All good things must come to an end!
Why, so often, newcomers to Magic completely walk away from the art form and return to the DARK SIDE!
How can a person excitedly begin walking down the path of magic discovery, only to find himself, in a relatively short amount of time, having drifted off the “straight-and- narrow” way?
Well, read on, grasshopper……..
Since the day I first witnessed a silk handkerchief vanish right before my eyes in 1986, I have been head over heels in love with magic. It completely ignited some fire within me, and every time I saw it performed after that was like pouring gasoline on that fire! I was completely hooked.
Sadly, however, for most people, it’s not like that at all. The majority of folks seem to fall away very quickly. Here’s a solid fact that may surprise you, especially if you are currently captivated with the passion of this wonderful new hobby:
The average life span of a beginner in magic is just 6 months.
For the working performer, that’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, it’s advantageous to be a rarity.
For the magic shop proprietor (especially for the “brick-and-mortar” establishment), it sucks.
For someone like me, who remains in love with magic, it’s a sad thing, mainly because I know, first hand what opportunities and joys will be missed from folks who stray from the path.
Why on earth would anyone stop doing magic tricks?
To better understand the psychology of these sad individuals, let us examine what the journey entails.
Based on my understanding and experience, learning magic incorporates FOUR basic steps:
The discovery of the secret
Learning the method with which to hide the secret
Developing a performance through practice and rehearsal of the method
Giving the performance
As for me, I enjoy each and every step. Each has a unique attraction, and offers its own challenges.
But some folks just don’t see it that way…..
The bite from the magic “bug” doesn’t deliver enough venom. They just want to learn one or two tricks; dabble a little with magic. No more than the big toe in the magical pool of water.
For whatever reason (maybe to become the life of the party, impatience, to impress a girl, or just to fool a friend), this unhappy lot focuses on steps ONE, TWO and FOUR of the process, skipping step THREE completely. Following this template does allow the enthusiast to become quite good at the tricks.
Perhaps he has natural showmanship skills that gravitated him towards finding some quick-n-easy effects in the first place. But this performer is missing one vital piece: he has no deeply rooted love or respect for magic AS AN ART. For this poor shlub, the tricks are just merely quick popularity tools, grouped alongside similar gadgets, like a few good jokes, bar bet stunts, and the like.
His reverence for Magic doesn’t go any deeper than that……
That’s LIFE …..
Remember when you first discovered magic? Were you obsessed?
I know I was.
I ate, drank, slept, lived and breathed it. Magic was all I thought about. It captivated my every waking hour. It was like being in love. I dwelt in darkness without it….
….. then it went away …..
Other matters crowded in and became the focus of my attention. In a nutshell - life happened.
For many people, life soldiers on and magic is falls by the wayside. Forgotten and neglected. This is especially true with the very young. Other interests move in to take center stage.
For me, I had something that bridged that gap, because I was receiving some income from magic. But for many, when “something else” grabs their attention, becoming their new hobby, or a new relationship, career, family, etc. moves in, Magic moves to the background, becoming lost in the shadows of everything else.
It takes TWO to tango
Learning about magic is an enjoyable hobby, and can be a wonderful escape into fantasy, but that’s not fully what constitutes magic. Absent the performance, the experience can’t really be considered to be “magic”. An imaginary spectator just doesn’t cut it. For magic to materialize, it ultimately must happen within the minds of those in the audience.
The “basement hobbyist” faces his own huge pitfalls. The interests and supportive encouragement from family and friends can quickly fade. Audience size forces the hobbyist to continually seek out new material, and by doing that, he is ultimately robbed of the ability to master the performance of any of his effects.
He simply has not ability to polish the effect through repetition. Sadly, one of the biggest reasons that beginners stop doing magic tricks is not because they run out of material; It’s because that they run out of audience.
The remedy? A regular venue is necessary. One should be found where the hobbyist can regularly demonstrate old material to new people, molding himself into a magician. Some places leap to mind: a community center, a local retirement home, or open mic venues.
The WHERE isn’t as important at the DO. Basically anywhere that will welcome a live performance and where the budding magician feels comfortable will suffice. If a little effort is exerted, venues CAN and WILL be found. Places are crying out for performers to entertain their communities.
A magician will emerge, as will true magic. As long as he doesn’t fail to stay motivated, he will naturally bring benefit to himself, and do good in his community at the same time.
That Perfect Trick
Hobbyists are always on the prowl for tricks that are easy and quick to learn. Because they fail to follow step THREE, magic tricks become quick and easy consumables to learn and then forget. None of these effects are fully mastered, so each one fails to satisfy over the long run. This disappointment leads to a constant and voracious search for “that one perfect trick” that will ultimately satisfy, leading many magicians to become “collectors” instead of “performers”.
Sadly, as any experienced magician can testify, no such perfect trick exists. The fault isn’t with any effect, but with the absence of dedicated practice.
Mastery comes through practice, not purchase.
My, what a big shopping cart you have…..
Are you mistaking shopping for study? We all do it. It’s an occupational hazard. Browsing magic shop sites, watching magic videos, reading magic magazines, posting on magic forums and with groups…..
NONE OF THAT IS MAGIC PRACTICE!!!
How much of your “practice time” is actually spent browsing the internet for magic-related sites, or spending time researching, reading or learning about OTHER magicians and THEIR magic? Let’s face it, it’s easier and more fun than drilling a magic routine. After all, shopping is part of the inherent joy of magic and its that joy that keeps us going.
However, we magicians are a compulsive lot, each with a fierce, ravenous urge for knowledge. Acquiring magic secrets satisfies that urge. For many, that in itself becomes the final destination for all magical efforts. We could fill an ocean with new magic items, effects, books, and downloads.
For many beginners, they slowly find themselves drowning in the “sea” of magic. The vast amount of available knowledge can literally suck the fun out of the whole thing. Others go on to become collectors of magic props, and obsessed with the politics and creativity of magical development.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with any of this. These can all be a fun, lifelong pursuit. But they also can be one of the reasons beginners waste their potential and ultimately stop doing magic tricks.
How can I avoid these traps?
If you want to ensure the best chance of building a long-term love affair with magic, then the following tips can help keep the passion flowing:
Slow down. Learn one magic trick at a time. Take pleasure in selecting the right one for you. Browse, research. Then CHOOSE ONE and COMMIT to it.
Practice… Practice… Practice… Keep yourself focused by following a consistent, structured program which centers on practice and rehearsal. One of the absolute best that I have found is Approaching Magic Practice by Dominic Reyes. Through his website, Merchant of Magic, anyone can download a free copy of his program
Seek out an audience beyond your family and friends. Do this! By far, it’s the hardest step, but will undoubtedly yield the most fruit. So suck it up, be brave, and FIND ONE.
Resist the urge to buy magic tricks just to learn their secret instead, only select new magic because it entertains YOU, and this joy will enable you to perform it for OTHERS with the same level of entertainment.
Finally, never grow up, and don’t allow life to get in the way of your magic.
Have the guts to always be a magician.
Cheers !!
Great article, Professor. You remind us all to delve deeper. Hobbies, relationships, and more fade when we fail to invest ourselves. The richness and enjoyment is a byproduct of our commitment to the process you nicely highlighted. Ah, that magic step 3 of polishing our performance of the trick, the set, the patter, etc.