Stuck and need a way out, please.

[Khaleel Olaiky]

I moved to a new city to start college about 4 moths ago, I'm meeting a lot of new people so I've been doing more magic lately and I realized that I'm stuck in few tricks that I only do,

and that is not necessarily a bad thing, over the years I gathered the effects that work best for me and start doing them, but I'm bored and I'm not having fun performing anymore.

I have a lot of DVD's and I think I'm up-to-date on new releases but for some reason, I'm stuck with the classic stuff like the ambitious card, 2 card monte, Triumph, and some coin vanishes.

I love gimmicks way more than impromptu magic but you can't really have all the gimmicks with you all the time so I need some new/different impromptu effects that you could recommend for me. (not necessarily card tricks)

Thanks in advance.

 

[AdamF]

I totally get where you're coming from. My card magic was in a rut a couple months ago.

What helped me out of it was to start and taking more "risks" in order to improve myself as a performer and practitioner. For example, I have recently gotten into the classic force as well as some psychological forces. I also decided to learn a stacked deck which opens up a ton of doors in terms of routines that are available (assuming you have a stacked deck with you).

In addition, have you tried rubber band magic? Its one of my favorites and also super inexpensive. Pick up a box of these guys: https://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Antimicrobial-Rubber-Inches-42199/dp/B0017TPZNU and Touch by Hanson Chien. I promise it will put the fun back into your magic.

Hope this helps!

 

[CaseyRudd]

I definitely echo what Adam said. Taking risks is not only an important part of progressing as a magician, but also in life. If you're feeling stuck, which a lot of us do at multiple points in time, trying something new and fresh keeps the excitement going. If you branch out into a new genre, don't worry about failure. It will happen, but remember that without failure you don't learn, and if you don't learn, then you'll never get better. It seems like you would have an interest in the organic side of magic, so impromptu with everyday items would fit exactly what you're looking for. Like Adam suggested, there is a ton of great rubber band magic that falls in this category. If your country's currency works, money/bill magic would be a great fit as it's something you would carry in your wallet. If you have the cash, a gimmicked wallet could be a great asset if you're looking into doing mentalism or prediction effects. If you carry a keychain, a ring flight wouldn't really take up space at all since it's something you already carry. There are tons and tons of effects that you could choose from that aren't card magic. If you want to get out of a card magic rut, that's usually a great place to find some inspiration and re-ignite your passion for performing. Those effects can definitely help you feel more engaged with an audience, which is the most important and overlooked aspect of performing magic.

I hope some of these suggestions help you with what you're looking for. They've helped me in the past and continue to help me today!

 

[Khaleel Olaiky]

It seems like you would have an interest in the organic side of magic, so impromptu with everyday items would fit exactly what you're looking for.

Yeah, this is exactly what I'm looking for, I never tried a ring flight before, I'm definitely going to check that out.

Thanks guys.

 

[CaseyRudd]

Yeah, this is exactly what I'm looking for, I never tried a ring flight before, I'm definitely going to check that out.

Thanks guys.

I couldn't mention it in my original post because it wasn't released on here yet, but a great ring flight to get you started is Departure by Chris Smith. Released today at theory11 with an all-new instructional vid by Patrick Kun. Patrick goes over everything and leaves no detail untouched. Check it out!

https://store.theory11.com/products/departure-ring-vanish-chris-smith

 

[Timewise64]

I would mention 'rope tricks', I find that they add a unique flare within the many realms of magic!