Featuring Vanessa garcia
I have social media to thank for encouraging me to pursue my voice over acting career and, thus, allowing me to discover my "purpose." Listening to other voice actors share their stories and resonating with their journeys has allowed me to "keep pushing on" with my own calling of pursuing voice over.
This unique artform has shown people that it is okay to be an adult and play. That is something that I had to essentially re-learn for myself as well. Being in law for so long has suppressed my inner child so much to the point where it was just bursting to play again. Voice over has essentially been my therapy and my sanctuary from "adulting." I love being in my own element and creating a character that people would love and resonate with.
And one more piece of advice about finding and pursuing your "purpose;" always follow that inner Jumanji drum beat inside of you! You know which one I'm talking about... That inner drum beat that grows louder and louder once you find that purpose or calling and start pursuing it! Follow that inner primal instinct...
Talk about the challenges you face in the voice over and how do you overcome them?
Ever since I was little, I have always felt the need to prove myself as being "normal" among my peers, not knowing that being "different" was actually my hidden superpower.
Growing up as a first-generation college student and coming from a low-income minority household, I always felt like the "I slowly started listening to that inner voice calling me back to my inner child self. Specifically, that happy place of "playing" and expressing myself through my characters and voices."
misunderstood/mischaracterized outcast by my peers. Some of my friends accepted me at face value, while others bullied or even pushed me around for being different. I honestly think it was because I was always naturally curious about the world around me and would always analyze everything in-depth. I never liked to rule out an idea or an experience. I figured that life was my oyster; I wanted to learn more about myself on a deeper level.
I later realized that not too many people want- ed to get to know themselves on a deeper, more authentic level/manner. It scares most people to actually accept and come to terms with their true authentic selves (strengths and weaknesses alike). My true "eureka" moment came during the COVID-19 lockdown and quarantine when I was forced to look within myself and accept all of my strengths/weak- nesses and improve on myself. Isolation can be both scary and liberating, especially when one is not forced or obligated into social set- tings because of the lockdown. It was at this moment in time that I sought therapy to re- discover the parts of myself that were dormant and just not ready to be expressed in public. Those parts of myself included acting, more specifically, voice acting.
Over time and after gaining the confidence and self-worth to pursue voice acting, I learned to respectfully "F" the haters as well. There will always be those who inspire and lift you up while there will be those who are just jealous about your inner bright light and will try everything and anything to dim your light. My advice would be to not allow anyone to dim your own light. As a matter of fact, shine even brighter just to spite them! Kill people with kindness and let your accolades and ac- complishments speak for themselves!
What in your life experience was most help- ful to you in becoming a voice actor?
I do have to give credit to my high school's Speech and Debate team for introducing me to the craft of acting. I would like to give a shout out to Derek Yuill, coach of Gabrielino's Speech and Debate team in San Gabriel, California, for instilling in me the confidence I needed to be myself and play. During all four years of high school, I would memorize differ- ent scripts and bring multiple characters to life on stage at various tournaments and invita- tionals. This creative process allowed me the freedom of being "in my own element" which was seriously liberating. The more I practiced character development and character voices, the more I would qualify in these tournament semi-final and final rounds.