I quit magic 2 or 3 years ago. I used to live and breathe nothing other than magic. It was my life. I don’t know if I got burnt out or what. I find myself looking back on it sometimes for nostalgia, but I’m glad I quit and could have time for other hobbies. It was a great thing for me to learn and maybe in the far future I’ll want to retire into magic or something, but I’m fine with being done with magic. Anyone else have a similar experience with magic? I sure you wouldn’t be here if so, but still
For a year now, I have had a love-hate relationship with magic, after being obsessed with it for more than half my life. The love part is obvious, but the 'hate' was for several reasons that I could've never predicted (no wonder that my 'mentalism' is subpar).
1) Firstly, most of the magic that is possible to do always seems to fail under actual heavy topics. Yes, you can make a good effect around love, friendship and so on (though several butcher that too), but I've never seen good magic talking about issues like depression and mental health, or harder topics like racism. One doesn't need to ALWAYS present magic with such lofty topics, but if I'm going to immerse myself in an art form, I'd like the option to do that some day when I want to. With magic, it usually comes off as cheesy and obnoxious. Painting, filmmaking, dance, music, and other art forms that I often held magic equal to, don't have this problem.
2) The magic community at large often seems to be absolutely disconnected from the actual reality. There can be any number of big issues going on in the world, but the biggest discussion in the community could still be about the latest double lift.
3) Magic had become my sole identity and that was very troubling. I would keep trying to shoehorn magic into ANY creative idea somehow, and sometimes still find myself doing that. Otherwise it feels as if I'm somehow ''betraying'' my past-self who thought that she'd love magic the same, forever.
It took me a lot of introspection (and figuring out how to get off the high horse) to realise that I don't need to completely quit magic. Watching several very competent magicians actually talk and base performances around bigger issues (Derek DelGaudio and Derren Brown, off the top of my head) changed my mind and now I know that it's possible (immensely difficult, but at least possible) for magic to not break under the weight of heavy topics. I also realised that magicians speak about world problems and current topics as much as others, but it just doesn't get as much publicity within the community as much as the millionth pass-variation. Moreover, for the technical prosperity of the art form, that millionth pass-variation is, actually, still important.
I still haven't figured out how to deal with my third and arguably, most personal problem. But admitting to myself that it's okay for me to not just do magic, or not have EVERYTHING creative I do revolve around magic, helped. Funnily enough, since I've admitted that to myself, I've met more magicians who have felt or currently feel the same as me. Hence I've had several wonderful discussions with others in the community and grown closer to magic and the community (the irony, I know).
PS: Not trying to convince you to get back into magic, just my experience.