Practice Going Bad

[RazielSpike]

Hello.
I seem to be having a problem. I am in cardistry for about 5 months now, and I know a few cuts, displays, fans etc.
But the thing is, I am limited - I mean, I know for example the eye cut, circle display, 5 packet display, a cut that I invented, some back hand moves, some flourishes, some one-handed cuts. But at this point, it seems that I just can't learn anymore. Can somebody help me ? or explain the effect ?

Did anyone have to pass this phase to go on ? (except me)

Thanks

 

[n0va_jason]

I've experienced a little similar. There was one point in time when I thought Pandora was far too difficult for me as a beginner then, and I shunned away from the Trilogy flourishes and only limited myself to the few basics that I knew. I then realized that this was getting me nowhere, and I revisited Trilogy, only to fall in love with Pandora and I'm now practicing it practically all the time.

I think it's all in the mind, and you yourself have got to push your limits. Do not be afraid and explore beyond what seems manageable, that's exactly the key to breaking this barrier. For starters, you may want to advance based on the stuff you already know. For example, I enjoy the Sybil the the Revolution Cut, and hence am naturally drawn towards Daniel Madison's flourishes which focus alot on these two moves specifically. If you don't already have Trilogy, I highly recommend it, because the flourishes there look awesome. You could also try YouTube, there are certain flourishes taught there that I enjoy.

Once again, to sum up, try to explore beyond your current standard by advancing with what you already know. Don't hesitate at all, and you could find yourself going a long way.

 

[RazielSpike]

I actually have it, but when I look at those flourishes, my mind just tell's me: "It's too hard, you can't do that, bummer"...

But I will try

 

[n0va_jason]

Yea definitely give it a shot. That's exactly what went through my head when I saw J5 and Pandora etc.. But here I am, practicing them and loving these flourishes after I decided everything's possible. Just looking at others flourishing makes me jealous in a sense, it makes me want to be able to do what they do. That's my motivation. I hope it'll motivate you too!

 

[RazielSpike]

Yeah but the problem is that I don't recieve any support from anyone. My parents are (mostly) against my cards, they say I loose too much time with them, and my brother (and a few - ok most of my friends) say things like "Can't you do something better with your time ? Something that can help you ?" ... And this simply makes me feel like nothing.

 

[S.G]

Then don't listen to your friends. Or get new ones.

As far as your parents go, try and convince them that it is just like any other hobby.

 

[RazielSpike]

I tried, and they shut up for awhile, but then school started and they were like "Stop buying cards and buy books" - and I was like "Ok I promise I will buy cards and stop buying books" =)

 

[Steerpike]

Your education comes first, kid. Get your degree.

That said, use better time management and ask yourself if you're actually training or just going through the motions.

 

[howdidudothat]

they may say now that it's a waste of time but when you will get really good they will be impressed and will never again say that this is waste of time. thats an art form.

 

[A+Paradox]

I don't even know how to do a Pandora, let alone a Molecule etc.

I learned the basic cuts, then a sybil, and then went out on my own and tried to be a little creative.

I think if you've reached a plateau in learning, ditch it for awhile and try something new. try to use the simple concepts you know and create your own cuts and flourishes. Experiment with springing and fanning. Look up creative videos for inspiration and just record whatever you've come up with and share it with the world.

You don't need a DVD to progress in Cardistry.

And on another note, why feel down about yourself. Lighten up. Of course your parents and friends don't approve, nobody's does at such an early stage, because they don't see you as a cardshark. Watch when you can bust out strings of complex cuts, that's when they'll admire your "fast fingers". Besides, look at the big picture. THIS IS ONLY A HOBBY WITH A DECK OF CARDS. If you feel down about yourself because of this, man, the WORLD has got some nasty things in store for you.

Keep your head up, wake up with a smile each day, set goals, and have fun with this hobby of yours!

 

[RazielSpike]

Thanks alot guys for the support, every tip helped me alot, now I got my motivation back and started flourishing like never before, thanks alot
I resolved it quite simply, it seemed that I didn't have all the "basics", then I got Andrei Jikh's DvD (damn the Romanian sellers) and he had quite nice concepts, and it helped me alot. So special thanks to all the people that posted in this topic, and to Andrei Jikh for inspiration.
Anyways, I got one more question, at sybil, after the 4th packet is taken by middle finger and pinkie, how can I make it "last longer" by continuing the same motion ?
Thanks again ^^

 

[A+Paradox]

Use fourth packet to put on top of the one in between thumb and index, it'll end in the same Z position as when you first start the sybil, then from there, repeat the steps.