Hey everyone!
My name's Mark, and this will be my first post in a LONG time. Hey, it may even be in the wrong thread category, but I'm pretty sure it's fine to put it here.
Anyway, I wanted to make a post as someone who has been in magic - as a hobbyist - for a very long time. I've learned things, and much of them were learned by making mistakes. For example - don't judge a trick by its trailer (need I say more?), but one thing that has become extremely important to me, almost my main philosophy in magic is that of pragmatism.
In other topics, such as morality, that's not a good thing to have. But in magic, I find it very essential, especially for a hobbyist. Let me elaborate.
Pragmatism basically means prudence or practicality. So, in the realm of magic (ha, magic realm, see what I did there?... I need to get out more) this would refer to only doing tricks that are practical. Not necessarily easy, though. It could still be mechanically difficult, but I'm referring to tricks that don't take up much pocket space, don't have long prep times, don't have ridiculous cleanups, and don't use props that look like they're from a cartoon.
I watch the Wizard Product Review every Wednesday (just realized I missed today's episode!). I know everyone has an opinion on it, and hey, I know I wasn't too happy when I bought a trick because they praised it, only to dislike it and never use it. But I still like their show. It's entertaining, and I like seeing what's being released into the market every week. One thing that they have said, though, (both Craig and David, I think) on more than one occasion, is something that I have always disagreed with, at least on a personal basis.
I considered looking up the statement, but figured I'd go into video limbo swimming through all the episodes for one quote. But they basically would say, in reference to a trick that they reviewed, that "This isn't good for professional work, but it's good for a hobbyist." They would say this because of the impracticality of an effect. It doesn't work for the professional, because the professional needs to be practical (there's that word again), but the hobbyist is fine because he can just show it to Bob and Billy down the street while they shoot the breeze on Saturday.
Now, to quit with the embellishing, I understand what they're saying, in the sense that a hobbyist has time to do an impractical effect because he could go out on a given day and just have that one effect on him. But now let me tell you why I differ from Craig and Dave in their opinion on hobbyists:
Because I am a hobbyist, I am the most pragmatic person you'll meet in regards to magic. And I think other hobbyists should have this outlook too.
I carry around Extreme Burn 2.0 sometimes - it fits in my pocket, it's examinable.
I carry around cards sometimes - they fit in my pocket, they do multiple tricks
I don't do tricks that make me excuse myself to the restroom, necessarily...
I don't do something that makes me walk around with things all hooked around myself and strapped to myself and attached to myself and distracting myself (I'm turning into a cyborg with all this stuff on me!)
However, in regards to that last thing in the list, a professional might be completely fine with things like these, if they make an effect that's worth the effort. Sure, he has to consider practicality to, but he may be willing to go out of the way more since he's getting paid to give the audience a good experience. Certain things will be worth it for him.
CONCLUSION: As a hobbyist, I like to live practically. I took a semi-break from magic, but now that I'm going to do tricks to people every-now-and-then, I don't want to leave home everyday with a bunch of junk on me that I may or may not do. Pragmatism, it's something I think you should have as a hobbyist.
Sorry for a long post, but I felt that everything said was necessary.
What do you think? Are you a pragmatist like me? Or are less practical tricks worth it for you to make an amazing effect happen? No wrong answers, but this is just how I think of magic as a hobbyist.
My name's Mark, and this will be my first post in a LONG time. Hey, it may even be in the wrong thread category, but I'm pretty sure it's fine to put it here.
Anyway, I wanted to make a post as someone who has been in magic - as a hobbyist - for a very long time. I've learned things, and much of them were learned by making mistakes. For example - don't judge a trick by its trailer (need I say more?), but one thing that has become extremely important to me, almost my main philosophy in magic is that of pragmatism.
In other topics, such as morality, that's not a good thing to have. But in magic, I find it very essential, especially for a hobbyist. Let me elaborate.
Pragmatism basically means prudence or practicality. So, in the realm of magic (ha, magic realm, see what I did there?... I need to get out more) this would refer to only doing tricks that are practical. Not necessarily easy, though. It could still be mechanically difficult, but I'm referring to tricks that don't take up much pocket space, don't have long prep times, don't have ridiculous cleanups, and don't use props that look like they're from a cartoon.
I watch the Wizard Product Review every Wednesday (just realized I missed today's episode!). I know everyone has an opinion on it, and hey, I know I wasn't too happy when I bought a trick because they praised it, only to dislike it and never use it. But I still like their show. It's entertaining, and I like seeing what's being released into the market every week. One thing that they have said, though, (both Craig and David, I think) on more than one occasion, is something that I have always disagreed with, at least on a personal basis.
I considered looking up the statement, but figured I'd go into video limbo swimming through all the episodes for one quote. But they basically would say, in reference to a trick that they reviewed, that "This isn't good for professional work, but it's good for a hobbyist." They would say this because of the impracticality of an effect. It doesn't work for the professional, because the professional needs to be practical (there's that word again), but the hobbyist is fine because he can just show it to Bob and Billy down the street while they shoot the breeze on Saturday.
Now, to quit with the embellishing, I understand what they're saying, in the sense that a hobbyist has time to do an impractical effect because he could go out on a given day and just have that one effect on him. But now let me tell you why I differ from Craig and Dave in their opinion on hobbyists:
Because I am a hobbyist, I am the most pragmatic person you'll meet in regards to magic. And I think other hobbyists should have this outlook too.
I carry around Extreme Burn 2.0 sometimes - it fits in my pocket, it's examinable.
I carry around cards sometimes - they fit in my pocket, they do multiple tricks
I don't do tricks that make me excuse myself to the restroom, necessarily...
I don't do something that makes me walk around with things all hooked around myself and strapped to myself and attached to myself and distracting myself (I'm turning into a cyborg with all this stuff on me!)
However, in regards to that last thing in the list, a professional might be completely fine with things like these, if they make an effect that's worth the effort. Sure, he has to consider practicality to, but he may be willing to go out of the way more since he's getting paid to give the audience a good experience. Certain things will be worth it for him.
CONCLUSION: As a hobbyist, I like to live practically. I took a semi-break from magic, but now that I'm going to do tricks to people every-now-and-then, I don't want to leave home everyday with a bunch of junk on me that I may or may not do. Pragmatism, it's something I think you should have as a hobbyist.
Sorry for a long post, but I felt that everything said was necessary.
What do you think? Are you a pragmatist like me? Or are less practical tricks worth it for you to make an amazing effect happen? No wrong answers, but this is just how I think of magic as a hobbyist.
