audible is well worth a listen. I’ve just completed an audiobook which is the first in a promised series, so his tips on keeping track of character voices spoke to me especially!

Media Recommendations:

Every week, I share three podcasts, articles or interviews that I’d strongly recommend. This week…

1. (Almost) Everybody hated that, Apple

   Apple’s latest commercial for their new Ipad sparked some visceral reactions… and few were positive. Whether you think all publicity is good publicity or not, it looks like a rare mis-step for a brand so often applauded for its creative touch.

2. Repurposing at source

   Hotels.com’s recent campaign cleverly repurposed the assets of their TV spot to serve their social media campaign in a totally different way. This LinkedIn post breaks it down.

3. How DND made it big

   Dungeons and Dragons has never been more mainstream, so I recommend checking out this article which covers its origins from The Guardian.

Favourite Writing of the week: JIGGLE PHYSICS

A handful of men with too much time on their hands decided to petition Sony Entertainment when a video game character with… ‘considerable assets’ didn’t jiggle quite so much as they were led to believe. This has led to a handful of internet comments that it’s only right to ridicule remorselessly.

@chrisnaturallyrp

THE WAR ON JIGGLE PHYSICS #stellarblade #stellarbladeps5 #jigglephysics #britishvoiceover #britishvoiceactor

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Thanks again for reading, and until next week Honey and I wish you a wonderful week!