I've hit a magical wall

[MattyParker]

I've recently been practicing magic pretty hardcore for the last little while and I've come upon a little dilemma. I can't seem to progress any further with my skills. I know quite a few sleights, routines, and effects. The main problem is that creating my own personal effects is near impossible for me (creativity just isn't flowing for me), and it seems that all the effects I find online are either too difficult, or too simple and self-working to be any fun at all. I've even tried dabbling in cardistry, but that's a whole other beast. Is there any suggestions someone could offer to push me in the right direction? Perhaps a few favorite effects/routines that are street-friendly (preferably impromptu) that I may have overlooked? I mainly work with playing cards, and business cards for basic mentalism effects. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[RealityOne]

Don't get too caught up in the method, focus on the effect. That is, the important thing is what the audience sees not what you know you are doing. As an example, one of my favorite effects lately is Jim Steinmeyer's Magician Who Fools Himself. In essence the spectator unknowingly performs a cards across routine for the magician. I don't touch the cards. The method is simple, but diabolical. I get an evil grin inside every time I perform it.

Also, when you say "effects you find online" I hope you aren't learning off of YouTube. Most of the Misfits on YouTube perform any difficult sleights incorrectly. The good stuff and the good teachers aren't on YouTube.

As for creating your own effects.... You don't need to. There are millions of effects out there. Learn them and make them your own through presentation. Also, most people who try to create effects don't know enough to create something original. Creativity is applied knowledge. Otherwise you spend hours coming up with something that is in Expert Card Technique. Spend that time learning instead. You will be a better magician.

I'm guessing that you've been into magic for less than six months. It seems you are looking for some fun effects to perform. My reccomendation is Kranzo's Boondock Mental. Good, hard hitting stuff. And while you are at it, start your magical education. Pick up a copy of Royal Road or the first two volumes of Card College.

 

[Josh Burch]

It sounds like you have a handful of tricks try stringing them together now into a show. If you were called on to perform for 100 people what kind of an act would you do? If you got a job at a restaurant what routines would you do? Try routining and putting things together now.

There are some things that are worth spending time on. I love the diagonal palm shift but it takes time to learn.

Finally, get a book and live with it for a bit. Take it as a challenge, if you have Royal Road make it your goal to learn everything in it. If you could do that with any classic book you would be quite the magician.

 

[RickEverhart]

Reality has already hit the nail on the head. Please do not feel like you need to be the 'creator'. There are thousands upon thousands of effects already out there. Most of the time people who are continually looking for effects have the same problem: They are only performing for the same audiences, thus they need to keep buying more and more effects. I'm not saying this is your problem but that is how I was when i started out. I was constantly buying things because I didn't have people to perform for except friends and family. Now, I use the same 10 effects practically, but the difference is that I am performing them for different audiences.

If you like impromptu effects: perhaps try some rubber band effects. Have you done any of that yet? I kill with them all of the time.

 

[Josh Burch]

If you like impromptu effects: perhaps try some rubber band effects. Have you done any of that yet? I kill with them all of the time.

Hehe it's interesting you bring that up. I've just started to dabble in rubber band magic. It's something I've avoided in the past and an finding a lot of great material out there recently.

 

[PurpleMustache]

you should check out some of michael ammar's rubberband stuff.