We were lucky to catch up with Belsheber Rusape recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Belsheber, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Honestly, I couldn’t be any happier that I am able to pursue my craft full-time without feeling like I’m low-in-demand. I’ve been working as a voice actor since I graduated high school, starting as a way to express my passions, but the more I ventured into the professional scene, I learned to honor my own value over what others demanded from me.

As I was attending college, I had been working whatever paying work I could scrummage to continue affording my school supplies (going to school for a Bachelor’s Degree is VERY pricey, be prepared) and additional class expenses. Having worked in various regular jobs before committing fulltime to freelancing as a voice actor, people take take these kinds of jobs for granted, and they certainly don’t appreciate people working in retail, customer service and manual labor enough.

If my path has taught me anything, it’s that making sacrifices doesn’t mean you have to let go of your passions and desires; I learned that growing up didn’t have to mean letting go of your creative aspirations like others might lead you to believe. I was able to ascend into voice over while going to school, and a few years after graduating, I was able to advance my techniques and portfolio in graphic design, using my connections in voice-over to find success as a banner designer in the convention and social media landscapes.

My journey won’t be the same as everyone else’s, but I made it a choice to always expand my skills wherever I could in the arts, my greatest recommendations would be:
-Don’t let yourself be a one-trick pony.

-Don’t scoff at doing some manual labor if it can get you to where you need to in the end. With voice acting, many folks have a day job that pays the bills, and if you’re not at a place where voice-over is raking in the dough, having a safety net will be your best friend.

-Find your worth in your passions and skills, don’t let your overambition crush you, otherwise you resent the things you love and the people who make them into something you originally desired for yourself.

Belsheber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At the core of my person, I’m just a big geeky kid; you never grow out of your optimistic rush if it’s naturally a part of you, you just learn to gradually maintain it as an adult over the course of life. As an artist, be it acting or design, I get to burst with spontaneous glee over my goals and aspirations as a creative, I share said ambitions unabashedly, and I get to understand what others look for in their careers as well. As much as I love being the actor, my other attachment to voice acting is getting to listen to, analyze and enjoy the literally endless numbers of people who can provide the same spark I do, if not more so.

The one thing people know me more for outside of my actual work is my connectivity with other actors: If you had asked me when I first started VO that I would get as far as I am now, finding a mutual synergy messaging actors across ALL the social media platforms, be it email, Skype, Discord, Twitter, etc., I would have hand waved it immediately. I just went in believing that other people who love voice acting and fiction as much as I did deserved to see the same opportunities I was finding, and over the years, it eventually became this big thing that the community as a whole came together to chip in. I’m FAR from the first person, let alone the only one to do this, and I certainly wouldn’t classify myself as a pioneer or anything for simply sharing what’s essentially a lead to a job sighting, but I did feel pride knowing that I could help in providing accessibility to my peers, be it actors who never knew they could prosper in independent media the way I was able to.

The most common comment I’ve received is how much I’m like a full-time volunteer agent for the rest of the voice-acting community, and frankly, I wear that badge with honor. I believe that as long as the opportunity is available, and that someone out there has a winning chance, then that is a general win across the board for the whole industry. We live in an era where as long as you can record from home, you can work anywhere in the world, and I couldn’t be more elated that this has become so normal, even long before I was in the industry. To see talent accessibility reach the heights it has now, with major studios hiring talent abroad and priority on diversity means we’re in the right direction overall.

I’m a firm believer that you can shoot for the stars without sacrificing other people. You can find success while looking out for others in an industry built on ego and connectivity.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The biggest struggle is assuming that being a creative is easy in the slightest. I’m always learning something new, there’s always something to learn, and if you’re not open to learning from your mistakes, you won’t make it far in any creative industry.

I’d say I’m shocked at how many stories come out about a malicious self-absorbed showboat who weaponizes their accomplishments or positions of power to get away with insidious affairs, but I’ve actually come to accept that this kind of pattern is older than the industry itself. Heck, it’s not even exclusively a creative struggle, but being an egomaniac in the creative field especially won’t bode well. This might sound like it goes without saying, but humility is a powerful asset in this line of work. Take pride in yourself and don’t let anyone knock you down, but vice versa, don’t feel like you’re entitled to knock other people down a peg just because you’re remotely successful.

You will fumble at times and that’s okay. Making mistakes is normal.

On a VERY important tangent, taking care of yourself is WAY easier said than done. Anything simple like vacuuming, eating regularly, grooming yourself regularly, those do in fact help optimize your craft. By regularly taking better care of yourself, your motivation and health guarantee that you will work longer, faster and more effectively. First mistake I would make was thinking I had to do everything as fast as possible, only to learn that the best end result comes from getting it done at your own pace. Impatience and crunch can really be your mortal enemy as an artist, so take some time every day to treat yourself properly, regardless of the job you work. You never know who needs to hear “Be kind to yourself” until they reach critical fatigue. Trust me, as a workaholic, I know that feeling.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m finally at a stage where I’m overall content with where my career is right now, but yes, there are missions I aim to achieve. Sure they might not be accomplished immediately or even in the next few years, but these are desired goals that give me an objective to strive for:

-Work behind the scenes on an anime/TV Show/video game (be it directing, writing, casting, etc.)
-Be in one of my favorite video game franchises as a voice actor.
-Design a graphic/cover/logo for a huge client, possibly a music client or for a promo of some kind.
-Get repped by a big LA agent (I’ve been doing well without one, but having one will mean I’m set for life on VO)
-Put out an animated series/video game that will illustrate my personal vision.

Sometimes, you just need to manifest your biggest dreams aloud so you know for yourself what you wanna accomplish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.belsheberrusapejr.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belsheber-rusape-aa609a109/
• Twitter: https://x.com/BelRusapeVO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3OOAEmqROk7RV7rkCTT6A