Paul Strikwerda is a voice over artist. You may have heard is voice in commercials and other projects. Now, he is also a stroke survivor.
The stroke he suffered in his voice over booth engaged multiple primal fears (except for spiders) and is one of the more terrifying I've heard. I'll save the details for the interview itself.
The genesis of this episode is that I wanted an answer to the question, "Is voiceover a good career choice for a stroke survivor contending with disabilities?" I was referred to Paul, by Anne Ganguzza of the VO Boss podcast (another great resource for the VO field), and in this episode Paul and I discuss that question and so much more.
If you don't see the audio player below, visit http://Strokecast.com/MSN/VoiceOver to listen to the conversation.
Who is Paul Strikwerda?
Paul Strikwerda was born and grew up in the Netherlands. He studied music in college and began a career in radio after graduation.
Life eventually took him to the United States and an unexpected series of events led him down the path of a voice over artist.
Paul wanted to do more than read scripts for clients. He wanted to help other artists in the VO field. He would go on to write "Making Money In Your PJs: Freelancing for Voice-Overs and Other Solopreneurs"* and expand his blog on NetherVoice. He offers an unvarnished view of what life in the VO field is like and what newcomers need to watch out for.
For those who want to grow their skills as voice over artists and voice over business people (you have to be both to succeed) Paul offers coaching programs. As he says on https://www.nethervoice.com/coaching/:
It’s not enough to be outstanding. You need to stand out. Voice overs are the invisibles of the entertainment industry. Competition is increasing, and clients aren’t going to book you if they don’t know you exist. You need a plan to put you on the map, so clients can find you, hear you, and hire you. Let me be your visibility coach, and help you attract the jobs you’re dreaming of doing.
What is the Voice Over field?
The Voice Over industry is one most people don't think about, but it is one that we've encountered throughout our lives. Every time we hear a narrator on TV or listen to an audio book or hear a corporate voice mail system or listen to the introduction to this show (Thanks, Tim!) or complete eLearning with a person speaking, or learn about pancakes, we are listening to a voice over artist at work.
The breadth of the field is fascinating.
The industry itself is facing some growing pains with technology and the increase in computer generated voices. There are some growing pains there. Technology has also led to a democratization of the field in some respects. Microphones and computers for editing have gotten cheaper and more widely available. Home studios are within reach of more people. Some of the same technology trends that drive podcasts drive voice over work
Lots of people toy with the idea of becoming voiceover artists so, especially at the entry level, there is a ton of competition. As Paul explains, though, it takes a lot more to be successful than the ability to speak into a microphone. A voice over artist needs to be a business person.
The need to sell their services. The need to audition well. They need to write contracts and collect from clients. They need to have a handle on the assortment of ways they can license their voice. And they still need to act and edit and produce.
If you are thinking about a career in voice over, and you're will to do all the stuff that goes along with it, Paul's coaching services might be a good fit
How does AFib cause stroke?
The heart is made up of four chambers. Blood normally flows from the upper right to the lower right to the lungs to the upper left to the lower left and then on to the rest of the body. Moving it efficiently from one place to the next requires a precise rhythm -- the lub-dub of the human heart beat.
When someone has AFib, or atrial fibrillation, it means the rhythm isn't quite right sometimes. Maybe different parts of the heart are out of sync, or part vibrates too fast or the heart rhythm itself fluctuates in an odd way.
When this happens, blood doesn't always leave the chamber it’s in when it's supposed to. And when blood pools or collects in the heart when it shouldn't, it can start to coagulate. It forms clots. Then when the heart beats one of those clots that formed due to AFib can shoot off to another part of the body.
If that clot makes it to the brain and gets stuck in a blood vessel, you have an ischemic stroke.
So how do you treat it?
Well, first you have to find it. Since it is irregular, that's not always easy. Some people will get a surgically installed monitor that will track their heart rhythm for a couple years. Others (like me) will have to wear a device like a Zio patch for two weeks to look for abnormalities.
Bill wearing a Zio patch to check for irregular heart rhythm.
If doctors find or strongly suspect AFib affects a patient, they have a few treatment options.
Blood thinners, or anticoagulants are one option. These medicals like Eliquis and Xarelto are more aggressive at stopping clots than antiplatelet medication like aspirin or Plavix (Clopidogrel). They require additional blood tests and monitoring and put the patient at greater risk of bleeding because that's exactly what their supposed to do.
Paul had an ablation therapy. Doctors either freeze or burn some small amount of heart tissue. This disrupts the way electricity flows through the heart, which helps normalize the heartbeat. It's a fascinating technique and eliminated the problem for Paul.
You can read more about the procedure from Johns Hopkins or from the Mayo clinic.
Some people, if their unusual rhythm is too slow, may need a surgically implanted pacemaker to keep the heart moving enough blood quickly enough.
As more people become aware of AFib and research continues, the future of treatment may change dramatically.
In defense of social media
A lot of people claim to hate social media. The conversation is even louder in December 2022 with Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. Hate speech, privacy concerns, online bullying, the growth of influencer culture, and more have all made it fashionable to hate on social media.
And there are a lot of problems with it. By allowing folks with fringe and extremist views to connect and validate one another's views, it has likely allowed those views to become more common. I'm not defending that.
That same mechanism, though, has allowed people with disabilities to find other like-minded folks.
Stroke and other disabling conditions are isolating. Appearances of disabled people in media are still rare. After stroke, many folks leave their jobs, removing another vector for social experience. Friends and family members may pull back from stroke survivors either because the survivor is no longer able to participate in the same activities or because they are uncomfortable around a person with disabilities. Or because the survivor is a living reminder that they could find themselves in the same situation.
And disabilities themselves make social connection hard. Aphasia impacts conversation. Mobility challenges make it harder to go someplace to meet someone. Vision or equilibrium challenges may make it unsafe to drive.
That's to say nothing of the assortment of cognitive, sensory processing, emotional, and fatigue related challenges a survivor may live with.
And then we can look beyond the stroke world to our neuro cousins in the MS and TBI communities, and beyond that into the broader world of people with disability.
Despite the billion+ disabled people in the world, it's easy to feel the despair of feeling alone.
Social media changes that. Or at least helps with it. People with disabilities are able to connect with one another across the street and around the world. There is power in the shared experience -- of finding someone going through a similar experience. There's power and hope in being able to support each other -- to build on the success of others to drive our own recovery and that of others in the community.
To be able to raise a voice and say, "This is my hidden reality!" To be able to see that the way someone else treats us may not be right and to have that reinforced by people all over the country.
There's power in giving everyone a literal or metaphorical voice. To demonstrate to the world that we're here and we're not going anywhere.
Whether it's on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, IRC, MUDDs, Discord, YouTube, or whatever, we can leverage those platforms to empower us to live our best lives. Or to share a simple message of support.
Look for communities that resonate with you in a supportive fashion. Follow hashtags like these to start and try others to build your community:
- #Stroke
- #StrokeAwareness
- #StrokeRecovery
- #BrainInjury
- #LifeAfterStroke
- #Aphasia
- #Mindset
- #CripTheVote
- #Disability
Social media allows us to connect and that connection is so important to getting more out of life.
BEFAST & AHORA
Raising voices in social media isn't just about supporting our own lives; it's about saving others. And you can help save other's lives by sharing the stroke warning signs far and wide.
We know time is essential.
We also know that over the past 20 years or so there have been tremendous changes in stroke treatment - new ways to save lives and reduce the severity of disability. That, of course, assumes treatment begins as soon as possible.
And to make that happen, people need to recognize that a stroke is happening and contact emergency services immediately.
So share the stroke warning signs in English and Spanish far and wide -- BE FAST and AHORA.
And if you have the warning signs to share in another language, share those, too.
June Hawkins writing workshop
June Hawkins is a stroke survivor in Canada helps stroke survivors connect (or reconnect) with their creativity through the power of writing.
Her program is called, "With a Stroke of my Pen" and with her cofacilitator, writing prompts, and exercises she helps other survivors explore their world in writing.
The next cohort starts soon. To learn more, visit http://www.withastrokeofmypen.ca/
Hack of the Week
There are two things that Paul found critical to going through recovery and living with disability.
The first is to have a dedicated partner who can advocate for you. It's not easy to navigate the healthcare industry with sudden, unexpected brain damage, and a supportive partner makes a huge difference. Finding the right person to be your partner in life, of course, is not always the easiest task.
The other element which may be easier to cultivate is to develop a "stubborn positivity."
The right action-oriented attitude is what gets us developing the right mindset for recovery. It helps us expect to get better and it drives us to do the work -- the exercises, the metal health care, the repetitions, etc. -- that will ultimately help us drive the neuroplastic change in the brain that empowers recovery.
Links
Where do we go from here?
- Check out Paul's blog and website at http://NetherVoice.com
- Share this episode with someone you know by giving them the link http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
- Check out June's writing course at http://www.withastrokeofmypen.ca/
- Don't get best…get better
More thoughts from Paul
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
Paul Strikwerda, AKA Nethervoice, on http://Strokecast.com/VoiceOver
