... about doing magic?
There has been some negativity floating around in some of the past threads, and I apologize for adding to it. So, I wanted to start a thread with a possitive nature to it, one that would allow us to actually learn about other magicians and share perspectives.
A lot of people get into magic and continue magic for various reasons. At first, some like the idea of being part of the "magic inner circle", the "Know how of unbelievable effects" etc... For others, it is the thrill at being the center of attention. After beginning magic however, things like mastering technique, the thrill of peforming in front of others, learning the fine points of crowd control and studying the human mind, overshadow the glory of fame and motivate us to strive and work harder.
That being said however, some are definitely in it for the technique more than the performance "move monkies" so to speak. I for one, do not think there is anything wrong with this at all. Magic, as a whole, is a very wide and open hobby. If you are in it for mastering all the techniques possible, that is your thing... if you are in it for being the best performer out there who can pull in the biggest hats out on the boardwalk, and have no idea what a "clip shift" is, than all the more power to you as well. The thing is, everyone is different, and as long as our motives for pursuing magic are pure, magic itself will remain a pure hobby.
I for one love the feeling of a deck of cards. Riffling down the pack, fanning, clean push off DLs with no breaks, no bends... it is just a feeling that makes me want to practice and practice. In this way, I guess I am part move-monkey. However, being able to walk up to someone, of my choosing, and at the time I want, and be able to brighten their day (not mine), by doing something as simple as a card or coin vanish, allows me to feel that I have something special to offer people. I do, honestly do, try my best to keep it about entertaining the people, not pulling in the glory. In fact, a few good friends of mine love talking me up and introducing me to people, and even though I really appreciate their kind words, I would rather meet new people first, as just a person, and let them know my magical side after building a friendship. In that case, it is not the glory or fame of being a good magician that drives me... I think, I want to pursue magic, improve, so that I can effect people even more, whilst avoiding the glory. Truly a hard thing to do... but a fun pursuit nonetheless.
*Paid jobs are a bit different however. It is hard to not pull in the applause/glory alongside the pay check... they kind of go hand in hand. You can however, still be quite humble while putting the money in your pocket.
So how about you? what keeps you going? what drives you to pursue magic further?
There has been some negativity floating around in some of the past threads, and I apologize for adding to it. So, I wanted to start a thread with a possitive nature to it, one that would allow us to actually learn about other magicians and share perspectives.
A lot of people get into magic and continue magic for various reasons. At first, some like the idea of being part of the "magic inner circle", the "Know how of unbelievable effects" etc... For others, it is the thrill at being the center of attention. After beginning magic however, things like mastering technique, the thrill of peforming in front of others, learning the fine points of crowd control and studying the human mind, overshadow the glory of fame and motivate us to strive and work harder.
That being said however, some are definitely in it for the technique more than the performance "move monkies" so to speak. I for one, do not think there is anything wrong with this at all. Magic, as a whole, is a very wide and open hobby. If you are in it for mastering all the techniques possible, that is your thing... if you are in it for being the best performer out there who can pull in the biggest hats out on the boardwalk, and have no idea what a "clip shift" is, than all the more power to you as well. The thing is, everyone is different, and as long as our motives for pursuing magic are pure, magic itself will remain a pure hobby.
I for one love the feeling of a deck of cards. Riffling down the pack, fanning, clean push off DLs with no breaks, no bends... it is just a feeling that makes me want to practice and practice. In this way, I guess I am part move-monkey. However, being able to walk up to someone, of my choosing, and at the time I want, and be able to brighten their day (not mine), by doing something as simple as a card or coin vanish, allows me to feel that I have something special to offer people. I do, honestly do, try my best to keep it about entertaining the people, not pulling in the glory. In fact, a few good friends of mine love talking me up and introducing me to people, and even though I really appreciate their kind words, I would rather meet new people first, as just a person, and let them know my magical side after building a friendship. In that case, it is not the glory or fame of being a good magician that drives me... I think, I want to pursue magic, improve, so that I can effect people even more, whilst avoiding the glory. Truly a hard thing to do... but a fun pursuit nonetheless.
*Paid jobs are a bit different however. It is hard to not pull in the applause/glory alongside the pay check... they kind of go hand in hand. You can however, still be quite humble while putting the money in your pocket.
So how about you? what keeps you going? what drives you to pursue magic further?
