Eye Care For Voice Actors with Nozomi Kiuchi

Nozomi Kiuchi:
My body became less tired and I was more motivated to work. We are voice over artists and as artists, our bodies and minds must be healthy.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Hi there, I'm Stephanie Ciccarelli from Voices. You are listening to Vox talk and the voice you just heard was that of Nozomi Kiuchi. She's going to share so many amazing tips about how to take good care of our eyesight, Nozomi is in Japan. This is gonna be a fantastic conversation. I hope you enjoy it. So, Nozomi, welcome to the show. I'm so excited that you're here. Thank you for coming.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Hi. Thank you for having me today.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wonderful. So as a voice artist, um, you don't have to memorize lines now. In fact, the words are always in front of you. So, Nozomi, beyond the obvious, why have you come to consider your eyesight to be so important?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
It is because I abused my eyes and it led me to eye problems. As you know, we voice over artists use our eyes a lot, reading scripts in a slightly dark recording booths and guessing at the computer screen to edit. I'm nearsighted also. I have dry eyes. And when I look at my PC, my eyes soon become burning and red. Especially after reading a long project that contains a lot of complex terminologies, my eyes get tired and my shoulders get stiff, so I get even more tired. I will try various methods to overcome this situation. As a result, I arrived at some effective methods.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wow. And that, that's really great. I'm, I'm so happy that you've said as a voice artist, you've, you know, experienced what it's like to hurt your eyesight or to have to work with it. So, um, when we're talking about earlier, you'd mentioned that you do have five methods and you've just alluded to them now, um, that have proven effective for you when caring for your eyes. So can you walk us through those right now?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Of course. My first tip is to wear proper glasses. I'm nearsighted, so I wear glasses and a few months ago I bought a new pair of glasses. Then I added a blue light blocking function as an option. It cost about $30 extra. I'm not a medical expert, but I already feel the effects. As a second tip is massage, to give you yourself a massage regularly. This is also highly recommended. I look this on the internet and found that several acupressure points are helpful for eye fatigue. Here's a point I push every day. Do you wanna try it with me, Stephanie?

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Oh sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yes.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Um, just here, uhhuh, the acupressure points between your eyebrows.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yes. Yeah.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
I press them 10 times when I wash my face in the morning and at night. Yes, it hurts. But it feels good, doesn't it?

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yeah, oddly it does.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. Yes. This is very effective. And, um, you can also press the middle of the middle of your eyebrows.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Mm-hmm.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. Just here.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Okay. Yeah.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. And your temples and the corner of your eyes.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Okay.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Of the temples.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yeah. Yeah. In the corner of the eyes.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Okay.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. And under your eye. Yeah, under your eyes. It's

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Like in the apples of your cheeks. Kind of like under your eyes.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's right. Yes.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Ah

Nozomi Kiuchi:
We have several acupressure points for eye fatigue. It's simple and works immediately. So I recommend everyone try it.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yes. All right. I'm just gonna tell everyone what we just did cuz they can't see us. So, uh, first we put our fingers, um, just like we both wear glasses. So we, we got our fingers under our glasses. Kind of funny. Yes. But they're right on either side of the bridge of our nose, but, you know, near the, the corner of our eyes and pressing in there. Then there was like the midpoint on your eyebrows just above that. And then there were your temples and the corner of your eyes. And don't poke your eyes out everybody just, just sit there, just touch them very gently. Okay. And then we went to like the cheeks kind of upper, upper cheeks into the, the bottom of the, the, um, eye area.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
That's right. Yes. Oh, okay.

SC:
Yes.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
There are five acupressure points.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wow.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Is I Fatigue. So, uh, I recommend you to press about 10 times.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wow. And that that'll help. Like I, yeah, there's some, I'm just thinking for, for people who know this trick too, if you unroll your ears, we've both got cans on right now. Headphones, you can't do this, but, but if you unroll your, the top of your, your ear lobes, then you, you feel more awake. So like, it's kind of interesting the acupuncture points as you were saying. Yes. Just, uh, those five that you've, you've identified here. Um, you know, do them in the morning, in the evening and, and it should help.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Perfect.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
And, okay, moving on. My thought tip is to use humidifiers. In Japan, it's very dry, except in summer dryness is also a great enemy of the eyes. I have three types of humidifiers and use them differently depending on the season. For example, I use the one that produces steam in cold winter. In summer when air conditioning is on, I use one that emits mist. Moisture is necessary not only for the skin, but also for the eyes. And next tip number four, see many beautiful things in your eyes.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Oh,

Nozomi Kiuchi:
For example, you can get out of the recording booth and open the window. Just looking at the view outside is really refreshing. And sometimes you can go out and see beautiful scenary in nature such as the sky, flowers and trees, mountains, rivers, and the ocean. I think skyscrapers and modern buildings in the city are also stimulating to the eyes. I often go to museums. Looking at walks of art is a relaxing time for me and it can soothe my eyes and mind. And tip number five, my final tip is challenging to many people, me included. But try not to look at your cell phone, computer too long!

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yes.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Don't look at them. Yes. Don't look at them. Especially before going to bed.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Oh yeah,

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yeah. For me, this isn't easy. I work mainly with clients in the United States, Canada and European countries. So there is always a time difference issue. I often get emails about work in evening or at night, especially before I go to bed. And I tend to grab my cell phone to check job offers and auditions.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Mm-hmm.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Of course, I wanna do lots of work and meet the demands of my buried clients as quickly as possible. So I need to work at night, but it's also important to be mindful, freeing my eyes and mind from work.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yes. Yes. And the, the, um, I know you were saying you paid a little extra money to have the blue light tint on your glasses. So that would help with, with not, uh, you know, being too stimulated at night by the, the screen. So those are all great tips. So there are the five of them there. Um, if anyone needs to go back and listen again, please do because there's just so much richness there. Uh, so as we
thank you for sharing those and, and as we continue our conversation, um, you know, what, what kind of changes have you experienced since taking care of your eyes?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
I've been consciously taking care of my eyes for about a month. And the fatigue has gradually gone away. Once my fatigue improved, my body became less tired and I was more motivated to walk. We a voice of as artist as artist, our bodies and minds must be healthy. We all take care of our thoughts, but I believe taking care of our eyes is also as important. I came to have a broader view. I can look more different to the projects I'm involved in.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Well, yeah, we all wanna take care of our voice ‘cause it's the most obvious thing. But when we have our eyes, like you, you can't really do voiceover without seeing a script. Right. Like, I'm just listening as you say this and, and I'm so glad that you've done the way, you know, done things to, um, moisturize your eyes. You know, some people use eyedrops depending if their doctor has prescribed. Um, yes. But you had mentioned just now, you know that obviously caring for your eyes helps you to see deeper into a project.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
So, so what do you mean by that?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
It may mean that I can now have a relaxed mind. I came to have room in my heart for seeing not only the text of the script, but also its background. A voice artist needs to understand the background of the script. For example, if a project is about a company, you need to understand the history of the company, its products, its philosophy, et cetera, and think about how you can express them more interactively with good mental, physical health. These natural processes can be neglected. Once I understand the background, I can think carefully about the meaning of each word in the script and voice it with my feelings. I think healthy eyes are required to understand deeply the script and the project. Taking care of our eyes is a key to excellent work and reach expressions.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
I agree. Yeah. You, you need to be able to read that script to know what it says in order to learn about that client and what you can bring to it. So, um, the word vision, as we know, has many meanings and including, you know, the ability to see with our eyes and to plan for the future or to imagine. So how does having vision help you to be a better storyteller?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
In this case, the world vision might be depressed by the world imagination. I often imagine people fully receive the message I'm reading. The more specific the target audience is, the better I can express it. For example, today I recorded a training video for the employees of a company. The company has a lot of young employees, so I let it very mention an energetic demand in his late twenties who was good at sports. The specific image is important. I feel that if I can picture the faces of my target audience, I can read more clearly. One of my friends has told me that when she led a project for kids, she recorded it with a picture of her daughter and the daughter's favorite door in front of her. I'm sure her storytelling must have been wonderful. It is important to imagine the view as well as the audience. For example, when I lead a commercial for resort hotel, I imagine the buildings, the looms, the view from the window, the smells and the breeze. Even when videos, the music are not provided, we should always visualize the image as really the script.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wow.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. And, uh, now I think of an idea. Yeah. As, as you can see a recording monitor looking recording booth surrounded by sound observing materials. Um, but an update in the atmosphere might make some positive change.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Oh goodness. Yes. Wow. All very good observations and insights. So I must ask you, what differences can people hear in a voice that has vision versus one that does not?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
I feel there is quite a big difference. As you know, Japanese scripts tend to be longer than English ones. When I just think this English version video, I sometimes struggle to read concentrating only on the text. It's a leading that lacks vision and imagination. In this case, it sounds as if a machine is reading and I tell
the clients that I want to change a script. Also, if we read the script without understanding its meaning, it'll never be understood by source for listening. So where I join a medical technical project that involves a lot of jargon, the study is essential.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Yes. Yeah. You, you have to know what you're saying and you have to know why it's important to somebody else, otherwise you can't possibly communicate to them. Right. So, um, as we were talking about before, and I love the artistic kind of way you're looking at everything. Uh, so as, uh, we all know our voice artists, they paint pictures, right. And, and help others to see with their voices. So, um, what's one thing that someone can try today to be a better word, painter and voice actor.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Word painter, what a fantastic expression. When I started my boss career as a TV announcer about 25 years ago, my boss said to me that your voice represents who you are. Your voice represents who you are. It means that your voice showcases everything about you, your personality, your inner self, and how you lived your life. This really struck me and I've kept his advice in mind ever since. And here's my advice to the listeners. Cherish each and every day to enrich your life. Make people be more curious and experience both good and bad. Then all make you use all your senses, not just a sense of sight. That way you can paint words with imagination and be a better voice artist.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wow.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
And now, in the voice of a market, there is a high demand for natural conversational or more human race. And we actors need to express our feelings freely with that embarrassment. And that's something AI can never do. Also, a natural and emotion read helps create the beauty of the language spoken in the script. And beautiful language can touch the receiver’s heart. That's what I wanna pursue as a voice of our artist.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
That is beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I, I think we all want to communicate from our hearts when we talk to people, um, when we're reading a script, when we're taking on a role. And you've given us so many amazing ways to think about how we see, to think about why our vision matters, and also just like how we can express ourselves, um, through the written word. You know, obviously in the spoken word.
And that that is just fantastic. Oh my goodness. And, and I'm sure like when the, uh, cherry blossoms come out, you'll have even more beautiful things to look at in a few months there. Uh, but oh my goodness. Well, thank you so much for joining us on Vox Talk today. Nozomi, um, where can people go to learn more about you and what you do?

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Yes. My website is nozomivoicejapan.com and please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and you can also find me on Twitter and Instagram.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
Wonderful. That's fantastic. Well, thank you again for coming on the show and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Nozomi Kiuchi:
Thank you very much.

Stephanie Ciccarelli:
And that's the way we saw the world through the lens of voice over this week. Thank you so much for listening and taking in such amazing tips from Nozomi Kiuchi. She is just brilliant when it comes to describing why your vision matters, why your eyesight taking care of it is so vitally important for the voice artist. If there was anything that you wanna revisit, go back to those five points in particular. Please listen to this episode again and as many times as you need to, uh, there is going to be a transcript on the site too. You can find it that way if you'd rather read, uh, the interview in, in that form. Um, for voices, I'm Stephanie Ciccarelli. Vox Talk is produced by Geoff Bremner. Thank you again for listening. Be sure to check Nozomi out on LinkedIn. I know she's really active on there. And of course, as you know, we'll see you next week.