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The Power of Presence:
Living Artfully Through the Voice
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By Rudy Gaskins, June 29, 2025
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After decades of directing voice actors, from household names to first-timers trembling through their first lines, I’ve come to see voice acting as something far deeper than the business it’s often reduced to. Yes, there are rates, agents, contracts, and credits. But beneath all that is the sacred act of giving voice to the human spirit. For those of us who have the privilege of producing or directing this work, the real magic often reveals itself not through polish or pedigree, but through presence.
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As a producer and director, I’ve always held a deep appreciation for voice actors and the extraordinary impact they can have on a finished piece. Sometimes it’s unexplainable. You hear a line, a phrase, a moment, and you know. It stops you. It lingers. It becomes the heartbeat of the story. A reminder that this craft, though often invisible, is immeasurably powerful.
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Voice acting, whether in animation, audiobooks, commercials, promos, or narration, is the art of bringing the unseen to life. It’s storytelling in its most distilled form. And yet, it’s also a hustle. There’s the daily grind: marketing, auditions, dry spells, the loops of feedback that go nowhere, and the quiet moments of self-doubt that show up at 2 a.m. when you’re alone in the booth wondering if anyone’s really listening.
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I’ve seen that wear on people. Brilliant actors questioning their path after another job falls through, or watching someone with less training land the gig. I’ve seen them shape-shift, trying to become a voice that isn’t theirs, chasing trends and approval. And while I understand that impulse, I also know it leads to burnout. And in the process, they lose what made their voice compelling in the first place.
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What I’m offering here isn’t a roadmap or a shortcut, just a perspective. A personal one. A way of grounding this work in something deeper than ambition or survival. A way of living the creative journey artfully, with intention and presence.
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Because presence, truly, is everything. When a voice actor meets the moment, not just the script, but the emotional truth beneath the lines, that’s when transformation happens. I’ve watched actors channel joy, grief, mischief, tenderness, not by performing, but by being. They trust. They let go. They allow. And that’s what moves people.
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The world doesn’t need more perfect voices. It needs honest ones. Human ones. Voices shaped by everything you’ve lived, loved, lost, and longed for. That’s not something to fix. That’s your power.
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I often think of voice actors as monks of the microphone, devoted, disciplined, often unseen. Your work reaches farther than you’ll ever know. You’re the voice that soothes the anxious commuter, the laugh that cuts through a breakup, the calm presence in a child’s favorite bedtime story. You matter, whether or not you book the job. You matter because you show up with something real.
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So what does it mean to live artfully? For me, it means living in a way that nourishes and inspires your creative efforts, rather than depleting your energy, passion, or imagination. Reading things that stir you. Walking in stillness. Laughing fully. Listening deeply. Not just racing through auditions, but pausing to ask: What does this script really want to say? And how can I serve that truth?
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It also means remembering that art isn’t the prize at the end of success. It’s how you meet the world every day. With curiosity. With courage. With generosity. When you send an audition, you’re not just trying to get the job. You’re giving a gift. A small piece of your heart wrapped in breath and rhythm.
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There will be hard days. That’s part of the path. But don’t let the industry reduce you to a commodity. You’re not a product. You’re a creator. A vessel. An interpreter. And if you can stay close to that truth, choosing presence over performance, connection over competition, you won’t just endure this path. You’ll grow with it. You’ll thrive on it.
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To those still grinding, still hoping, still daring to believe: I see you. I value you. The world needs your voice, not the one you think they want, but the one that is wholly yours.
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Show up with it. Again and again.
That is the art.
That is the life. ♦♦♦
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Rudy Gaskins is the CEO and co-founder of the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the global community of voice actors and the professionals who contribute to the voice acting industry. I have co-created That’s Voiceover!™ Career Expo and the Voice Arts® Awards . Rudy is an Emmy Award-winning TV producer and documentary filmmaker, with a career spanning PBS, ABC News, NBC Sports, Court TV, and Food Network. His natural talent for advertising led him to become Vice President of Creative Services at Court TV, after which he founded Push Creative Advertising, offering branding services for major global brands such as American Express, Lexus, NBC Sports, Delta Air Lines, Costco, Food Network, BET, and TV One. He has received numerous awards across the media spectrum, including multiple Telly and Promax awards. Under his leadership, SOVAS has been honored with Special Congressional Recognition from the United States Congress, a Certificate of Merit from the New York State Assembly, and a City Council Citation from The Council of the City of New York.
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From the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences
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