Mental Health And Inner Peace

Welcome to my second news bite - this is a short (ish) little monthly newsletter I send out. It is not as in depth as my regular newsletter, but hopefully still fun and full of great stuff for you to enjoy.

You know friends, sometimes things happen for a reason - good or bad. It's true - I am annoyingly look on the bright side and I really believe in fate. Case in point this news bite.

I had spent a good long late evening drafting one and annoyingly then my computer decided to shut Safari and I lost it. The email service provider I use; Flodesk, doesn't save as you go, mildly annoying, but not the end of the world. 

But, rather than try to redo it and get frustrated that I couldn't remember what I had written, I decided to make it different and start afresh. Because sometimes you need a fresh slate. It also made me look out how I was planning it and in future write out to a document and save that and then copy and paste… Little tweaks help me to work smarter. 

So, I wanted to use this newsletter to make mention that in addition to all the stuff going on in our country and around the world, I recognize that it was recently Mental Health Day. 

I am sure many of us feel right now like we are wading through tar, and that life is an uphill battle. Financial and personal difficulties are rife, and I know of many who are really struggling to get a handle that this is the way it is now. I do believe we have to keep the faith and stay strong. Embrace the good and celebrate the wins no matter how small. Stick together, find your tribe (just 6ft apart) … I do believe that things will get better. 

And so in this newsletter I have a bit of a heart to heart that I shared a while ago on my social media, I know this resonated with some of you, as many of you reached out to me privately to thank me, so I am sharing here. I hope it helps and if you wish to reach out - I am always available. 

As well as all that, you will find a photo or two of my studio as many of you have asked about my studio set up, some up coming events I am attending, plus a page that is a must follow - Voice Over specific of course. Check the events and get on them FAST as they book up in a flash! 

There is some meditation, because a world without meditation is surely an empty one. I actually voiced several for Liv Lab and I am waiting for them to upload the rest and I will share more when I can. This was actually reposted to raise awareness of PTSD suffered by our brave Veterans.

And finally a shout out to someone super awesome and super talented who had some amazing news recently and who is such a beacon in this voice acting community of ours. I Won't give it away now, but someone now hears the pitter patter of tiny feet :)

OK - First... a little heart to heart... I posted this a while ago and people really felt encouraged to share with me and were so grateful for my honesty. If this touches your heart and you want to chat - reach out.

When this top photo was taken life was so different, I was working as Creative Director for a beauty company, my girls were dancing competitively, my husband was traveling all the time. ?Life was busy!!

I was so mega stressed... this beautiful head of hair started to fall out, I was comfort eating and eating out a lot, running on empty and living on coffee, no time for friends or family or myself... and I was losing my sense of who I was. On top of that I had debilitating migraines and was chowing down packets of Migraleve to counteract them. ?

Fast forward to now, despite being in a pandemic, schooling 3 kids and managing a business, I am calmer, more peaceful, more in tune with who I am and what I want.?

I have my own amazing business, my kids are settled and life is heading where I want it to go.?

Looking back at this photo I *thought* I was so happy. But I was working non stop, running myself into the ground managing 3 kids agendas and relaxing by eating and drinking - a lot!

Now I’m managing my own time, am more present for my kids, I relax by reading or doing yoga. I connect with my friends more, hardly touch alcohol, eat healthily and with intention, and now thanks to my trainer Emma I’m now at this point 25lbs lighter and bonus - no more migraines. ?

Whilst lockdown and this pandemic has had its own stresses I’ve navigated these with more ease than I would’ve done previously.?

So what shifted? ?

My mindset. My belief in myself. The realisation to work smarter not harder. To relish the hustle in an industry that gives me reason to want to do well, to be the best I can be. To love waking up everyday to do my job which I adore! To find inner peace... I could go on.

So... today take this time to reflect on where you are, where you want to be and look at what you need to do to get to that goal. What needs to change? ?

Write the goals down. Stick them on your bathroom mirror, on the walls... everywhere you pass during the day. ? 

Share with friends and family and form a tribe to be your supportive net. We all need support - get an accountability group, join classes to keep you in check.  

I love my Actors Lab class run by my coach Karen Summerton at MN Acting Studio. Every Sunday I know I will be held accountable and have an action plan for the week ahead. This class has helped shape my business and given me insights into where I want to take it in the future.

Do you have goals? What do you need to do to achieve them? ?Learning? Connections? Networking? Technology? Personal time out? ?What needs to change? ?

Be kind and humble on the path to achieving them.? Free your mind and the rest will follow.

Wanting to know more about Actors Lab? Check out Karen Summerton on Instagram and at www.mnactingstudio.com 

If you are struggling, please do reach out to someone. You really are not alone.

"I want you to know you are not alone in your being alone" - Stephen Fry

Many of you have asked to see my studio.. so here are a few pics. Oh and of course what is a home studio without a studio buddy… meet mine, my 1 year old Maltese Cassie.

If you would like to read how I set up the studio and what equipment I use please head to my website.

Full disclosure - It's good to get an idea of what people use, but bear in mind this is all my preference, many others will have brands they like.

www.charlieemmelinealbers.com/studio-set-up

At Home Studio Set Up :

I offer broadcast ready audio from my beautiful acoustically treated, professionally fitted studio which includes a 4x4 booth by Complete Isolation Booths & GIK style acoustics. I am set up for Zoom, Skype, Source Connect Standard and phone patch.

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I absolutely love learning from those who know and am excited to attend these events listed below. If you are interested in finding out more check out - 

SOVAS - www.sovas.org

Voice Acting opportunities are now truly global. That's Voiceover!? Career Expo 2020 is here to help you meet the challenge. LIVE. ONLINE. GLOBAL. Nov 20th - 22nd

Whether you're new to the business or a master of the craft, opportunity is here; auditions, jobs, scholarships, networking, and awards. We empower you to reach higher - to go beyond what is possible and into the impossible. 

RVLA - www.realvoicela.com

Real Voice LA: Town Hall

Are there questions about the industry you've always wanted to ask, but never had the opportunity? Are you curious about the ins and outs of representation, submitting, analyzing copy, and the other day-to-days of a VO actor? Do you just want to shake up a cocktail and hang with us on Zoom? 

Join us for a conversation with Voiceover Artist/ Commercial Producer, Roger Leopardi and Promo Director/ Founder of Trailer Voice Artists, Brent Allen Hagel moderated by Owner and Audio Engineer Mike DeLay, where we'll be chatting about the industry, red flags to look for when looking for voiceover training and demo producers, and taking your submitted questions! To conclude, we'll open up the Zoom to a Q & A of anything that wasn't covered during the conversation, or any questions that came up during that we can chat about as the big happy VO family that we are!

Real Voice LA: BBC Promos with Samantha Boffin

You will have the opportuny to learn from a BBC broacast veteran with knowledge about both sides of the mic. Learn how to approach BBC style promo content and find your sound for the worldwide market.

Samantha Boffin is BBC-trained, with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic. She has created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, & More. She is a veteran BBC voice director for promo, TV, and short films.

Brent Allen Hagel is the founder and owner of Trailer Voice Artists. TVA is a casting and talent development company for top tier voice actors in the promo and trailer genres. With Trailer Voice Artists, Brent has cast voice actors for The Golden Trailer Awards, Trailer Park Inc, Disney Parks, Netflix, Sony Pictures, and the U.S. Marines to name a few. Brent is also a working promo and trailer voice actor himself. His credits span iconic networks and shows such as, Spotify, Lego, 3M, Lexus, NBC Megyn Kelly, CBS Instinct, NCAA, NHL Network, ICC Soccer League, HBO Boxing, and more.

Real Voice LA: Online Animation Workshop with Michael Orenstein

In this workshop you will focus on incorporating body, hand and face movements to help bring your characters to life. We will find ways to use people from your own life as inspiration for characters or character templates. We will also cover the archetypes you need to have in your voice actor's toolkit to find success in video games and animation.

Michael Karl Orenstein is an actor, voice over artist, writer and stand-up comedian. He studied acting and dance at the University of Michigan. Michael has toured throughout North America as a comedian, working with such notables as Tim Allen, Drew Carey and Adam Sandler. He taught improvisation and character creation for several years at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles. Aside from voicing numerous commercials over the past 15 years, his voice can be heard in popular games, including World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, Payday 2, World War Z, Smite, Heroes of Newerth, and Desperados III.

The Voice Over Network - www.thevoiceovernetwork.co.uk

'Video Game Acting - Getting The Best Performance!' with Addie Cuts

This workshop is an incredible opportunity to work with one of the industry's top casting directors in the world and it's been specifically designed to help you create and deliver memorable characters in video games.

During this 3 hour online workshop Adele will work with Readers on creating and delivering their best performances in video games. You will work from scripts provided beforehand and you’ll get direct feedback on the day. She will focus on emotions of characters, who they are, how to get this across in a personal and believable way plus we will also briefly discuss do's and don'ts when auditioning through a casting directors eye. 

Super excited for these events… I will fill you in after they happen! And if you want to join them grab your ticket NOW!

And finally for fun - Women in VO - www.womeninvo.net 

Women In Vo do a weekly challenge, check it out and make sure to tag #womeninvo to join in the fun! 

I love being in this community of inspiring talented women. LOVE!!

A meditation clip - for Mental Health Day

For 21 days, I will be stating one thing I am grateful for each day. 21 represents the number of veterans that take their lives each day. So I’m doing this to raise awareness of our bravest warriors who need our support.

Today I am grateful for my strong mental health, but I’m aware that many others are not as fortunate. Especially those suffering from PTSD. I am lucky that I’m able to support friends, and family through difficult times. As a person who others can lean on. ????

And on this Mental Health Day I’m sharing a snippet of a meditation I was honoured to do in conjunction with Liv Lab. This is one of five I narrated and can be found on the Hoom app. Please listen, relax and enjoy. And soothe your mental health today and always. 

It takes about 2 weeks to develop a habit. So to develop a habit of positivity and effectively combat isolation and suicide, Project Refit and James Corbett came up with the Project Refit Grateful Challenge.?

The veteran suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255. Google Veterans Crisis Line for more information.

#projectrefitgratefulchallenge #positive#military #gratitude #thankful#firstresponders #veterans #families#projectrefit #nolongerfightalone#veteranshelpingveterans#veteransuicide #dogs

About Me

Born in Bath UK, I now live just outside of NYC with my family and my sweet Maltese pup, Cassie. 

My voice is soothing, husky, engaging, sensual, and of course - British. 

I have worked in ADR, audiobooks, animation, audio dramas, commercials, e learning, meditation, podcasts and video games.

I love to dance and have danced from the age of 2, I trained at the Royal Academy of Dance in classical ballet.  I find dance and movement bring so much more than physical health for me, it brings improved vocal health and technique as well and is great for using your full body authentically and with intention. I also love to travel, horse-ride, ski, snowboard, practice yoga, dance and love to bake and cook with my kids and on my own. 

Good training and technique is much needed for the long hours narrating audiobooks or voicing video games and I have trained with some of the best in the business, and will continue to train and learn. 

I have trained in voice acting with Andrea Toyias, Jessica Kent, Brent Allen Hagel, Erik Sanchez, Bruce Kronenberg, Paul Liberti, Anna Gardu?o, and Doriane Elliott. With Melody Wilson & Sarah Michaels in vocal technique & singing. And at ACT Studio NYC and MN Acting Studio.

My journey in life is to be happy, free of stress, and live with purpose. I bring these goals to each project I am privileged to book. I can be contacted by my email or via my agents. I am currently represented by DDO Artists Agency in NYC +1 (212) 379.6314