Me & Magic in the last year
I came here by way of being a playing card collector. On a couple of different occasions, I started to get into card-related magic. After all, I have the cards, I may as well learn how to do something fun with them (in addition to playing the many card games I like to play).
I've enjoyed learning from the various DVDs I've picked up along the way. This most recent foray into magic was the first time I started getting into the DVDs and exploring the magic-related web sites. But after over a year or so of watching the DVDs and occasionally trying out a trick here or there, I found Theory11 and two things changed.
The first thing that changed for me, which is partly the result of my introduction to Theory11 and partly just because I'd reached that stage in my development, I finally moved from "studying" to practicing. Regularly, seriously practicing. The advice of Lee Asher in particular moved me from dabbling to seriously setting out to master a particular basic skill (a couple of them, actually), with the intention of eventually incorporating them into a trick and, from there, into a routine. In essence, I stopped surveying the field and decided to get down to brass tacks. As Mr. Asher points out, don't try to learn a new trick every week. Pick just a few tricks and master them. Practice, practice, practice.
The second thing that has changed for me in the last year is entirely attributable to my discovering Theory11: I have decided to start participating in the conversation. I am slowly stepping out of lurker mode. The forums (well, fora) here are constructive; the dialog worthwhile. While negative participants are occasionally reprimanded, the wholesale censorship I see on other sites doesn't appear to be happening. I've learned a lot from you all, and even more, I've been able to start contributing a little bit here and there -- to the point where someone even commented favorably upon my contribution to the discussion.
Yeah, sure, I'm an old fogey and my ego is a bit calloused by this point. As a former radio personality and news hound, I'm no stranger to putting it out there. But as a relative newcomer to this community, it's a pleasure to finally find a forum where I feel like I can learn and contribute and enjoy listening in on other's conversations.
It's been a good year for moving forward in my magic. I'm looking forward to what the next year brings.
Regards,
--Allan
I came here by way of being a playing card collector. On a couple of different occasions, I started to get into card-related magic. After all, I have the cards, I may as well learn how to do something fun with them (in addition to playing the many card games I like to play).
I've enjoyed learning from the various DVDs I've picked up along the way. This most recent foray into magic was the first time I started getting into the DVDs and exploring the magic-related web sites. But after over a year or so of watching the DVDs and occasionally trying out a trick here or there, I found Theory11 and two things changed.
The first thing that changed for me, which is partly the result of my introduction to Theory11 and partly just because I'd reached that stage in my development, I finally moved from "studying" to practicing. Regularly, seriously practicing. The advice of Lee Asher in particular moved me from dabbling to seriously setting out to master a particular basic skill (a couple of them, actually), with the intention of eventually incorporating them into a trick and, from there, into a routine. In essence, I stopped surveying the field and decided to get down to brass tacks. As Mr. Asher points out, don't try to learn a new trick every week. Pick just a few tricks and master them. Practice, practice, practice.
The second thing that has changed for me in the last year is entirely attributable to my discovering Theory11: I have decided to start participating in the conversation. I am slowly stepping out of lurker mode. The forums (well, fora) here are constructive; the dialog worthwhile. While negative participants are occasionally reprimanded, the wholesale censorship I see on other sites doesn't appear to be happening. I've learned a lot from you all, and even more, I've been able to start contributing a little bit here and there -- to the point where someone even commented favorably upon my contribution to the discussion.
Yeah, sure, I'm an old fogey and my ego is a bit calloused by this point. As a former radio personality and news hound, I'm no stranger to putting it out there. But as a relative newcomer to this community, it's a pleasure to finally find a forum where I feel like I can learn and contribute and enjoy listening in on other's conversations.
It's been a good year for moving forward in my magic. I'm looking forward to what the next year brings.
Regards,
--Allan
