Learn How to Embrace Criticism

Being a voice over doesn’t mean you can be perfect all the time because honestly, nobody is perfect. One thing most voice actors can admit to as being annoying is hearing about their work delivery flaws every minute. We all want to hear that we are growing in our chosen career and not standing still especially as voice over actor. We are going to discuss how a person can stand to hear criticism and maybe even benefit from it. Hearing useful criticism or hard advice isn’t easy and you may have to work at discovering somethings that ring true for you. 

1. Keep Calm: Though you may not have a choice about how you feel but you can take charge of how to react to a situation.  Focus on what the person is really trying to tell you.

2. Respond To The Suggestions: Valuable critical suggestions may be overshadowed by the tone and style of criticism which can lead us not to respond to the suggestions positively. We should try to detach emotions from the useful suggestions.

3. Don’t Take It Personally: If you want to know how to best deal with criticism, then you can’t take it personally. Constructive criticism is intended to guide you and to help you improve as a person. If a voice seeker has given you rather critical feedback on your voice delivery; it’s not because they thinks you’re not talented(otherwise, they would have chosen a different voice), it’s because they may think you are holding back or you can give a better delivery.

4. Stay Confident: It’s  important maintain your confidence. Being confident doesn’t mean thinking that your voice over work is flawless.

5. Learn To Ignore False Criticism: Sometimes we are criticised with no justification but it’s easier to deal with justified criticism. You should resist the urge to analyze in your head or planning your rebuttal. If we remain silent the criticism is given no energy, by remaining silent we maintain a dignity. When you come up against harsh false criticism, we tend to carry around the stress and frustration that comes along with it.

Imperfection is part of being human. If you can admit the weakness and work on it without getting down on yourself, it will be a huge weight off my mind. So next time when someone decides to criticize or you’ve hurt them, take a few deep breaths and keep listening. Then take responsibility for what you can; dust yourself off and keep going. 

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