I'm sure this has come up before but I was wondering for those that do or did at one point perform magic as a profession or at least on the side for money. How long had you been working on magic before it became your job?
I've gotten several sideshow gigs that way, Rick.
I think I had been doing magic for about two years by the time I started taking paid gigs. It would be another couple years before I really started wanting to do magic as a serious part of my income, too.
There's also a distinct difference between getting paid to do a show, and doing a professional level show.
Almost anyone could do a show and get paid. That's basic level skills, there.
But a professional level show will flow well, be adjusted on the fly to suit each audience, present a professional attitude, etc. People recognize when a show is at that level and when someone is just muddling their way through it.