Hi guys i am new here and i am also new in magic specifically card magic. I was learning card magic this past five months yet i still did not develop cool confidence. Every time i go around people to do magic i get nervous and anxious about failing. Sometimes i really fail because of that. I don't want the feeling of being nervous about failing. How can i get rid of it as soon as possible?
Just Started Out
- Thread starter FOH_reality
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First, welcome to the world of magic.
That feeling, you'll defeat it easiest by picking a few tricks you know you can do and do well. Practice them until you can do them in your sleep without any flashes, and then practice more. By doing tricks that are simple and that you have a lot of practice with, you're stacking the deck in your favor (pardon the pun). Self working tricks would be my first option, sleight tricks with minimal sleights would be second. You don't have to know every trick in the world, you just need to know a handful of tricks really well. There's a magician in another group I belong to, I've seen him perform 7 tricks TOTAL. He's working in venues I may never see the outside of. He probably knows more tricks, but he uses the tricks how knows well instead of just throwing the whole book at the audience.
One thing I seriously worried about when I began was that I'd get caught and then I realized something... You know a bit about magic, right? I mean, you've got some experience. So...why'd you have to buy books or videos to learn tricks? The answer is, you bought that stuff because you didn't know the secret. That's why magic works so well, we know the secret, but our audience doesn't. Don't let the curse of knowledge bite you. It seems like you're flashing a lot because you know where to look and when to look. The typical spectator doesn't. Engage them with your words, talk to them, and get their minds engaged with you instead of just their eyes on your hands. You know the "secret" but they don't and even if you did it sloppy right in front of them, unless you told them you were about to do the big move, they'd probably miss it. Humans are lousy observers, that's why magic works so well, because the observer is bad at observing. You know you're not so smooth and have some hangups because you know where to look and know what to look for. The average spectator doesn't.
You do need to know something. I bet if you polled every member of this forum and asked if they'd ever been roughed up for slipping on a double or slightly flashing a palm, they answer would be "no". If you ask if they'd ever been cussed out for forgetting a critical step in a trick, they'd say "no". In general, spectators are a relatively forgiving bunch. I've never had a deck of cards slapped out of my hand, never had anybody walk up and snatch my TT off, never had anybody demand to look into my pockets. The absolute worst outcome I've ever had? The audience figured out my trick because I botched it, and the applause was a little weak. That's it.
Start with a few tricks you know cold and go from there. Don't audition a trick you've never done in front of a group, and don't repeat a trick. Once is a trick, twice is a lesson. Smile! Nobody's going to beat you up for a sloppy double lift.
If you ask anybody I know, they'll say that they didn't notice me palming a card to the top. None of them would. I'd tell you my palming is absolutely atrocious. Fish-hook city, windows open, sometimes poking out the side door, but they didn't notice because 1, they didn't know where to look, 2, they didn't know when to look, and 3, I engaged them with my verbal skills and patter. They never saw it. If you can do a trick clean in a mirror, you'll be bulletproof when you're doing it for a friend.
Carry a deck of cards in your pocket set up for any trick you know really well, and spring it on a friend. Performing magic in public is like riding a bicycle: you might fall a couple times but you're never that far from the ground so it really doesn't hurt that bad too long. You just have to get in the saddle, push off from the ground, and start pedaling. Worst case scenario, you stop and have to get back in the saddle, push off from the ground, and start pedaling again. Success breeds success and destroys stage fright. Remember; 99% of people, when you speak they'll make eye contact. You can do a LOT when they're not looking in the right place, trust me on this.
You want this, go do it.
That feeling, you'll defeat it easiest by picking a few tricks you know you can do and do well. Practice them until you can do them in your sleep without any flashes, and then practice more. By doing tricks that are simple and that you have a lot of practice with, you're stacking the deck in your favor (pardon the pun). Self working tricks would be my first option, sleight tricks with minimal sleights would be second. You don't have to know every trick in the world, you just need to know a handful of tricks really well. There's a magician in another group I belong to, I've seen him perform 7 tricks TOTAL. He's working in venues I may never see the outside of. He probably knows more tricks, but he uses the tricks how knows well instead of just throwing the whole book at the audience.
One thing I seriously worried about when I began was that I'd get caught and then I realized something... You know a bit about magic, right? I mean, you've got some experience. So...why'd you have to buy books or videos to learn tricks? The answer is, you bought that stuff because you didn't know the secret. That's why magic works so well, we know the secret, but our audience doesn't. Don't let the curse of knowledge bite you. It seems like you're flashing a lot because you know where to look and when to look. The typical spectator doesn't. Engage them with your words, talk to them, and get their minds engaged with you instead of just their eyes on your hands. You know the "secret" but they don't and even if you did it sloppy right in front of them, unless you told them you were about to do the big move, they'd probably miss it. Humans are lousy observers, that's why magic works so well, because the observer is bad at observing. You know you're not so smooth and have some hangups because you know where to look and know what to look for. The average spectator doesn't.
You do need to know something. I bet if you polled every member of this forum and asked if they'd ever been roughed up for slipping on a double or slightly flashing a palm, they answer would be "no". If you ask if they'd ever been cussed out for forgetting a critical step in a trick, they'd say "no". In general, spectators are a relatively forgiving bunch. I've never had a deck of cards slapped out of my hand, never had anybody walk up and snatch my TT off, never had anybody demand to look into my pockets. The absolute worst outcome I've ever had? The audience figured out my trick because I botched it, and the applause was a little weak. That's it.
Start with a few tricks you know cold and go from there. Don't audition a trick you've never done in front of a group, and don't repeat a trick. Once is a trick, twice is a lesson. Smile! Nobody's going to beat you up for a sloppy double lift.
If you ask anybody I know, they'll say that they didn't notice me palming a card to the top. None of them would. I'd tell you my palming is absolutely atrocious. Fish-hook city, windows open, sometimes poking out the side door, but they didn't notice because 1, they didn't know where to look, 2, they didn't know when to look, and 3, I engaged them with my verbal skills and patter. They never saw it. If you can do a trick clean in a mirror, you'll be bulletproof when you're doing it for a friend.
Carry a deck of cards in your pocket set up for any trick you know really well, and spring it on a friend. Performing magic in public is like riding a bicycle: you might fall a couple times but you're never that far from the ground so it really doesn't hurt that bad too long. You just have to get in the saddle, push off from the ground, and start pedaling. Worst case scenario, you stop and have to get back in the saddle, push off from the ground, and start pedaling again. Success breeds success and destroys stage fright. Remember; 99% of people, when you speak they'll make eye contact. You can do a LOT when they're not looking in the right place, trust me on this.
You want this, go do it.
@Maverick85 has really good advice. Reread it.
I'd add to pick up Scarne on Card Tricks. A lot of great self-working stuff that you can use to get over performance jitters. Perform that stuff to get used of performing.
I'd add to pick up Scarne on Card Tricks. A lot of great self-working stuff that you can use to get over performance jitters. Perform that stuff to get used of performing.
Thank you @Maverick85 your words are really inspiring. I am so grateful for that. I will do my best to make myself better by looking at that as a guide. May God Bless you. And hey im a filipino, salamat po!