Amateurs and Professionals

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
That was a great and true little read. Thanks for the post. I would agree that most professionals aren't going to just take you under their wing until you have shown some initiative and demonstrate that you have a passion for the art. One problem I see is that a lot of the beginner amateurs come off with this huge ego trip. Sometimes it is better to sit back, be humble, listen and take it all in. I think it is great to have a working relationship or a student / mentor relationship to bounce ideas off of.
 
It's an interesting read for sure but I think magic may be the exception to the rule. I think that amateurs stand to hurt the professional more so than the other ones out there, if for nothing else than the exposure. If some hack goes and puts a youtube video of him doing Thread up on the net and either blows the trick or just teaches how its done then no one is going to buy the trick. They'll just watch the video and go from there.
 
Sep 26, 2007
591
5
Tokyo, Japan
I do agree with Sir William. However, there are many exceptions to most rules. It is all situational. There are a lot of imaginable situations in which an un-practice amateur's poor performance can have a direct effect on another professional's working environment, but as a general rule of thumb, I like the original blog's post stating that a professional should always just aim higher and try not to dwell on what could be potentially angering.

If there is a professional wedding photographer in a certain area, but a less seasoned amateur gets his name out there and manages to steal away some gigs, because the client is also unaware, that directly takes revenue away from the professional. True, the amateur's reputation as an inadequate photographer will eventually surface, the damage for that one situation has already been done.

But again, it is all situational, could be big and could be small. In terms of magic, I do like the idea that Professionals should continue to just aim higher, boost their reputation and skills, to the point where the lingering amateurs have no other option but to respect the said professional and strive to reach his or her level.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
I've seen plenty of professionals that put up crap videos, it's not just amateurs. Actually, I would say that the enthusiastic amateurs are frequently the driving force in magic. Like they say, the professionals are too busy earning a living to really spend the time to innovate.
 
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