Release

I think it's currently my favorite word.

Lately, in both my teaching and my acting life, I've been referring to this word a lot. When I'm working, I try to constantly remind myself to release the entirety of my talent into every moment. Everything I'm thinking, feeling, holding onto, worrying about. My fears and anxieties, my love and excitement. I strive to release it all into the work. I push my students to do the same thing. The mantra of my warm-ups could easily be "Take a nice deep breath in, and release it forward."

We can begin by releasing any idea or expectation as to how the work should look or feel, or how we should occur within it. The self-trust that is inherent here is major: "I am enough, and however I show up here is fine/good/exactly where I need to be."

Next, we can release everything we're feeling, moment by moment, out into the room. As artists, it can be so easy (and maybe slightly exciting?) to hold onto everything going on inside us. Our emotional life is fuel! Sometimes it can feel counterintuitive to take our experiences, let them go, and move onto the next one. But it's only through this energetic movement that our talent really starts to flow.

By surrendering, and trusting that right on the back end of all that feeling there's even MORE going--only then do we get a glimpse of how far we can take something, how fully a moment can be lived out, how varied and always truthful our experiences are. And by putting it out there, we show the room, the lens, and the audience our vulnerability, which is our most attractive trait.

From watching the work at the studio over the past week, I've also seen first hand how this release, this letting go throws an actor even further into their work. Suddenly we aren't worrying about our energy or focus or breathing--instead, we are headfirst in the work and everything is happening! When you throw everything that is going on with you in that moment onto your partner, I guarantee that your attention is where it needs to be, your energy is high, and your breath is moving!

Then, once we've done our work and the "scene" is done (as my actors know, I'm not a fan of that word), we can release our judgements. I like to remind my actors that if they were on the set, that would be take one. Everything that's coming up for you now? That's take two. Release that into the room!

Holding onto a moment in time cannot make it stay. Clutching at our feelings does not make them more seen. Only through releasing it all can we truly serve our talent and work at our highest level.

 -Sarah Kohl