During this time the mask is kept in a special place in the actor's family temple. Sometimes he sleeps with it next to his pillow to induce dreams based on its image. Some Balinese view this period of character development as analogous to the act of giving birth. The actor's meditation is the gestation period necessary to give birth to a fully developed character. This respect for the mask and the process of giving it life is not always understood by Western actors and maskmakers.
Designers are often content to concentrate only on the effect of the mask's visual impact.
Actors too often view a new mask as if it were a toy. This attitude results in theatrical products that are little better than Halloween tricks. The tendency to ignore fundamental aspects of the mask's meaning is indicative of a major difference between performers in the East and West. The Western actor approaches a role as an opportunity to succeed or fail in creating something that originates inside himself. Unlike the Balinese actor who searches outside himself for the creative seed of the character's interpretation, the Westerner does not take time to consider the inherent qualities of the mask that were developed by a collaborating artist, the maskmaker.