October 2008 :: Applying Your Skills

[MitchellStafiej]

I'm a filmmaker, and before filmmaking I was heavily into creating magic. I think that creating magic and magic in general expanded my creativity in ways I never thought possible. My mind changed incredibly. It's wonderful.

As others have said I'm able to interpret people easier. I'm able to see people's motives while talking to them. I'm not sure if that's just me maturing and becoming more social (which was also helped with magic) but it's something I've really been noticing lately.

Other than that I can't really think of much although many aspects of my life have probably been affected by magic.

Schweet topic!

Mitch

 

[drop]

I cannot honestly say I think about relating magic to my everyday life, but I know for sure it has helped me grow a bit as a person. I have never been shy around strangers, but sometimes with close friends or family I would feel akward, like I didn't fit in. In the last few years since magic has picked up a bit for me, I've noticed that the more I perform for strangers, the better I feel around people I know. Granted, this might just be me growing up, but I'm sure magic has something to do with it. After all, if you can show a stranger your magic, why feel out of place with people you know?

 

[jazzhands1]

Well, magic taught me sleight of hand, and I used sleight of hand the other day to win at ping pong. =O

What else?
I have a hobby now.
Also, flourishing helps with finger dexterity since I play a musical instrument...


Reply to Insert.Username.Here:
It's secret.

 

[Insert.Username.Here]

Well, magic taught me sleight of hand, and I used sleight of hand the other day to win at ping pong. =O

How did u use slight of hand to win at ping pong?????????

 

[Between the Sun & the Sky]

I was always a very personable person... magic connected me to people, and made me almost an icon amongst my peers ("Hey Magic Man! Show me a trick!"). My style of magic has therefore always gravitated around being personal, and almost like my performing an effect is a sort of half-scripted skit between myself and my audience--the more fun I can have doing it, the better the performance (it's not all cards and games) is overall.

So I guess I would say my philosophy is the reciprocal of the 10/08 CT topic, but it's applicable nonetheless. I do see what you mean by how magic affects your everyday life... people just don't trust me anymore.

Sun|Sky

 

[DavidMisner]

One of the biggest things I've got out of both magic and flourishing is both physical and mental strength. My reactions have actually quickened because of the constant hours of playing with my cards, and oddly enough I never drop things.

Take my phone for example. It used to be I would keep a death grip on my phone wherever I was, hoping I wouldn't accidently drop it or something. Now I'll walk around with my phone in loose mechanics grip, playing with it, flipping it, etc.

My fingers have also become a lot stronger and more flexible, which helps so much in baseball. My hands aren't that big, but I have better accuracy and more confidence in my ability to grab, hold on to, and throw the ball.

As almost everybody else has said, my creativity and confidence have been enhanced from performing and creating.

David

 

[James Wise Magic]

oh yeah!! Magic has helped me in SOOOO Many ways.

It has changed my life, not only in the catogory of magic, but it has opened my eyes to the real world. When I started magic and started to see what it was all about, I looked at the world differently.

Magic has helped me not only in big crowds but also phychologically. Before I was in hardcore magic, I was deathly afraid of presenting myself infront of people. Sometimes at school, I would go as far as skipping school or eating something that I'm not suppose to to make me sick so that I wouldn't have to present myself. But now, I have no fear. (Well alittle bit, but I mean, everyone has it to some extent)

Because of magic, phychologically, I can almost read people's thoughts and pretty much make an educated guess to what they might say next or do next. I love it! Also I'm pretty much like a personal theropist to all my friends (as is highschool, there is a lot of drama) I can figure out problems my friends are having to help them with whatever it may be, like boyfriend/girlfriend issues, family problems, friend problems, etc.

I love it all. Without me entering the world of magic, my life would be completly different. It could be as far as me doing drugs and just hanging with the wrong people.

 

[jcmeissner]

I have seen it especially with just how I relate to people and am known by people. I live on a college campus and its not a huge college quiet small compare to most. But though my experience on campus I have seen how magic not only has changed my life but the lives of others. I am much more confident in a group of people when I become the center of attention it's not a problem. Even in how I talk I see my "magic talk" coming out. I love making people smile and making them feel welcomed and magic has brought me to that point in doing that.

 

[C. Michaels]

my skills as a magician can be used in so many other ways then magic alone.
growing up with a physical disability, you are looked upon as different, right from the start. and a lot of the time, especially when you are younger, it really affects your confidence. as i got older, i got into magic as a way to help me boost my confidence. to get passed the negative, and try to show people that i could do things just like everyone else. and magic, gave me the chance to do something DIFFERENT. people respected that a lot, and i really started to gain a positive sense of self because people were looking beyond my disability and really seeing who i was as a person when i performed. when i do magic, i bring out the person that i have always wanted people to see. the person that i have always been. the people who failed to see that before, see it now. that yea, i may walk differently then they do, but i am still a person who believes in something and will do whatever it takes to be successful at it. magic has given me so many opportunities to share my story with people and interact with all different types of human beings. it has opened my eyes to the true beauty of the world, and with out that, i fear things would be much different for me. magic had helped me. in ways that this post can not express. i am truly thankful for that, and would not change a thing.

 

[The Tumbleweed]

my skills as a magician can be used in so many other ways then magic alone.
growing up with a physical disability, you are looked upon as different, right from the start. and a lot of the time, especially when you are younger, it really affects your confidence. as i got older, i got into magic as a way to help me boost my confidence. to get passed the negative, and try to show people that i could do things just like everyone else. and magic, gave me the chance to do something DIFFERENT. people respected that a lot, and i really started to gain a positive sense of self because people were looking beyond my disability and really seeing who i was as a person when i performed. when i do magic, i bring out the person that i have always wanted people to see. the person that i have always been. the people who failed to see that before, see it now. that yea, i may walk differently then they do, but i am still a person who believes in something and will do whatever it takes to be successful at it. magic has given me so many opportunities to share my story with people and interact with all different types of human beings. it has opened my eyes to the true beauty of the world, and with out that, i fear things would be much different for me. magic had helped me. in ways that this post can not express. i am truly thankful for that, and would not change a thing.

Holy crap, I wanna shake your hand.

 

[mini magician]

my skills as a magician can be used in so many other ways then magic alone.
growing up with a physical disability, you are looked upon as different, right from the start. and a lot of the time, especially when you are younger, it really affects your confidence. as i got older, i got into magic as a way to help me boost my confidence. to get passed the negative, and try to show people that i could do things just like everyone else. and magic, gave me the chance to do something DIFFERENT. people respected that a lot, and i really started to gain a positive sense of self because people were looking beyond my disability and really seeing who i was as a person when i performed. when i do magic, i bring out the person that i have always wanted people to see. the person that i have always been. the people who failed to see that before, see it now. that yea, i may walk differently then they do, but i am still a person who believes in something and will do whatever it takes to be successful at it. magic has given me so many opportunities to share my story with people and interact with all different types of human beings. it has opened my eyes to the true beauty of the world, and with out that, i fear things would be much different for me. magic had helped me. in ways that this post can not express. i am truly thankful for that, and would not change a thing.

You are a Legend my good man

 

[Icarus]

Well, there's the obvious stuff...

Magic has helped me to be much more comfortable around people. I'm what most people call emo - extremely emotional and withdrawn from the world - but after 10 years of practicing, and about 2 years of performing publicly, I've come out of my shell much more than before I started performing.

Magic has also helped me get along with my family - made up of compulsive gamblers, every family reunion is centered around huge poker games. Comfort with cards puts me at the top - not by cheating, but by instinctive knowledge of the deck, of which cards could be where, of how people react to certain cards, my family respects my familiarity with the deck.

But magic has helped me in other ways, too.

As an avid musician (guitar and vocals), the ideas presented within magic have shaped my music just as much as they have shaped my mentalism and cardistry. Magic has shown me how people think, and music lets me capitalize on that principle and create a musical work that both expresses how I feel and affects people on a deeper level. My guitar riffs have a trademark mysterious, subtle harmonic quality to them that you can almost taste illusion in. All this has been shaped by 10 years of magic, and for that I am eternally grateful to all the magicians who have taught me along the way.

 

[martynpiper]

Mentalism and School

Its funny that this is the thread for this month. Last week end I started an 8 month clinical hypnotherapy program, at which I am the only one who has a history of magic.

On the second day I was asked if I would like to try doing my first induction. Since I had never knowingly hypnotized anyone before I decided to use some patter that I a developed for a book test that I do "breath in close your eyes bla bla bla ..white room bla relax ect.. ect.. you get the idea. Next thing I know they're in a trance, who would'a guessed? Thats not the interesting part!

As I brought my class mate further into trance I had made it so she could reply and then I started forcing images without realizing it , then I began to describe the exact things that she was seeing and feeling. To everyone in the room it had seemed like I created psychic connection between my self and my class mate, which is pretty cool. I also see this allowing me to have a stronger connection with future clients.

I thought I would share that

 

[Donald C.]

I think magic goes more deeper than magic I know since I have started magic I have been more sociable. When I started high school last year I did not know who to talk to what to do for about the first month I was a nobody on e day I decided to break out the cards again after a 3 month break , and the second day of performing tricks t my high school no ly people were passing me through like a crowd that wa wathing me there would be about 100 people everyday after school, best feeling of my life. I think if I did not break the cards back out I would still be a nobody now I am magicman, harry potter, card kid, card guy, kid that does tricks and so on.

 

[Brewery Rabbit]

After Performing And Studying Magic For nearly 10 years now..

It's strange to think about..

Just everyday When i See someone or talk to someone.. I automatically read them.
I can't help it, But i just do.

I also have learned to be very persuasive.
With anything.
Magic.
Talking to teachers, friends, parents.

I've also learned to apply my magic just to show off in everyday situations..
For instance i'll make my pencils disapear during class when the teachers glance at me.

Jordan. G

 

[musicallymagic]

I would say I use it every day of my life. With a deeper understanding of psychology, I can guage people's responses and know where they're coming from when they may say or do something. Skills such a these will be with me forever, and for that, I am grateful.

 

[Ipantocrator]

I ended up as a pro magician using magic.
just saying...
I mean, it is kinda obvious.

 

[romeo sierra]

With my first approach to Cerca Trova, I wanted to know if you ever use the skills that you have learned in magic in your everyday life. I don’t necessarily mean the physical techniques of sleight-of-hand, more along the lines of interpersonal skills. Some may use such skills subconsciously where others will find ways to consciously apply techniques to everyday situations.

As an example, I know that magic can offer a great deal of confidence when it comes to crowd-control or simply speaking out to a group; it can give you enough experience in social situations that confidence will help you approach absolutely anybody.

It will be good to see just how far magic can go beyond its very purpose, and just how many of us are aware of how much more than deception and subterfuge magic really is.

d+M

I think being so involved with magic really stimulates the creative-thinking and problem-solving processes. Thinking outside the box comes more naturally for me, and it aids in making difficult decisions in the workplace. Also, the act of communicating ideas and presenting stories using magic has really improved my ability to socialize and develop rapport with customers. I do magic professionally, so advertising myself and selling my act is crucial for potential clients.

RS.

 

[calledcrazy]

I find myself being more sneaky, yes, more sneaky. I know it comes from learning misdirection. I have an increasing ability to steal large objects right within someones line of sight. its pretty awesome.

 

[cedwards90]

I think magic gives you great people skills overall. A great example of this is Jim Snack. He became a public speaker who fuses magic into his seminars. I had the honor of meeting him and learning from him.