Comfort vs. Relaxation

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.

by Kenneth Dolin

Relaxation vs. Comfort

I had an actor tell me that it was my job to make him comfortable. I disagree. I think it’s my job to make my actors relaxed.

It’s a small distinction, but an important one. Because I believe and an artist should never be too comfortable. Because that is when creative complacency happens.

Relaxation creates availability to access feelings. Comfort may prevent access to some feelings. In fact, many actors and other artists often use feelings of anxiety or nervousness or what are referred to as “fear feelings” to guide and energize their work. It can be fuel. Fuel that become more abundant with relaxation.

As an artist, there is an importance to getting comfortable being uncomfortable. To just feeling what you feel in the moment, not judging those feelings, not assigning shame to them, and allowing them to guide you to unexpectedly beautiful places. If you push past the discomfort of those feelings, truth shines through.

A bad analogy, but I’ll make it anyway. In sports, if you want want to become stronger physically, lift heavy weights and that can hurt. But the pain of heavy lifting leads to strength. As an actor, in accessing emotion, if you have to go to places that are not necessarily comfortable in order to be triggered. Relaxation helps with that. Comfort may not.

A SAFE, RELAXED, FUN PLACE TO CREATE

This isn’t to say that I don’t want to create safe, nurturing, positive and fun space. I want you to feel beyond safe here. Supported. Appreciated. And relaxed enough that you can use all of your feelings, even your discomfort, to create compelling, emotionally honest and revealing portraits.