There’s a big misconception about what actors do. It’s this: some people think that the actor’s job is to feel feelings, when the actor’s job is actually to do something that makes the audience feel feelings.
What can actors do? Aren’t they just saying lines someone else wrote?
Yes. This is why acting is so freaking amazing and kinda magical, and it’s a super-specialized craft. Actors look at those words on the page, and they figure out what their character needs, what they want, what their desires are, and most importantly, what change they are trying to make in the other people onstage.
I’m telling you this because it’s true of all human communication. When we speak, we want something to happen. We want to be heard, to connect, to hurt, to inspire, to cajole, to persuade, to convince, to negate, to chastise, to invite, to ignite, to exhort, to cheer, to console, to admire, to rally, to negotiate, to assert our position…the list is endless.
Start noticing what you want to happen. Start thinking about how your communication is really operating. What are you already great at? What could be better?
