My personal goal for my own magic has always been pretty simple: to keep it grounded when I study and perform. In today's magic community, it's so easy to get caught up in the modern hype of magic celebrities, new products, websites, etc. Although some of the hype may be deserved for certain celebrities or distinguished products, it's often easy to be influenced by these things in the wrong way. All too often, people see a new trick demo premiere on the internet and immediately want to buy it and perform it. Just because big names are using the effect and saying it's creative and original, inexperienced guys believe they'll be creative and original performers themselves, if they learn and use the same material. Unfortunately, that's not the case-- in fact, it only mass produces clones and copycats.
When I say I want to keep magic grounded, I mean I want it to stay true to myself. The performer should define his magic; the magic shouldn't define the performer. In my opinion, the only way to add something new to magic is by adding an actual identity to it. The 100s of custom decks, new DVDs, crazy flourishes, new moves, online communities, etc are all great tools and learning resources, but I don't think they significantly add anything to magic at all. When it all comes down to it, laypeople don't remember specific tricks, props, or material, they simply remember performers. Think about it; lay audiences don't say they're going to a show where a guy will saw lady cut in half; they say they're going to see David Copperfield or Lance Burton, etc. That name carries more meaning than any of the tricks in the show they're about to see.
In terms of where magic is going, I hope to see the overall community spawn more original thinkers and actual performers in the craft. I hope to see more of an emphasis on the performance of magic rather than the methods used to achieve it. I would love to see new magicians make television specials. In the industry, it would be nice to see someone release a performance-only DVD or make a full documentary about a magician's views of magic and their endeavors in it. I remember watching Nate Staniforth's performance DVDs and loving them. I was not only entertained by them, but I believe I learned a lot more about the importance of self identity in magic. Those independent DVDs were released quite a while ago, but I think they made more of an impact on magic than any commercial release this year. That's what the industry is doing wrong-- emphasizing the trivial aspects of magic. There's no need for a new deck; there's no need for another instructional trick DVD; there IS a need for more originality though. There is a need for instruction and demonstration in performance and presentation and self-awareness.
Just my opinion.
RS.