Magic or Cardistry?

Jul 28, 2014
24
0
Hey everyone! I am here today because of a very important thought that has been upon my mind for quite a while. Every since I was 10 years old, I loved magic. Especially with cards. Almost anything that dealt with sleight of hand I was hooked on. Although, I am 13 years old presently and have begun a drastic transition from magic to cardistry(card flourishing). I understand that there are magicians out there who also do cardsitry, and vice versa. But with me, I simply want to chose one field and have it become my main subject. Like if I do magic then I want that to be my main thing. And the same goes for cardsitry. All that I am really wondering is that if it is wrong for me to have gone from magic to cardistry. Am I all alone?
 
Jun 5, 2013
44
5
Hungary
I feel the same. I commited myself to magic then the next hour I want to be a lifetime cardist. However, you can't just simply stop doing one or the other. I mean you can but only if you aren't interested in that field anymore. Every time I pick up a deck of playing cards I begin flourishing naturally. It's a habbit. Even if you strictly do card magic, magicians use flourishes, too (the thumb fan, the ribbon spread or the dribble just to name a few).
 
Jul 28, 2014
24
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I see what you mean. And I can truly respect that P.O.V. Although I just feel like I should be devoted to one thing and make that my ultimate goal. Thank you for the response anyways.
 
Nov 4, 2014
24
0
Alberta, Canada
ToConjure, I wouldn't worry too much about having to specialize in one or the other. Let yourself breathe! Do what you want to do today, and then do what you want to do tomorrow. If you spend too much time worrying about whether you should be specializing, you may lose out on just having fun learning and exploring.

It's good to set goals and plans, but don't let those goals and plans be more important than actually doing and enjoying the hobby you're interested in.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
I don't mean to sound callous here, but who cares if you do one or the other? How could that possibly be "wrong"?

Look. The average American changes careers at least 4 times in their life time. That's not even looking at how many people change majors before they can finish college, or how many hobbies one picks up and drops.

It really, really does not matter if you change your mind. It doesn't even matter if you change it again back to magic.

Though why you'd force yourself to focus on one to the total exclusion of the other I do not understand. They are complimentary skills - one will help the other and vice versa.
 

venom546

Elite Member
Mar 11, 2013
121
5
I used to only do magic when I first started which was about two years ago. I always saw cardistry but never thought it was much. But after a while, I saw just one video and wanted to learn all the cardistry moves lol. I know a lot of times now, I will work on a flourish, than the next day, I will practice a magic trick. So now I kind of incorporate the two together and kind of have the best of both worlds. But I don't say I only do magic or I only do cardistry. I say I am a magician and flourisher because I enjoy doing both. So just do what you like. I love doing both so do both if you want :D
 
May 21, 2014
127
6
Staunton, VA

If you insist on doing one or the other, you're going to get a lot more mileage out of magic because, in my opinion, it's a much richer and more expressive art form with more niches for financial and personal success. The only cardistry flourishes I ever bothered with were learned and used sparingly to enhance my magic somehow.

To me, cardistry is mostly a flashy spectacle without much story or purpose to it. That's not to say that it's not difficult and impressive; it is. I just don't think it does a good job standing alone as its own art, at least not among audiences who aren't enthusiastic about cardistry.
 
Nov 26, 2013
207
2
With me, I just do what I feel like for the day. The past two weeks or so I felt like practicing cardistry, but if I got booked for a show, I'm not going to say, "No, I'm into cardistry now". In a day or so, I'll probably be tired of cardistry, and then I'll practice card sleights and tricks for a while. If you plan on making a career using cards in some way, you will HAVE TO DO MAGIC. Even if you like cardistry better. Magic will have to be your way into cardistry. If one day you get a gig, throw some flourishing into your act. Other than that, you probably never get to "Professionally" do flourishes. On the other hand, if cards is your hobby, what does it matter if anyone says it's right or wrong? Hobby-1.an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: If it is for your pleasure and relaxation, it really doesn't matter which one people say you should do. Think about it, your pay check isn't riding on cardistry or magic if it is a hobby. If it is a hobby, it's really okay if one day you do magic, and the other you do cardistry :) Now if you wanted to completely commit yourself to one or the other, that's fine to. It's your hobby. :)
 
Jul 28, 2014
24
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Thank you all for responding! Now with this thread, I am in search of not only a answer, but also some sort of understanding. I just feel as though taking on cards, coins, rings, rubber bands, everyday items, sleight of hand, cardistry, etc. Is just too much for one to take on personally. Such as never being able to master just one specific thing. Like Jason England, R. Paul Wilson, Jack Carpenter, and so on. They are all just, "card guys". And just like with David Roth, Eric Jones, and so on. Just being "coin guys". So I am really in search of my niche and as to what I really want. Like I said I have been into magic for a few years and still cannot find my main thing(which can be a bit frustrating). That is all that I am asking. And again, thank you for all of the help!
 
Jan 10, 2009
150
0
University Park PA
What everyone is saying is not to take on all of these thing simultaneously, and maybe not even take on all of them, but rather to take things up as they interest you, and not decide at the age of 13 that you will do, for example, cardistry and nothing else for the rest of your life. At 13 years old that decision will likely not hold up in the long run anyway. So if you want to specialize in cardistry for now, do it. If, in a month or 2 weeks or whatever, you decide that you will work on card magic for a while, do that. The pros you listed are all pros and have been doing magic for a long time. They have all mastered the specific vein that they are known for, but also have skills in other realms. They did not all, at your age, know 100% that they would specialize in a certain vein for the rest of their lives. Rather, by exploring a multitude of different options as they pique your interest, you will eventually find which ones you like better than others and which ones you want to devote yourself to more heavily.
 
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