We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nathan Nokes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nathan, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome affects us all, no matter if you are a voice actor, producer, artist, or what have you. We deal with it at least once in our careers. For me to overcome imposter syndrome, I had to understand what it was. There were days when I just couldn’t feel comfortable with a read and even saying out loud, “Wow, that was awful!” After a while, it was getting into my head, and I started to believe it, which affected my script reads. At times, I thought that because my audition was being “rejected” by a client, I just wasn’t good enough. As I grew in my voice acting career, I learned that I was better than I led myself to believe, and this happens to many of us creatives. I came to understand that when you change your vocabulary and mindset, that’s when imposter syndrome goes out the window.
For example, many voice actors say, and I even said it too in the beginning, that my audition was “rejected.” This word comes with the idea that not only did the client not like my audition, but they didn’t like me as an actor and that I don’t have the skill to be a voice actor. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I have learned that many times, I would give a great read with the right feeling, but I just wasn’t the sound the client was looking for in their head. Once I learned that I wasn’t rejected but rather just not selected, that changed how I viewed auditioning.
Having the right mindset in the booth, and working as a creative in general, can really help get rid of imposter syndrome. Having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset will make all the difference. A growth mindset will see where you can improve but not beat yourself up over it. Use phrases like “Okay, I can improve that by doing XYZ” or “Let’s try again with more feeling, understanding, open-mindedness, etc.” A fixed mindset would say, “You’re so stupid that you got that wrong!” or “Wow, you really messed that up.” After a while, someone will begin to believe that they are not as good as they actually are, and instead of improving and practicing, they give up entirely.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I sit in a padded room and get paid to talk to myself…aka a voice actor. When some people hear that, they say, “OH! Do a voice.” I usually have to disappoint them when I say that 95% of the voice acting I do is with my own voice. Voice acting is much more than making silly voices for cartoons or doing impressions. Voice acting is special because we emote feelings in the script, tell a story, or inspire the listener. This is especially significant today due to the rapid use of AI voice cloning. Some are worried that AI will take over our jobs, but because of what is involved in giving a great read (feeling, emotion, inspiration), AI is currently unable to do that. As a voice actor, I have to be an artist with my voice, not just an impressionist or a silly voice guy.
As a talent, I have been able to work with some of the best coaches in the business, which has helped me book some of the biggest clients in the world, such as Lego, Adobe, Google, Disney, Volvo, and many others. To hear some demos and actual spots, visit nathannokesvo.com.
Many people also ask me how to get started in voiceover or who should coach them. I always love helping people get off the ground. If that’s you, feel free to email me at [email protected].
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Some of the biggest and most important things to do as a voice actor are to get coaching, coaching, and more coaching. Many of the scripts today ask for a conversational read, which sounds easy but is one of the most difficult things to do. Understanding the tiny changes your voice makes when you read versus when you are having a conversation will help a lot. Also, understanding sound and basic editing skills will put you ahead of the competition. The pandemic brought on a lot of voice talent because of how social media makes it look so easy. “All you have to do is read this script and you can make $400.” What they failed to say is all of the work that goes into the editing, the reading, and the coaching that is needed to get the right read.
Connecting with other voice talent and finding someone you trust is also imperative to have a successful career. I have certainly stumbled along the way, but what has helped me is the amazing community that is voiceover. Getting an opinion on something or running an audition by someone will really help in taking off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nathannokesvo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathannokesvo/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathannokesvo/
Image Credits
Professional Headshots: Alex Moon, Cineshot Media Website: Voice Actor Websites
