Comfort Object Project

About the project.

Comfort Object Project is a collection of stories about people's relationships with their comfort objects. In this project, the criteria set for 'comfort objects' are non-living things that people use to self-soothe, and feel comfortable or secured. Usually, the scent and texture of the object hold a significant value to the process of soothing or comforting its owner. Some people only need their comfort objects during bedtime, while others bring their comfort objects everywhere they go in their day-to-day lives.

While the use of comfort objects is widely known and accepted amongst children, the behaviour is not as well recognized in adolescents and older. This may cause some people to perceive adult comfort-object-users as weird, freaky, or lonely.  In reality, around 30%* of adolescents and adults still use comfort objects (and this number may in reality be bigger since many are embarrassed to acknowledge due to the associated stigmas described above).

Through sharing true stories from adolescents and adults who use comfort objects, this project hopes to let comfort object users know that they are not alone, and non-users to reconsider the way they may have perceived the use of comfort object in adolescence and adulthood.

*The amount of adolescents and adults who use comfort objects varies based on research. Tierney found that 35% of British adults slept with a teddy bear. Kalpidou found that 30% of college students still use their transitional object. Stagg and Li found that 27% of Taiwaneese adolescents use a transitional object. Shafii found that 21% of female and 12% of male adolescents in Kentucky use Transitional Objects. Scroll to end of page for the reference details.

1. Digital Story Archive

An ongoing story collection project, compiling and presenting the stories of people's comfort objects. This interactive webpage allows you to click on different objects and read the stories about them and contribute your own.

2. Comfort Object Clinic

A temporary clinic for comfort objects held in Tributary Projects (2022) 

3. Slumber Party

An overnight workshop that invites its participants to examine aspects of their pre-sleep habits through a collective reflection session, sensory awareness and meditation.

4. Letters to Childhood Comfort

This heartfelt workshop invites you to recall the sensory characteristics of your childhood comfort object and write a letter to it.

5. Metamorphosis

This is a performance art film showcasing the artist perform a surgery on their childhood comfort object.