Rule number 34: The only person who understands the life of a voice over actor, is a voice over actor.
There comes a time in every VO’s life where the only person you can talk about VO is with another VO. And believe me, you will need to talk VO. But, no matter how long you’ve been married, together, around someone, if they don’t VO, then they don’t really know VO.
It’s like being home schooled. You just sit there learning from Mom, and if there’s no outlet with fellow students you become…well…home schooled.
A friend of mine once told me:
“The mind is like a dark alley way. A bad place to be alone.”
So too is the mind of VO actor. You have to make time to sit down over coffee, wine, pudding, whatever, to talk shop. There’s enough examples of VO actors who don’t find the time to socialize and self therapize. They sit at home and stew over every moment of every read. They think of nothing but VO and tend to spiral down into actor self pity and/or self superiority.
These people tend to part conversations like Moses parting the Red Sea. We all know them and we all avoid them.
Telling your worries, problems, successes to a friend who is, say a Pharmacist, will get you pills not sympathy. (Most likely for treating neurosis.)
The need to vent about lack of auditions, bad agents, bad jobs, no work, is an important part of staying sane, with the most sympathetic ear always being someone who needs to do the same.
Open up conversation with a trusted VO friend and save yourself the therapist fee.