You Are Free To Fail.

Does the thought of working outside your comfort zone make you pump the brakes? Why? What’s the worst that could happen?

I don’t usually go in for character work as a voice actor. I’ve listened to plenty of talent in voiceover workouts who seem so much more skilled than I am, so I often just take a pass. I remember listening to Ron Perlman’s narration of The Strain (highly recommended!) and being blown away. Now that’s character work.

But this week, I came across an audition asking me to give voice to inanimate objects. Sounds simple enough… until I realized I’d need five distinct voices. If this had been serious material, like an audiobook, I’d probably have passed. But this was for a commercial. It could be playful and lighthearted, so I went for it. I haven’t yet heard how it was received. Some risk putting myself out there, potentially to the point of embarrassment…and as of this very moment, no reward. Cue sad trombone.

Then, the next day, I got a direct invite to a similar audition. The casting director’s name looked familiar. I wondered if this was the same person from that other spot. Though it also called for voicing inanimate objects, it was different material. This project also called for multiple character voices per spot, and with three spots total, it was a tall order. But since it was a direct invite, I thought, why not? They took the time to invite me. They must have had a reason.

As I was auditioning, I thought to myself, if this was the same individual posting, maybe my risk did come with reward. If I impressed him enough to privately invite me to the next opportunity, it’s almost as good as winning that first audition! Maybe I was memorable! I’m going to assume it was and take the win.

Here’s the thing: if we stay in our safe little boxes and never stretch, we’ll never discover what else we can do.

I’m often reminded of the phrase, “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” Maybe you’re not the right fit for a particular project…right now. But if you try, take risks, and learn from your mistakes, you grow. Each new audition sharpens your craft, whether you book it or not.

Gandhi said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” And that applies perfectly to voice over auditions, creative storytelling, and developing new skills as voice talent. Sure, I might have blown both auditions. I may never know. But maybe it sparked curiosity, and maybe I’ll bring those scripts to my next VO workout to refine them. Or maybe, just maybe, those voices were perfect and inside me all along.

So get out there and get messy! Ask questions. Test your limits. Challenge yourself to think differently.

Because here’s the truth: as voice actors and creative entrepreneurs, you are free to totally blow it and try again. You are free to fall flat on your face, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go again. Isn't that sort of the point of creativity? And yes, my friend, you are free to explore the outer reaches of your skillset and develop new skills every single day! In the words of the Dark Knight: It’s just a flesh wound!

How did you exercise your freedom to fail? What did you learn from the experience? I'd love to learn in the comments below!