Viable career at 40

Mar 22, 2019
16
13
Hey all.

Question, I was wondering about those of us who started magic later in life than the norm, say 35-40. While I understand any art never carries an age limit, it is far rarer to start and Excell at this age group.

Who here started at a later stage in life and has made a career out of it? I am not talking David Copperfield career, but a circuit table magician, or corporate magician with paying work?

This question isn't asked in the vein of wanting to be a superstar and having a quick fix, but merely out of interest. Caveats can be expressed, of course, but simple answers are preferred.

Thanks a ton. Also to end, this site has been remarkable with the wealth of knowledge so freely given, so thank you to Theory11 and the users who dish this out for us to enjoy.
 
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Gabriel Z.

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I would not say I am the most qualified to answer this question. However, I have been a member of Theory11 for almost 6 1/2 years now. These forums don't carry an age limit and neither does magic... With that being said I am sure you will have more difficulty the older you get performing knuckle-busting moves, not to say that it's impossible just a little more difficult. Let's take me for an example....I started about 30 years old .... Even though I haven't made a career out of it, I am still somewhat successful at what I do , I know a few tricks, I am an Elite Member, 1430 likes ,one of my threads is up to 34,500 views headed toward the 1st page, and I have a copy of The Expert at the Card Table signed by Jason England and Steve Forte(All done on Theory11). Enough about me, you would be surprised how much YOU can accomplish later on in life.... You just have to dig deep and find something that motivates you to want to get better!! Hope this helps and most of all inspires.:)

P.S. I also was diagnosed with Schizophrenia which would have made it all the more difficult.
 

willtupper

Elite Member
Apr 28, 2009
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I don't remember what movie it comes from (I think an Anthony Hopkins movie), but I keep this quote close at hand when considering questions like this:

If one have done it, you can be two.
If none have done it, you can be one!

I might not have it exactly right, but that's the jist of it. It's your life. Go for the goals you want.

The world is malleable. Shape it into something that makes you feel fulfilled.
 

Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
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Hey all.

Question, I was wondering about those of us who started magic later in life than the norm, say 35-40. While I understand any art never carries an age limit, it is far rarer to start and Excell at this age group.

Who here started at a later stage in life and has made a career out of it? I am not talking David Copperfield career, but a circuit table magician, or a corporate magician with paying work?

This question isn't asked in the vein of wanting to be a superstar and having a quick fix, but merely out of interest. Caveats can be expressed, of course, but simple answers are preferred.

Thanks a ton. Also to end, this site has been remarkable with the wealth of knowledge so freely given, so thank you to Theory11 and the users who dish this out for us to enjoy.

Many of us started late. Jean Eugene Robert houdin started late. You just need to apply as much energy into magic as you have other pursuits. Look for specific ways you can make money and do what you need to accomplish your goals.

I'm 30 years old and started to do magic fulltime when about 2 and a half years ago. I'm still trying to figure out how to make it work and I started performing for money at the age of 7. It took me about 20 years to sort things out.

I have a good friend in magic who took about 3 years to go from being a fry cook to traveling as a corporate entertainer. He has invested quite a lot in ads and found a few lucrative clients that have helped to support him.

We have talked about our journeys and they both looked a bit like this. We created and act and started to perform as much as possible. We each made a rule, that we would only spend as much on magic as we made from magic. This quickly got us out of debt as far as magic was concerned and eventually I had money left over from magic. At one point I began making more from magic than I did at my day job.

I didn't have a car loan, I had paid for all of college with cash so without any debt it became easier to transition. Eventually, it just made financial sense to let go of my day job and go fulltime. A few doors opened up and this is where I am at. Who knows if I will continue to do this for the rest of my life, but it has been an amazing few years.
 
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Mar 22, 2019
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Love the real world example. Thank you. Good luck on your journey, I can only dream of making a living doing what you love.
I'm South African, so there aren't many magicians here as is, but that's also due to the economic landscape. Suppose it's a way to dig into corporate gigs and stand out.

Thank you to all that have replied, much appreciated. The real world examples of past magicians truly help. I have always been fascinated with those that change careers later in life to that of an artistic nature, writing, art etc.
 

RickEverhart

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I didn't start until the age of 21. I am now 41, and perform semi professionally all over my state with sometimes 2-5 gigs per weekend. Is it my full time job? Nope. I am an elementary education teacher of 20 years experience, Master's Degree in Administration and definitely would NOT rely on gig income to provide for my family of 5. As a secondary income, magic and balloon twisting has allowed me to purchase a lot of items for my family and myself that I wouldn't have normally purchased out of my teacher's salary. I can turn down gigs if I don't want them and would rather spend time with my family. Age is not a factor at all when choosing to make this a career; however, other factors DO make it a bit more challenging such as your mortgage, car payments, insurance, utility bills, etc. I wouldn't want that kind of stress on myself knowing that I need to land gigs or I may miss a house payment and I have friends that have been in that scenario because they solely rely on gig money and tried to make magic their career .
 
Oct 23, 2019
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I'll give my input here as I'm well over 40 and got into magic when I was around 4 years of age. As far as I'm concerned, both the TV and the internet have crippled magic. A few youtube videos and "Greatest secrets of magic reveled"...Now everyone's thinks they're a magician. Another problem is people who only perform for their family never get real criticism which is needed in order to make them better.

I can say first hand that the problem most people have when doing magic is as they get older is the financial elements. Can it be used to support yourself/family? That leads into the mentality of magic starts becoming a hobby not something sustainable. That is what you have to get out of thinking which is a lot harder that you realize. Figure that out, and it's sustainable.

For me personally I do not use many flashy costumes or some really nice dress code. I have a very specific set of clothes that sets the mood for casual which then enhances my performance.
 
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Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
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I am an elementary education teacher of 20 years experience, Master's Degree in Administration and definitely would NOT rely on gig income to provide for my family of 5.

We are living parallel lives! I was a high school teacher for 3 years! My masters is in Education and I have 2 kids, with another on the way!
 
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Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
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I'll give my input here as I'm well over 40 and got into magic when I was around 4 years of age. As far as I'm concerned, both the TV and the internet have crippled magic. A few youtube videos and "Greatest secrets of magic reveled"...Now everyone's thinks they're a magician. Another problem is people who only perform for their family never get real criticism which is needed in order to make them better.

I respectfully disagree. I think magic is doing as well as it ever has and the feedback is more available then ever with the advent of the internet.

I miss the old TV specials and the magic styles of the past just like the next guy, but I am constantly surprised and excited about the state of magic today.

AND, I could never be doing what I am doing in magic today without the help of the internet. I work for a company remotley, and consult with magicians nationwide thanks to the internet. This is what helps me do it full time.
 
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Oct 23, 2019
68
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I respectfully disagree. I think magic is doing as well as it ever has and the feedback is more available then ever with the advent of the internet.

I miss the old TV specials and the magic styles of the past just like the next guy, but I am constantly surprised and excited about the state of magic today.

AND, I could never be doing what I am doing in magic today without the help of the internet. I work for a company remotley, and consult with magicians nationwide thanks to the internet. This is what helps me do it full time.
Thanks for the input. I believe you misunderstood what I meant by that, so let me clarify.
Knowing the trick is a very small part of the system as a whole.

Without the understanding the true psychology behind how magic works, ranging from how the audience sees something, and what magic is actually considered, up to the true understanding and behavior of various underlying elements, I'm sorry but watching a few videos and such will never make you a magician. Yet that';s what happened to the current generation. They simply don't have the correct mentality and know how that makes magic what it is.

People such as yourself and most people on this site do not fall into this category we are an exception.

More than 3/4 of real understanding of magic requires reading, watching and hands on teaching from someone who truly understands this.

Example Dai Vernon is a hack and everyone who understands magic knows it. I tell people to read something that Paul Le Paul explains before telling them to look at Dai Vernon.
 

Josh Burch

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Aug 11, 2011
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Example Dai Vernon is a hack and everyone who understands magic knows it. I tell people to read something that Paul Le Paul explains before telling them to look at Dai Vernon.

I'm with you here, I think...I wouldn't call him a hack but he was definitely a great gatherer. It seems like just about everything he is known for was borrowed from someone else. Don't get me wrong, I love reading his books, and he had beautiful little innovations but when I compare his input to someone like Paul Harris, Ed Marlo, or Even Michael Vincent he seems to come up short. When I compare his performances to that of Fred Kaps, Goshman, Del Ray, or even Harry Lorayne I don't see what the fuss was about.

I have great respect for all of the magicians of the past but I do scratch my head as to why he has become such a legend.
 
Oct 23, 2019
68
10
When I compare his performances to that of Fred Kaps, Goshman, Del Ray, or even Harry Lorayne I don't see what the fuss was about.

I have great respect for all of the magicians of the past but I do scratch my head as to why he has become such a legend.
As do I. I also wasn't trying to be mean when I said he's a hack, and why I said what I did about Paul Le Paul.

Correct me if I'm mistaken but did you call one of the greatest minds in magic a hack?
I wasn't saying this to be mean or ruffle feathers. He is still good to watch and good at what he does, but he is famous for the same reason Kim Kardashian is famous which is for absolutely no reason!

It's like saying if I had to choose 2 people to pick to learn magic from
Micheal Ammar Or Harry Anderson, I would pick Micheal Ammar, it's not that Harry Anderson isn't good, he is by far great, it's just Micheal Ammar is far superior.

I hope you understand my points.
 
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