Actors often talk about truth, vulnerability, and authenticity, but underneath all of it lies one essential skill: curiosity. Acting is, at its core, the study of human connection. It asks you to look closely at what makes people open up, what makes them shut down, and how your own willingness to stay curious shapes the story you tell. Just like in any meaningful relationship, internal conflict, emotional triggers, and a willingness to reframe your mindset can turn obstacles into opportunities. Here are some key ways to nurture your curiosity, strengthen your instincts, and ultimately transform your connection with other humans:
Attack the Block, Not the Human
One of the biggest misconceptions actors have is thinking that connection is something you “achieve” if you try hard enough. If you feel deeply enough, listen intensely enough, or give the “right” emotional response. But real connection isn’t forced. It can’t be willed into existence. It happens when you remove the internal barriers that keep you from truly being with another person. When a scene feels flat or a relationship moment doesn’t land, actors often turn the blame inward:
Why can’t I connect? What am I doing wrong? Am I not emotional enough?
But these questions focus on performance, not presence. Connection blocks usually come from understandable human places- fear of being judged, fear of being seen, fear of making the wrong choice. Instead of attacking yourself, get curious:
Are you listening to understand or listening to respond with your next line?
Is your attention on your partner or on how you think you’re being perceived by the camera?
Are you fighting against intimacy without realizing it?
What’s meant to resonate will resonate when you make room for it. Shifting your mindset from self-critique to self-curiosity will unlock more in your work than force or “trying to get it right” ever could.
Find the Thread That Makes You the Same
Actors often think connection means merging fully with another person. But connection actually begins with something far simpler: recognizing the shared human thread between you and the character, you and your scene partner, you and the audience.
Curiosity is the bridge.
Just like actors, all humans are constantly navigating uncertainty, longing, insecurity, and hope. Every character wants something, fears something, protects something, dreams of something.
Connection builds when you start asking:
What does this character want underneath what they say they want?
What part of their fear mirrors my own?
Where does our humanity overlap—even if our circumstances don’t?
Connection blocks often dissolve the moment you stop trying to “relate” and instead start trying to understand. When you assume you share nothing with the character, you detach. But when you hunt for common ground, even a tiny thread, you create a doorway into deeper storytelling.
Be Willing to Adjust and Redefine What Connection Means
Actors often chase connection as if it’s supposed to feel electric every single time. But connection is not one specific sensation—it shifts depending on the moment, the relationship, and the circumstances.
Sometimes, connection feels warm and safe.
Sometimes, it feels tense and uncomfortable.
Sometimes, it feels awkward, messy, or quiet.
All of it is valid.
So how can you redefine your relationship to connection?
Take the pressure off. The moment you demand a feeling, you lose the moment.
Set process-oriented goals. Focus on presence, not perfection.
Let discomfort be part of the scene. Disconnection is often the beginning of connection.
Stop trying to prove and start trying to explore. Curiosity is a more reliable engine than expectation.
If you’re willing to let connection look different from what you imagined, you’ll find it everywhere.
Decompress and Deepen the Relationships That Matter
When you release the mythology of perfect connection, you’ll walk into scenes, and into rooms, with less tension and more freedom. You’ll stop searching for the “right” emotional moment and instead show up ready to discover. Your scene partner will feel it too. Curiosity disarms people. Presence invites truth. Ease creates chemistry.
Acting becomes lighter. Relationships become richer. And your work becomes more honest.
Connection thrives when you allow yourself to be changed by the person in front of you.
How John Rosenfeld Studios Can Support Your Journey Into Human Connection
At John Rosenfeld Studios, we believe that acting thrives in an environment rooted in curiosity, trust, and genuine human connection. Whether you’re uncovering emotional blocks or learning how to stay present with a scene partner, our team and community are here to guide your growth. Here’s how we support your path:
Acting Classes – Build Presence and Listening Skills
Our in-person and online classes help actors develop the core muscles of connection—deep listening, emotional access, and moment-to-moment responsiveness. Under the guidance of our faculty, you’ll strengthen your technique while exploring the human impulses that drive great acting. These classes not only sharpen your craft but keep you inspired and grounded in the “why” behind the work.
Audition Coaching – Create Connection Under Pressure
Auditions often challenge connection because the stakes feel high and the circumstances feel artificial. Our professional audition coaching and taping services help you stay relaxed and focused so your curiosity and your talent can shine through. With personalized feedback, we help you turn pressure into presence and craft performances that feel alive, specific, and connected.
Workshops and Private Consultations – Uncover Your Blocks
Our private consultations and specialized workshops offer an intimate space to explore the fears, habits, or internal narratives that may be limiting your connection. Whether you’re navigating creative blocks, preparing for a big role, or seeking clarity on your growth path, we’ll help you identify what’s holding you back and what’s ready to be unlocked.
Reconnect With Yourself and Your Craft at John Rosenfeld Studios
A fulfilling acting career depends not only on skill, but on your capacity to connect with others, with story, and with yourself. At John Rosenfeld Studios, we help you nurture curiosity, build confidence, and cultivate authenticity in every performance. Our acting classes, coaching services, and community events provide the structure and support needed to help you thrive at any stage of your career.
Whether you’re beginning your training or rediscovering your passion, we’re here to walk with you. Join our community today, and let curiosity lead you back to the heart of the work.