Perhaps it’s just me. Perhaps not.
There are many things wrong with the online magic community, but I think one that is easily fixable and of utmost importance is the problem of newbies.
That’s right, you newbies, you’re creating problems. HOWEVER! Although this is your fault, it is the community’s fault for not handling it (in my opinion) in the right manner. Because of this and that and whatnot, there have sprung up hundreds upon hundreds of young or old, new magicians. Most go to the first and easiest accessible place to find out how. That’s right folks, the internet. They stumble upon www.theory11.com, and worm their way into the forums, and here they are. We need to welcome them, help them, embrace them (unless they smell). I must admit that I am guilty of bashing someone new who sounded stupid to me (steerpike*), but to help them, we must not hurt their feelings, because it only gives them a negative view of this community that we enjoy oh so much, and makes them feel crappy. If someone is new, don’t call them a noob, don’t patronize them, act kind, tell them about forum rules, search feature, and help them out to the best of your ability. Remind them that becoming anywhere close to proficient in this art takes years of not only practice, but experience. It is easy to find tricks that will fool your friends, but that doesn’t make you a good magician. What makes a good magicians is effort and perseverance. The trite but true “don’t take the easy road.”
To those who perhaps may be not that experienced in magic, I offer you this:
Take advise to heart. Practice. Perform, even if you mess up. Ask knowledgeable folks about books they recommend, and prepare to dish out some money for them.
I recommend Strong Magic, by Darwin Ortiz. It will give you the knowledge and information you need to make your magic more then pick a card, “Oh I found it!” Because tricks aren’t everything, performance is. Instead of buying one trick videos for $20-$40, go buy Strong Magic, or any other recommended book, they will actually teach you how to do magic, instead of how to do a magic trick.
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
*Hah! Just kidding- I heard the last to do that lost both his hands in an “accident”
There are many things wrong with the online magic community, but I think one that is easily fixable and of utmost importance is the problem of newbies.
That’s right, you newbies, you’re creating problems. HOWEVER! Although this is your fault, it is the community’s fault for not handling it (in my opinion) in the right manner. Because of this and that and whatnot, there have sprung up hundreds upon hundreds of young or old, new magicians. Most go to the first and easiest accessible place to find out how. That’s right folks, the internet. They stumble upon www.theory11.com, and worm their way into the forums, and here they are. We need to welcome them, help them, embrace them (unless they smell). I must admit that I am guilty of bashing someone new who sounded stupid to me (steerpike*), but to help them, we must not hurt their feelings, because it only gives them a negative view of this community that we enjoy oh so much, and makes them feel crappy. If someone is new, don’t call them a noob, don’t patronize them, act kind, tell them about forum rules, search feature, and help them out to the best of your ability. Remind them that becoming anywhere close to proficient in this art takes years of not only practice, but experience. It is easy to find tricks that will fool your friends, but that doesn’t make you a good magician. What makes a good magicians is effort and perseverance. The trite but true “don’t take the easy road.”
To those who perhaps may be not that experienced in magic, I offer you this:
Take advise to heart. Practice. Perform, even if you mess up. Ask knowledgeable folks about books they recommend, and prepare to dish out some money for them.
I recommend Strong Magic, by Darwin Ortiz. It will give you the knowledge and information you need to make your magic more then pick a card, “Oh I found it!” Because tricks aren’t everything, performance is. Instead of buying one trick videos for $20-$40, go buy Strong Magic, or any other recommended book, they will actually teach you how to do magic, instead of how to do a magic trick.
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
*Hah! Just kidding- I heard the last to do that lost both his hands in an “accident”
