We had the pleasure of chatting with voice actor Jessy Gonzalez. Check it out to learn more! Maybe you’ll find something that inspires you in your creative journey! Check out their demo reel!
What initially inspired you to become a creator, and how has that inspiration evolved throughout your creative journey?
I was always fascinated by the idea of being a creator. But early on I didn’t really have much of an outlet or I was very self-conscious. Throughout the years. I wanted to become more social and more outgoing so I worked on the skills a lot and realized how much fun I was really having. I remember taking a class in college about communication and presenting something we loved and it was the first time I really got to see how silly and serious I can be while talking about the things I love. It wasn’t until I transferred out of community college that I wanted to give voice acting a chance. I was always fascinated with stories, I’ve written a few, I’ve tried to draw for them, and voice acting just seems like another step in that direction. Since then, I’ve met so many wonderful people, I’ve helped direct a few things, drawing concepts and writing a few scenes for projects. I’ve done so much more than I would’ve ever expected and it still blows my mind. Even to the state, I am constantly learning about what else I can do. Whether there would be writing, music, storyboarding, anything that catches my interest I will do my best to learn about and study.
Can you share a specific moment or experience that fueled your passion for your current creative project?
I got a chance to audition for a project, because a friend of mine knew someone who was looking for voice actors and felt that I could fit one of the roles. when I first reached out to the Director, I asked them what kind of voice they were looking for. If there were any actions, or speech patterns, or anything else, I should be aware of, and they responded with
“ I’m more of a fan of natural voices than “do a voice”. Definitely more of a focus on the acting than the words/sound of it! So whatever feels most natural for you!”.
Although this may seem like a simple comment, it was the first time I was ever told something like this. I was always told to put on a voice, and I assumed that’s what I had to do. So knowing that my natural voice can be just as useful and appreciated really boosted my confidence and my passion.
What challenges have you encountered as an indie creator, and how have they shaped your approach to your work?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was trying to balance school, work, and being an indie creator. My schedule was always packed and something would always be pushed to the side. As of right now, I’m still starting my career as a teacher and I’m trying to find my footing. But I’m still learning about the things that I love to do because I want to be able to do them properly and think about them critically. I’m re-learning how to draw, songwriting, and starting to ask around about projects or auditions because I want to be prepared for the next step. This shaped my approach to my work because I have to remember that I am allowed to take my time while also being productive and working towards it. And the fact that I can be in this stage of the process alongside the friends, I’ve made makes it even more amazing
Are there any particular creators who have significantly influenced your style or approach? How do you incorporate those influences into your own unique voice?
There are no particular creators that influence my style. As I mentioned, I always thought I had to “do a voice” and I didn’t give it much thought. But as I became surrounded with the people within the community, I took notice of how they do things and their personalities, and we’re very similar. As cliché as it sounds, the friends I’ve made along, really helped me feel comfortable in this environment and made me happy to be a part of it.
How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to feedback from your audience or collaborators?
For me, it’s not much of an obstacle. I am always open to constructive criticism and feedback. It can be a bit tricky to separate criticism from constructive criticism, but I know that those I speak with always have good intentions, so I never take it personally. Besides, they always offer new ideas/ approaches. Whether the idea works or not is always up for debate, but as long as you and the people around you are working towards the same goal it should be great . I think everything is a learning moment and shouldn’t be discarded.
Can you recall a memorable success story or milestone in your indie creator journey that stands out as a turning point for you?
A memorable success story/milestone in my journey that really stands out is when I was actually casted in a video game. It was very early on in my voice acting career and I applied for this role on Reddit. I didn’t think much of it and it wasn’t until after I sent them everything that they mentioned that this is the end credits of a game. The game is called “The Walking Fish 2” and they had me read over a poem that would be played over the end credits. It was the first sign that I could do something like this and it can reach an audience in one way or another.
Another milestone that I reached in my Indy career was when I was approached by a friend to help them create an anime. I thought it was a very ambitious project, and they had a good chunk of the material laid out and they started forming a team. Eventually, it grew into something I never expected. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to fruition, but to spend all that time dedicated to trying to make this project work really showed me what it takes to dive into something like this. So many skills that help me get into that mindset so I can work towards creating my own project eventually or helping my friends with theirs.
What role do setbacks or failures play in your creative process, and how do you overcome them to keep moving forward?
The role that failures play in my creative process is very bittersweet. No one likes the fail or have their process slow down but at the same time you have to push forward and move onto the next thing. There is always something to learn from failures, and as long as you learn About the mistakes you’ve made and avoid them then you’ll do fine. But some mistakes are unavoidable and you can’t do much about it so we can only do so much for you. The way I move forward is by allowing myself to process everything that happened so I can dissect it so I can understand the material and what went wrong so I could hopefully avoid it in the future if I can.
How do you manage your time and energy to sustain a consistent creative output while juggling other aspects of life?
The way I manage my time is by giving myself a schedule to follow. Since most of my days are pre-scheduled I have an idea of what those days would look like so I make sure I get everything done in the morning before I go to work.I know when I first started my journey I would always keep myself busy, but that resulted in me burning myself out very very quickly. I know that not everyone’s schedules are exactly the same but I think as long as you allow yourself to be consistent, give yourself some space to have creative freedom, and have breaks to unwind , then you can find what works best for you.
Have you found any unexpected joys or rewards in the indie creator community, and how has it contributed to your overall experience?
I think definitely the amount of connections I’ve made truly exceeded my expectations. There are some people out there that I can consider good friends and others are genuinely kind of people that want to help the community. There are some times where I’ll work on a project and it genuinely feels like where all the family because we get along so well. I know something like that isn’t too common so the fact that I was able to feel that and really feel connected to the people I was working with that experience so much more than a simple project. To have everyone involved want to help each other, we build each other up and give each other feedback while listening to each other is mind blowing. We’re all creators at the end of the day and it’s always nice to be supportive/be supported
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring creators, what would it be based on your own lessons learned?
Based on my experience, one piece of advice I would offer to aspiring creators is to trust yourself and your abilities. We are all capable of doing great things. And we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. If you can strengthen your weaknesses and hone in on your strengths, you can grow exponentially. Don’t be afraid to sit there and dissect your work or ask others to help you identify your abilities because nobody wants to stay in the same place too long. Also, don’t be afraid of feedback, but don’t think you have to listen to all of it. I know when I got feedback very early on I would immediately try to change everything about my approach/style so I could fit that mold but that wouldn’t get me anywhere, it would just frustrate me, and I would become very critical of myself. Feedback is just like a suggestion, you don’t always have to take it but you also shouldn’t ignore it if someone is trying to build you up.
What are your thoughts on All Ages of Geek? What are some things we should change/do? What are some things you enjoy about our website?
I really do enjoy how the website is very straightforward. A suggestion I would make is to help break up each category more as you scroll down. I know for me, my eyes got lost, and I didn’t realize I entered a new category until I scrolled back up again. As I met, I think it’s wonderful that you are doing something like this to bring creators together. Exploring great spaces can be very intimidating and this opens a nice space for people to walk into. As well as your interviews and surveys really show how involved you are in this process.
Goals for 2024?
Overall, my goals are to audition a bit more, but also learn more about my general interests. I have a few things planned out for something that I want to create in the future and as long as I clean up my skills and bring myself to a level where I can take the first step for it, and create something that I am proud of and maybe even further than that. I was still working along with my friends and helping them and they’re creative endeavors and staying connected with them is another big goal of mine.
SUPPORT THE CREATOR:
Twitter / X : https://twitter.com/JessyG_VA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessyg_va/
E-mail: [email protected]
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