Who are you?
- Thread starter Nickerus
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Well, as said before, there is really no way for someone to know who you really are by words. You have to be around someone to really know who they are. The employer would have to see you perform to really know who you are as a performer.
You can still do better than saying, "I'm laid back and fun-loving," because that's what every Joe Average wannabe magician is going to say.
You think I ever got a gig by describing myself with such bland language? Balls no! Docc Hilford once described his approach on first meeting potential clients as being a character that stepped right out of a Hitchcock thriller. While most of you would be averse to using a name other than your own in any description of yourself, it is helpful to give people a frame of reference.
Say you're trying to book a Halloween gig. A rather specific example I know, but roll with me for a second. Let's say it were down to you and me. What kind of show would you be pitching and how would you do it?
But let's look at some examples in magic. Joshua Jay! He is very nice, casual guy. Aaron Fisher! He is a hilarious guy, and pretty nice too. These guys don't play up any characters in performance, they are just themselves. Same with Dan Sperry! When he performs, he acts like himself, only accentuated. But he's still pretty much the same. Except he goes all out with is wardrobe
.All these guys are famous for a reason, and they are all extremely entertaining for a reason. Even Lee Asher says the same thing in the "Beginners get started" video here. He says to be yourself, and not to be someone who you think a magician should be. Chris Kenner goes further to say that it will confuse the spectators when your talking to them before your performing, then suddenly change on them when you start performing.
Why do you think all of these very famous magicians give this advice? Do you think they don't know what they're talking about?
There is nothing I repeat nothing wrong with being yourself when performing.
and theres nothing wrong with having a character either, its a personal choice.
Totally true, I'm just trying to make the point that there is nothing wrong with being yourself either while performing.
So you're not going to answer the question. I'm sorry you wasted my time.
You're still fixated on, "Be yourself," to the point where you're missing the point of what I'm trying to say entirely. Here's a new question: Would it be worth my time to clarify the point I'm trying to make to you, or would just blow me off again?
There are a lot of things I could be doing other than sitting here talking to you people. Make it worth my while.
You're still fixated on, "Be yourself," to the point where you're missing the point of what I'm trying to say entirely. Here's a new question: Would it be worth my time to clarify the point I'm trying to make to you, or would just blow me off again?
There are a lot of things I could be doing other than sitting here talking to you people. Make it worth my while.
Please say the question again, sorry for not answering it.
But I'm also trying to make the point of it's okay to be yourself. I already stated that being yourself does not mean your boring or dull. That's just being close minded and trusting the generalization of what people make it to be. I just don't want people to think it's wrong to be themselves, just because you said so.
But let's look at some examples in magic. Joshua Jay! He is very nice, casual guy. Aaron Fisher! He is a hilarious guy, and pretty nice too. These guys don't play up any characters in performance, they are just themselves. Same with Dan Sperry! When he performs, he acts like himself, only accentuated. But he's still pretty much the same. Except he goes all out with is wardrobe
All these guys are famous for a reason, and they are all extremely entertaining for a reason. Even Lee Asher says the same thing in the "Beginners get started" video here. He says to be yourself, and not to be someone who you think a magician should be. Chris Kenner goes further to say that it will confuse the spectators when your talking to them before your performing, then suddenly change on them when you start performing.
Why do you think all of these very famous magicians give this advice? Do you think they don't know what they're talking about?
There is nothing I repeat nothing wrong with being yourself when performing.
No one said there was Crow. Do you think Joshua Jay describes himself to professional clients as "He is very nice, casual guy." If aaron fisher suggests to be yourself, good be yourself. But if you can't accurately describe what "Yourself" is then how can you successfully be "Yourself"? You don't know what "Yourself" is! Same thing happens when you go into auditions and interviews for actual professional venues, they will ask you the questions I asked, heck the entire situation that I gave where all compiled from my seven years of musical theater.
They are real questions that you will face at some point in your professional life as a magician or as an entertainer.
EDIT:
Continuation on the Yourself idea.
The reason I think I find Yourself as being dull and mundane is for the reason that people aren't comfortable with themselves. So they stick to what they know, maybe you do jokes so yea you tell jokes but that's it.
Here is an example, Mr. Hobson plays an incredibly animated, flamboyant, character onstage. Yet off stage according to him he is a very relaxed and not as funny kind of guy.
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Suppose you and I are competing for a Halloween show. What kind of show would you pitch and how would you describe it and yourself to the potential client?
My point is that it doesn't matter if the best you can come up with to describe yourself is, "Oh, I'm laid back and always smiling." Because at that point, anybody thinking of hiring you is going to mentally file you away under "Schmuck." Why? They've heard the exact same thing countless times before. It doesn't matter if they're wrong, because you ****ed up. You gave them the most boring description of your personality imaginable.
You don't have to be exactly like me and play a proverbial Proteus. But for god's sake, have a little self-awareness and be able to describe yourself better than that! The only you could possibly sound worse is if you used the phrase, "My friends say I'm..." Every time I hear someone say that, I try to find an excuse to escape the conversation.
Personally, I don't care for "themed" performances. I just like to do magic in general. But if I were in that situation, I don't know what I would do. I don't do magic for money yet (and when I do, it will only be for side money and just for fun), and like I said, I don't care for "themed" performances, just because they seem a little cheesy to me, but that's just me.
Those descriptions I gave of myself were pulled off the top of my head. I wouldn't use those words to describe myself to a employer. There is much more to me than that. So sorry for the bad example, but I was just typing something quick. "I'm very artistic and I'm huge...huge...on individualism. I'm slightly pessimistic, and I love sarcasm in a funny way (not a rude way). I laugh a lot, but people can trust me to talk to deeply and I enjoy talking deeply. I let life take it's course, and I take it as it comes (or try as much as I can). I'm laid back, and I love being around people. I love the city, and walking around downtown. I love the arts, play piano and do magic. I have temper, and really need to work on that. My friends describe me as...(okay, now I'm just messing)."
Now I wouldn't use that as a description of myself for a job, but that's just a quick description of me in general. Anyway, hope that's better for you.
I typed that "description" quickly, it's not something I would present to an employer.
Humor me.
It sounded like a profile on a dating site. Too many parenthetical statements and usage of the words "and" and "but."
My experience is that people use too many adjectives not enough of everything else, verbs in particular. Any adjective that is used has to mean something. I sometimes describe myself as wolfish or lupine. I normally wouldn't go so exotic, but in my case it works. A have a deep voice that naturally barks when I raise it, and my face has been compared numerous times to a wolf, including having a very piercing under look. This especially works to my advantage when doing seances because the lupine description implies a certain amount of mystery, stateliness, and menace. The symbolism does all the work for me.
Also, as I said before, most people aren't willing to associate someone else's name with their own. Remember my earlier example of Docc Hilford? Docc is a very successful and distinctive performer, but when establishing first impressions, he's not afraid to use the Hitchcockian parallels to establish a frame of reference. I have yet to see one person give me a good reason why that's a bad thing.
I'm sorry, but I seriously do not have an idea of what I would say. I don't do paid performances yet (not that good yet), and I don't do themed performances. If I had to eventually, I would work on coming up with a description, but I highly doubt that's going to happen.
Yea, well as I said before, that's a quick description, and I'm sure I don't have the literature skills you have.
Good thoughts. Very interesting. I've never really thought about that, but it's a good idea.
But we are getting off topic dramatically. All I wanted was to say that there is nothing wrong with being yourself. That is all. You don't have to describe yourself to people (unless it's required like in an interview), so I really don't think about describing myself to people. They just get to know me when they meet me.
I don't want to argue anymore, so I'm gonna stop (not trying to be rude), mostly because I have a lot of other stuff that's far more important I want to do. Again, don't take it as copping out, it's just that I'm tired of arguing on an internet forum, cause it's a bit ridiculous.
EDIT: Wow, really sorry for this Nickerus. Let's get back on topic guys.
Just a thought that occurs to me as I read over everything. How can you really 'by yourself' if you don't understand yourself well enough to give a good description of yourself?
Introspection is a difficult thing for us to do, I think. As a people. We're just not good at objectively examining our behavior and beliefs and figuring out why we do what we do. Without that understanding, saying "I'm myself" is meaningless. You're essentially saying, "I haven't defined a character."
For my own performance, I go for a magnified version of certain personality traits. I'm naturally obsessive and obervant, so I present a character that will study something until he figures it out. Whether that's behavioural patterns (predictions of varying sorts) or complicated sleight of hand, my character (and I) will continue studying and/or practicing that thing until it is fully understood. I've not fully developed the character because I'm still working on defining myself, but that's what I'm starting with.
Even putting magic aside, the question, "Why do I do this?" or "Why do I like this?" or anything along those lines, is a good question to ask and to answer.
Introspection is a difficult thing for us to do, I think. As a people. We're just not good at objectively examining our behavior and beliefs and figuring out why we do what we do. Without that understanding, saying "I'm myself" is meaningless. You're essentially saying, "I haven't defined a character."
For my own performance, I go for a magnified version of certain personality traits. I'm naturally obsessive and obervant, so I present a character that will study something until he figures it out. Whether that's behavioural patterns (predictions of varying sorts) or complicated sleight of hand, my character (and I) will continue studying and/or practicing that thing until it is fully understood. I've not fully developed the character because I'm still working on defining myself, but that's what I'm starting with.
Even putting magic aside, the question, "Why do I do this?" or "Why do I like this?" or anything along those lines, is a good question to ask and to answer.
I see your point. But when I say "I'm myself" I just mean I act like I do every day. I don't act different. It doesn't mean "I haven't found who I am yet".