Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
I am a hated magician.
Bear with me. I am not disrespected, but often "flamed". I have a good reputation, but am blamed. Why is this? Because the magician's standpoint is always ever just that.
I post videos often to receive comments and get better. However, a majority of magicians seem to have a problem with the fact that I'm doing magic. By their standards, I am "poor" or "haven't practiced enough". I understand that practice is essential, and I agree - I practice a lot. However, just because I'm not the supreme caliber of Jason England or the Buck twins, doesn't mean I'm not a good manipulator of sleight of hand.
Let me elaborate. I have performed live several times, and I have mostly gotten good feedback. I also receive this on the occasional trick I'll do for a friend or two. So shouldn't those reactions be enough to establish myself as a quality performer? It is to no avail. I am criticized as bad. I get satisfaction from creating a small miracles in someone else's daily life, and that satisfaction is greater than the need to fine tune everything in a trick so tightly David Blaine couldn't see the secret moves through a microscope.
A second point: The forums suck. On the Dan and Dave forums, a poster said this. They do. They were meant to be a magical community, and fell apart to iPod ads, trollers, and useless threads and members. These problems still plague us. My doing magic with a friend would ooze experience and fun that is easily ten times the amount earned on these forums. I don't care if it's controversial: it's the truth.
But I come here to learn new things, and receive feedback. However, when that is tainted by holier-than-thou "magicians" and prepubescents revealing the latest card trick - as well as crowd pleasers/followers and others - it cannot be taken as it is offered. It's like taking a 100 dollar bill, not noticing it's play money. I want honest feedback from magicians who know what the art is truly about, and aren't full of themselves and put down other magicians for their less than superb technique.
Daniel Garcia I ain't. But I am still a good magician. Why is this? I perform and get positive reactions with card tricks I love to do. Maybe I'm just bad in front of a webcam or alone with a camera. But I know I have real satisfaction from performing magic.
I may just come off as a sour amateur, and for those of you who believe so, good for you. Whoop-de-do. I don't care. I'm making points that everyone can stand to learn from.
One of the main points I wish to make very crystal clear is this: You are a magician. You are not an onlooker. You cannot correctly judge a magical effect for its quality. You look at each phase, dissect every move and every little nuance until it's nothing more than a fragment of wonder. Please bear with me again when I say that the overthinking of an effect is as bad as exposure.
Another main point: The forums have gone so much off base than what they were meant to be. People had to see it coming. The problems that struck Ellusionist are happening here. Pretty soon, we'll need another new fix, jonesing for that elixir that is fresh faces and a new layout. My objectives of coming on here to learn new things and gain experience are now worthless follies that I cannot dare to hope to achieve without private professional guidance.
So let me say that the forums are quite the double-edged sword.
I have fun doing magic. My tricks work, even if I have a "noticeable flash" to a magician. Whatever. Good job, Magician X. You figured something out! What a shocker - what did you say you did again?
I'll continue to visit the forums, because the Saturday Night Contests can be fun, and some threads on here have good points - others simply amuse me. And every once in a while, I'll get a good answer to a question I have about a product or whatnot. But I will not post videos on this forum again.
Peace out.
Ian
I am a hated magician.
Bear with me. I am not disrespected, but often "flamed". I have a good reputation, but am blamed. Why is this? Because the magician's standpoint is always ever just that.
I post videos often to receive comments and get better. However, a majority of magicians seem to have a problem with the fact that I'm doing magic. By their standards, I am "poor" or "haven't practiced enough". I understand that practice is essential, and I agree - I practice a lot. However, just because I'm not the supreme caliber of Jason England or the Buck twins, doesn't mean I'm not a good manipulator of sleight of hand.
Let me elaborate. I have performed live several times, and I have mostly gotten good feedback. I also receive this on the occasional trick I'll do for a friend or two. So shouldn't those reactions be enough to establish myself as a quality performer? It is to no avail. I am criticized as bad. I get satisfaction from creating a small miracles in someone else's daily life, and that satisfaction is greater than the need to fine tune everything in a trick so tightly David Blaine couldn't see the secret moves through a microscope.
A second point: The forums suck. On the Dan and Dave forums, a poster said this. They do. They were meant to be a magical community, and fell apart to iPod ads, trollers, and useless threads and members. These problems still plague us. My doing magic with a friend would ooze experience and fun that is easily ten times the amount earned on these forums. I don't care if it's controversial: it's the truth.
But I come here to learn new things, and receive feedback. However, when that is tainted by holier-than-thou "magicians" and prepubescents revealing the latest card trick - as well as crowd pleasers/followers and others - it cannot be taken as it is offered. It's like taking a 100 dollar bill, not noticing it's play money. I want honest feedback from magicians who know what the art is truly about, and aren't full of themselves and put down other magicians for their less than superb technique.
Daniel Garcia I ain't. But I am still a good magician. Why is this? I perform and get positive reactions with card tricks I love to do. Maybe I'm just bad in front of a webcam or alone with a camera. But I know I have real satisfaction from performing magic.
I may just come off as a sour amateur, and for those of you who believe so, good for you. Whoop-de-do. I don't care. I'm making points that everyone can stand to learn from.
One of the main points I wish to make very crystal clear is this: You are a magician. You are not an onlooker. You cannot correctly judge a magical effect for its quality. You look at each phase, dissect every move and every little nuance until it's nothing more than a fragment of wonder. Please bear with me again when I say that the overthinking of an effect is as bad as exposure.
Another main point: The forums have gone so much off base than what they were meant to be. People had to see it coming. The problems that struck Ellusionist are happening here. Pretty soon, we'll need another new fix, jonesing for that elixir that is fresh faces and a new layout. My objectives of coming on here to learn new things and gain experience are now worthless follies that I cannot dare to hope to achieve without private professional guidance.
So let me say that the forums are quite the double-edged sword.
I have fun doing magic. My tricks work, even if I have a "noticeable flash" to a magician. Whatever. Good job, Magician X. You figured something out! What a shocker - what did you say you did again?
I'll continue to visit the forums, because the Saturday Night Contests can be fun, and some threads on here have good points - others simply amuse me. And every once in a while, I'll get a good answer to a question I have about a product or whatnot. But I will not post videos on this forum again.
Peace out.
Ian