Be myself?

Aug 31, 2007
1,960
1
34
Long Island/New York
If the anwer is "yes"...then be yourself. If the answer is "no"...then don't because you're a boring person and magic isn't going to cover that up.

I'm confused, what are you saying?

If I'm Mr. popular, then I should be myself and if I'm a loner, I should not act like a different person to cover up my shyness because it won't work?

But if I'm a loner and act as myself, I shouldn't be doing magic?
Please clear things up for me.
 

baller08

Banned
Sep 21, 2008
135
0
I'm confused, what are you saying?

If I'm Mr. popular, then I should be myself and if I'm a loner, I should not act like a different person to cover up my shyness because it won't work?

But if I'm a loner and act as myself, I shouldn't be doing magic?
Please clear things up for me.

It's got nothing to do with being a "loner"...although being outgoing and engaging does help with connecting with people better.

But what I was more referring to is your core social skills. Can you talk to people (men, women, young and old) that you don't know and strike up an interesting conversation without the use of magic? Just ask yourself that simple question.

Imagine yourself in a social gathering and you see a table of 3 girls, can you walk up and get (and hold) their attention and have them wanting to hang out with you without the use of magic? Same scenario with a mix group of say 3 girls and 2 guys.

Your magic is only memorable if you have other life experiences and interest to draw from. If you're just a "magic monk"....meaning your life is literally eat, breathe, and sleep magic, then technically you may be good, but you won't really be an engaging performer and after 2 or 3 tricks people will move onto something else more interesting.

So to really answer the core of your question; it's more important that you learn social interaction rather than focusing on "being yourself". Most of us are not that interesting just "being ourselves", it's something we have to continually work on. So pick a character that you want to be....funny, mysterious, cool, sensual, whatever.....and study people (not magicians) who have those traits. Then actually go out and do things that give you those traits so it actually becomes a part of your experience.

If you do that then evenutally you will BE that character but it won't be fake, you'll actually be yourself because you've adopted those experiences and quality as part of your personality.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
I'm probably misquoting here, but the ideal self-image is the sum total of every strength you wish to develop come to fruition. You are living the lifestyle that would truly make you happy.
 
If you want to be remembered by your audiences as "some guy that did this really awesome thing with cards that {fill in the blank here}" Then work on your skills.

If you want to be remembered for who you are, by name, and susequently by reputation then work on your presentation and character.

Skills will get you booked once.

Presentantation and character will keep you working and get you rebooked.

Both are essential, but the later is slightly more important.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
I'm probably misquoting here, but the ideal self-image is the sum total of every strength you wish to develop come to fruition. You are living the lifestyle that would truly make you happy.

I actually have a question for you steer, regarding this matter...

You obviously have your character down, you have practiced it, you have perfected it and it resembles part of what you are, but, in order to me a good performer, is it necessary to have a character? no? how do you know that you need one?
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
I actually have a question for you steer, regarding this matter...

You obviously have your character down, you have practiced it, you have perfected it and it resembles part of what you are, but, in order to me a good performer, is it necessary to have a character? no? how do you know that you need one?

I'm of the school of thought that a performing character is important as magic is theater, and that the number of people whose personalities are so dynamic that they don't need to play a part are in the extreme minority. But even they have certain affectations while performing to create a more compelling spectacle and because, well let's face it, we're lying through our teeth!

That said, the answer to your first question is a "Yes, but..."

Most importantly, I want to make it clear that a performing character must be something you can truly be excited about and get behind. The common misconception is that in having a character you are not being genuine or true to yourself. Bull****. My character of the Shadowlander is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, and pet studies made into a theatrical persona. I have to be interested in this stuff to make it believable.

"A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician"
- Robert-Houdin

And most of them wouldn't even cut it in community theater.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
Most importantly, I want to make it clear that a performing character must be something you can truly be excited about and get behind. The common misconception is that in having a character you are not being genuine or true to yourself. Bull****. My character of the Shadowlander is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, and pet studies made into a theatrical persona. I have to be interested in this stuff to make it believable.
.

That's the part that I was concerned about, I have seen so much guys trying to be criss angel or David Blaine, and that just sucks..

So in other words, having a character based on what you are makes the magic more interesting for laymen... of course that is if you have a interesting (and comfortable) character around you...
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
So in other words, having a character based on what you are makes the magic more interesting for laymen...

Yes and no. It makes it more believable, more real. I couldn't call myself a chronicler of strange phenomena with a straight face if I didn't read Charles Fort and enjoy watching old episodes of The X-Files and The Twilight Zone. It's all part of the theater.

Let's try something that might help you understand better. Is there a particular subject outside of magic that interests you? Something you study now or would like to study? History? Photography? Cooking? Sports? Genre fiction? Mythology? Throw a couple things out there if you can.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
well, I enjoy listening to old rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The beatles, the doors things like that, and I actually want to be an actor, it is what I plan to study...

I am a friendly guy, I can throw jokes here and there, so it is kinda hard for me to try to be like "misterious" or "darky" if you know what I mean, and that's why I dont try it, but still, I dont want my magic to be remembered just as shock magic, and I dont want to be remembered (as Draven said) as a "guy that does cool card tricks"

I usually use a lot of patter on more complex routines like the ACR or the inversion card routine and things like that, using emotional hooks and trying to gain rapport the moment I start talking with them..

Now what I cant do is what you said that you do in another thread, you said that you kindly approached people, started talking about special and mistery things, then you redirect that attention to you and then you start the performance, I mean, that's great, because you have all their attention and interest in you before you even performed a single trick...

That's the hard part, I need to work to gain that attention while you grab it moments before you start.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
well, I enjoy listening to old rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The beatles, the doors things like that, and I actually want to be an actor, it is what I plan to study...

Okay, let's take the classic rock hook. What about classic rock appeals to you? What are some particular qualities about different bands that you enjoy? Led Zeppelin's blues influence? Jim Morrison's preoccupation with mysticism? Do you like the mystique of the old-fashioned rock and roll bad boy archetype?

Keep developing that thought.
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
Okay, let's take the classic rock hook. What about classic rock appeals to you? What are some particular qualities about different bands that you enjoy? Led Zeppelin's blues influence? Jim Morrison's preoccupation with mysticism? Do you like the mystique of the old-fashioned rock and roll bad boy archetype?

Keep developing that thought.

I would say that the last two, in fact talking a little about Led, I lke all the mysticism behind "starway to heaven" I mean, it could sound as a cliche, but every note played in the starting riff, it is almost as if it was talking, as if it was telling you a story, I mean, you can almost sense what the song is about just by hearing the first part of the song...

Haha, and I also like the mystique of the old-Fashioned rock and roll bad boy, it kinda fits me:)

EDIT::?? but now that I think about it, does age matter when you build up a character?
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
I would say that the last two, in fact talking a little about Led, I lke all the mysticism behind "starway to heaven" I mean, it could sound as a cliche, but every note played in the starting riff, it is almost as if it was talking, as if it was telling you a story, I mean, you can almost sense what the song is about just by hearing the first part of the song...

Haha, and I also like the mystique of the old-Fashioned rock and roll bad boy, it kinda fits me:)

Perfect.

Now, let's say hypothetically that you took the subjects of mysticism you see in the lyrics of Zep and The Doors and used them as presentations for your effects. I'm going to take a second to mind dump dramatically and pound out a couple ideas. Keep in mind, most of them will suck because I'm thinking off the top of my head, but there are strictly for illustrative purposes only.

-There are rumors that Jim Morrison drank tarantula venom to induce hallucinations. Russian roulette routine using Mark Edwards' method from Restless Plots.
-The lyrics of Kashmir can be used as Kenton Knepper's method of producing glitter (or in this case, "the dust that floats high in June") from the Sorcerer Series.
-The rock and roll heartbreaker. Torn and restored paper heart.

That's all I can come up with at the moment, I'm a little burned out from working all day. And like I said, they all suck because I'm just free-forming.

The point is, adding a touch of rock to your character and presentations would have a ring of authenticity to it because it genuinely interests you, and an audience who also is interested in it would recognize that passion in you.

And it doesn't even have to be in the effects. Jim Morrison was actually painfully shy and reticent. But he struck up his famous poses, body language, and mannerisms by (and I'm not kidding) studying Classical Greek sculpture. He modeled his body language on that, further adding a mythological dynamic to rock culture. Do you think maybe you could do that?
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
EDIT::?? but now that I think about it, does age matter when you build up a character?

Yes and no. If you're a teenager, it's harder to sell people on the idea that you're a world-traveling daredevil for example. But there's nothing stopping you from saying that you have a unique talent...
 
Aug 10, 2008
2,023
2
33
In a rock concert
Perfect.

Now, let's say hypothetically that you took the subjects of mysticism you see in the lyrics of Zep and The Doors and used them as presentations for your effects. I'm going to take a second to mind dump dramatically and pound out a couple ideas. Keep in mind, most of them will suck because I'm thinking off the top of my head, but there are strictly for illustrative purposes only.

-There are rumors that Jim Morrison drank tarantula venom to induce hallucinations. Russian roulette routine using Mark Edwards' method from Restless Plots.
-The lyrics of Kashmir can be used as Kenton Knepper's method of producing glitter (or in this case, "the dust that floats high in June") from the Sorcerer Series.
-The rock and roll heartbreaker. Torn and restored paper heart.

That's all I can come up with at the moment, I'm a little burned out from working all day. And like I said, they all suck because I'm just free-forming.

The point is, adding a touch of rock to your character and presentations would have a ring of authenticity to it because it genuinely interests you, and an audience who also is interested in it would recognize that passion in you.

And it doesn't even have to be in the effects. Jim Morrison was actually painfully shy and reticent. But he struck up his famous poses, body language, and mannerisms by (and I'm not kidding) studying Classical Greek sculpture. He modeled his body language on that, further adding a mythological dynamic to rock culture. Do you think maybe you could do that?

Great read, Im actually thinking in a lot of new ways to present the tricks now, thank you, the other problem that I have there is that as you have seen, I live in mexico, so not a lot of poeple kinda know those bands, and the music here is well, amm, garbage, anyway, I think if I still talk about the stereotype of the rockstar and then mention Jim morrison case and other interesant facts I might grab their attention, I can still work something...

The thing that I have been using is ego, ( and I dont mean mine) and their desire for power, now, when I usually perform I talk to them and explained them how the mind can be made to think that certain things happen, just like Psycological Pregnancy ( when the girls think they are pregnant and their belly grows up but there is no baby), even their eyes can be deceived, and I make them think that through words, by just talking to them like a normal person would, I can change the things they perceive...

Now, how is that related to ego and their desire for power? we as humans, we always dream of how wonderful would it be to be able to make people believe in things that we believe in, to change other people perceptions, and they "see it happen" so a lot of times they feel interested for that kind of thing...

Take the submission of my battle where I used the "see force"( I dont know how is it called) on the girl,I mean, I may sound as a arrogant guy, but I am pretty proud of that particular clip, As I said at the beggining of the clip, that was the closer, the last trick I performed for her, and in all those tricks I keep telling here about what I said above, now, it was very gratifying to see the girl actually taking the card in her hands and trying to change the card in the one she was thinking of. I mean, She believed it, a minute or two but she actually believed it.

thanks a lot man, after this I have to rework my performance from the ground.
 
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