There's a change that I've felt inside the booth that's hard to give words to.

Some people call it flow. I love that word. like a little cute leaf floating down a gently babbling brook (Babble. Get it?). I rise and fall around and above the big stones, gently, or sometimes, more likely, briskly, through all the elements, and just ride the waves.

I think there's something else, too.

You might think that it's a better read. Or a tidier technique. Like Marie Kondo your voice over.

It's when stop trying to control the outcome and start trusting what you've already built.

Control freaks, trigger warning.

It's sometimes where coming prepared gets you laser focused, but can't allow all the last minute changes - to the script, to the unexpected noises outside, maybe the program crashing, or an engineer having an unknown issue that could take 20 seconds or 12 minutes.

Or maybe, it's a default setting that you catch yourself in, and your mind wanders.

Oops. Now we're not in the moment.

I've been thinking about what it actually takes to stay present, and focused, and in flow, while also letting go. I'm sure some other Vipassana silent retreat people can relate - there's an awareness of all the senses, and accepting it as it is. And can it be taught? Or practiced into existence?

My instinct, after two decades behind the mic, is that it can be both. And allowing for what comes up regardless.

AD Performance Tip:

Before you record a line, ask yourself: what is this moment doing to the audience?

Better yet: what is the scene trying to make the listener feel?

Answer it with a single verb. To warn. To reveal. To comfort. To unsettle.

When you name the verb, your body knows what to do with the words. The delivery stops being a choice you're making and starts being a response you're having.

Try it on one cue this week. Just one. Name the verb first. Then record.

One more thing before I go.

Later this month I'm hosting a live workshop called The High Wire Act: How Intention Changes Everything at the Mic. It's built around everything I just described: intention, delivery, and the practiced skill of letting go.

One More Thing

If workshop invitations aren't your thing, I get it. Just reply and let me know. I'll make sure you only get the Friday newsletters. It'll be a handful of extra emails this month, nothing more.