Like said, a lot of thoughtful answers. Most of what i wanted to say had been said by people like Faust, DannyT, LucasCG.
When i perform, i try to use my props only as a frame of reference to the bigger picture, and not the focus. I dont like the terms "Card Guy", "Magic dude", "Magic man" used on me. I don't give what i am doing a name. Nor do i tell them the source of my abilities. For me as a performer, one of the things i love to see is the joy of confusion, people just trying to understand the performer and the (we shall call it) "magic" then they just saw. Like said before, people give it a lot of names. If they believe before hand you are just doing tricks, then they will only see within the barrier they set themselves, and nothing else beyond that. If they believe its all sleight of hand, they'll take it more seriously than a trick, they'll give it more respect as the art of sleight of hand, and not just a person being a clown. If a person believes you're doing real magic, then they'll see real magic. I've come across so much spectators with different believes within the years, and its fun watching them trying to regather their thoughts.
But during my performance, i most undoubtfully will move away from the supernatural character. I won't try to act like a mysterious, shady rogue. Nor will i act any other way. I am just being me, when i perform magic, i am showing another aspect of me which exploits it better. I am a person on the same realm as you are, but very different ends. I know things you dont know. You know things i dont know. As simple as that. We unite to share. We're all wanderers.
A more defined example is, if a person is a magician but also plays music, when he plays music, a different character (which actually is still himself, just another aspect you dont see often) rolls out. If you see the same person tapping into gaming mode on his favoured console, you'll see a different character of him. I've seen my sister's boyfriend turn into a total National Geographical type narrater person when he plays Silent Hill 3, different from the normal tired, just want to relax sort of character.
Theres always a sense of guilt within me that if i come to a situation where i am heckled not because they want to figure out how i do what i do, but because they believe in too much of what i do, which gets them paranoid or something; then what would i do? I know i would stop them right there, asking them politely to not carry the weight. But i have yet to come to this situation.
"Gotta Knock A Little Harder" - Seatbelts.
When i perform, i try to use my props only as a frame of reference to the bigger picture, and not the focus. I dont like the terms "Card Guy", "Magic dude", "Magic man" used on me. I don't give what i am doing a name. Nor do i tell them the source of my abilities. For me as a performer, one of the things i love to see is the joy of confusion, people just trying to understand the performer and the (we shall call it) "magic" then they just saw. Like said before, people give it a lot of names. If they believe before hand you are just doing tricks, then they will only see within the barrier they set themselves, and nothing else beyond that. If they believe its all sleight of hand, they'll take it more seriously than a trick, they'll give it more respect as the art of sleight of hand, and not just a person being a clown. If a person believes you're doing real magic, then they'll see real magic. I've come across so much spectators with different believes within the years, and its fun watching them trying to regather their thoughts.
But during my performance, i most undoubtfully will move away from the supernatural character. I won't try to act like a mysterious, shady rogue. Nor will i act any other way. I am just being me, when i perform magic, i am showing another aspect of me which exploits it better. I am a person on the same realm as you are, but very different ends. I know things you dont know. You know things i dont know. As simple as that. We unite to share. We're all wanderers.
A more defined example is, if a person is a magician but also plays music, when he plays music, a different character (which actually is still himself, just another aspect you dont see often) rolls out. If you see the same person tapping into gaming mode on his favoured console, you'll see a different character of him. I've seen my sister's boyfriend turn into a total National Geographical type narrater person when he plays Silent Hill 3, different from the normal tired, just want to relax sort of character.
Theres always a sense of guilt within me that if i come to a situation where i am heckled not because they want to figure out how i do what i do, but because they believe in too much of what i do, which gets them paranoid or something; then what would i do? I know i would stop them right there, asking them politely to not carry the weight. But i have yet to come to this situation.
"Gotta Knock A Little Harder" - Seatbelts.