This is terrible. I have found myself getting farther and farther away from the magic scene. I can't get any sleights down any more. I have been buying magic but every time I do I find myself unable to do it. So $1500 and four years later I'm back to square one and the funny thing is I don't even want to try again. So I guess I need some words of advice. Should I try again or just let it go?

DA

Meet some magicians in the area.....if there aren't any then move.

Seriously.

Go perform some easy stuff and work your way up. Your in a slump. I am getting out of my slump.

Keep at it and persevere!

Good Luck!


Chris

First, going through the motions will not attract the muses.

This is a tough time for lots of people. If there are a few routines you want to work on or a few moves that you feel are worth learning, this is a great time to settle in.

Back in NYC, the gang is friendly to those who just come to socialize. The magicians who have been around a while can be supportive.

If creativity strikes and you find yourself making a collage of trick instruction sheets or a sculpture out of thumbtips, or perhaps a mobile out of rope and scissors... well congratulations you have become an artist of another kind.

Best wishes,

Jonathan Townsend

Dear DA,

Maybe spend some time figuring out who you are. I took a long break from magic when I first met my wife; I figured practicing deception was a poor leisure activity while starting a relationship and marriage.

Also, look at the magic ads and magazines. I get the impression that all of the industry wants to turn me into a generic magician, everybody the same. They don't really, they just want to sell things. You are a person, not a gingerbread man. Don't be ashamed of that!

If you know who you are, and you can imagine what you'd like to do, and your friends tell you that you've made the right choices in terms of what you are trying to portray (meaning that it suits your personality), you will have better luck finding a path through all the tricks. Be very selective.

Good luck!

Yours,

Paul

DA,

I went thru this myself. I started out in magic in 1980 and started burning out about 1986 and finally got out entirely 10 years ago. I never "lost my interest" and I'd ocassionally do some impromptu--but I quit reading and performing. I wnet into computers big time (no, not as a programmer or an IT person--just as a user and I was into simulation games and strategy games big time).

Then, about two weeks ago, I "woke up" and I'm cursing myself for 10 years wasted.

I think you might be at a point where you have purchased $1500 worth of gimmicks and are seeing yourself merely as a product demonstrator that is no better than your audience except you were dumb enough to lay out the $1500. You might also still be searching for your "magic self"-your magic persona, and having not discovered yourself and, knowing how your props work, you might be wondering "what's wrong with this picture" and what are you doing here.

I would suggest that all is not lost. You obviously got into magic because you liked it or something about it. Right now, I think you are a little confused and are drifting like a man in a boat with no oars.

I can tell you that I went thru this process and I would respectfully suggest that you consider if the same applies to you. Here's what I did:

1. I started trying to figure out what attracted me to magic in the first place and what kind of magic REALLY delighted me the most and what type of magic I really might ENJOY performing or DID enjoy performing. This is a gut thing more than a cerebral thing.

2. Knowing what effects I enjoyed, I then attempted to develope a routine (or 2-3 routines) for this/those effect(s). I completely threw away the patter that came with the prop or trick and started trying to think outside the box and I attempted to develope original patter and routining for that effect. Original routining will not only enhance your presentation, it will also increase your satisfaction for performing the effect and it will also raise your self-esteem and allow you to start believing in yourself and knowing that you are really an original thinking magician and not just a demonstrator of tricks. As an added benefit, original patter is easier to "memorize" or "flow with" because it is "you", it is not a canned script that everyone else is might also find the routine will become you and will be much more entertaining and interesting for your audience.

After you complete items 1 and 2 above, I thing that next step might logically be to:

3. Analyse the routines that you truly enjoy and see if you can find a common denominator. If so, you might wish to consider concentrating your efforts in this area. At least temporarily.

"Common denominator" does not necessarily mean coin, cards, stage illusions, etc. "Common Denominator" (especially after you analyze your original routines you developed) might mean Kid Magic, Mentalism, Mental Magic, Close-up, stage, etc.

Keep an open mind as you go thru this analytical process. Where you start may not be where you end up. You may think all you like to do is card magic but then realize it is really the close-up nature of card magic that appeals to you.

Put any tentative hypothesis to the test. Instead of just card magic (which, for purposes of this discussion we will presume that you discovered that you liked doing), try a coin routine, a rope routine, cup and balls, sponge balls, etc (i.e., other forms of close-up magic). Do you enjoy all or most of this type of magic?

Consider your "comfort zone" when it comes to the closeness of your audience. Do you enjoy the interaction with you audience? Are you more comfortable sitting down at a table performing or performing while standing? Do you like the intimate nature of being within touching distance of your audience or would you prefer a zone of distance between you and your audience?

If you enjoy the spatial distance between you and your audience, do you enjoy parlour magic or full blown illusion magic?

As you begin to analyze all of these considerations and factors (and a whole lot more considerations/factors), remember that "Concentrate" does NOT mean "Exclude" (all other types of magic).

Always be learning--including learning in other magic disciplines. Not only might you find a "thing" that you can incorporate into your existing magic routines, you might even discover another form of magic that you enjoy doing equally well or even more than your current type of magic!!

In any event, such reading and learning will broaden your magical horizons and it will keep your magic and your magic attitude fresh!!

Finally, please realize that most magicians went thru this same type of feeling as their initial wonderment gave way to disillusionment as they projected a lifetime in magic merely carrying a suitcase full of gimmicked decks, gaffed coins, trick ropes and gaudy props and being only able to demonstrate one effect per gimmicked item and having to produce a different deck everytime they did a different card trick.

Sorry for the length of this post. I'm just trying in my inept way to give you a sense of what I went thru and how I began my real magic journey of discovering who I am--magically speaking. What this said about who I am magically speaking also suggested certain things about who I am from a non-magical standpoint. This non-magical realization is also very interesting--but is definitely outside the scope of this thread.

Hope this helps you in some small way. And please, don't make any rash decisions regarding getting out of magic. Magic is the wonderment in kids--don't ever grow up.

Best regards,

Turk

Turk - great post!

I can only add one small thing to this wonderful essay. It might be useful to take a single effect (meaning that the perception by the audience is the same) and see the different ways that are used to achieve it.

One of the most interesting differences in method is the emphasis on performing skill and persona. For people who are good at this, the methods are crude. Much of mentalism is like this. At the other extreme, we have people who are dazzlingly skilled at sleight of hand, and have more of a plain vanilla personality. The presentation is "Watch me do something impossible."

In between we have the one-trick pony gaffs that Turk mentions.

If you find out what you love, you will discover who you are. Keep at it!

Yours,

Paul

DA:
Allow me to suggest that you find a local IBM ring or SAM assembly. Attend a meeting or two, talk with the men (and women) who are regulars, and see if you can rediscover the joy and fun they have for yourself.

If the answer is yes, great! Welcome back. If the answer is no, don't worry...there are worse things in this life than saying you tried something and it wasn't for you. (Old line from a friend: we regret those things we did not do far more than those we did.)

And besides, if you have a garage sale, you'll recoup most of the money you laid out!



I wish you well.

re;
Allow me to suggest that you find a local IBM ring or SAM assembly.

Steve is right, this is where a lot of other people go that can't do the tricks they bought over the last four years...

This was a JOKE guys, lol.

DA, there is nothing wrong with having a break from magic. I know many that have done so and come back into it later with renewed enthusiasm. Other things may be more important in your life right now.

Paul.

Hello DA,

I am from Staten Island NY maybe we can hang out once a month and talk about magic?

Hi DA, Just wanted to tell you that the response you recieved was incredible. The inspiration from the post was heartwarming..now how could you turn your back on magic? There are so many incredible new found friends awaiting to meet you and share with you that love of magic.One small suggestion,you say that sleights are getting impossible for you..perhaps like the others suggested,explore other methods of magic. Last suggestion go see a really good magic show and be entertained..hopefully you'll rekindle that spark that got you interested in the first place. Good Luck!

DA,
Sorry to hear you're magically jaded. A rest from what you're currently doing might not be a bad thing.

Why not start learning something new that does excite and inspire you? When I hit the creative rocks a few years ago, I started learning story telling, which was great. If you find yourself thinking, 'Hmmm, this pottery course is great, but it gives me a great idea for an effect', then perhaps the magic bug still courses through your veins. And, of course, the new stuff you've learnt, will almost certainly be of benefit to your magic when you come back.

I'm also a great believer in 'lying fallow' for a while, e.g. no magic, and no new 'pottery classes'. There is a tendency for us to keep cramming stuff into our lives, when, sometimes, what we really need, is a period of rest and reflection. It'll give you the opportunity to absorb and digest what you've learnt, and help you see where you want to go. Read those books you've not had time for. Put up those shelves. Chill out and do nothing for a while.

One more suggestion. I don't know if you've ever popped over to the Bizarre forum here at the Café, but I know lots of Bizarrists were getting disillusioned with magic, until they found Bizarre work. For some, myself included, there's a very real sense of 'coming home'. Contrary to popular opinion, we don't bite! And you'd be very welcome. Bizarre work is general sleight-lite, and you won't need to spend anymore on gimmicks. So it might be just what you're looking for.

Best wishes,

Caleb Strange.

I guess you are right but I'm not sure if I want to leave yet so I'm just going to try again and see what happens.

Magicreview, that would be cool but you're kinda far from South Jersey.

The journey of a thousand miles is accomplished one step at a time. We are all evolving as we grow up and age with more awareness of what we want to become in life. Talking about the past helps us gain insight into it and also gives us direction as to what and where we wish to be in the present.

Many people go to college, spend thousands and change their mind after getting a degree.

Be positive about your growing choices and it will be positive. Keep coming back to the sight and just enjoy the process; allow time to take time. Sounds like you are on the right path and there is some brilliant advice in some of the above posts!
Magically yours,
AmazingBoz

Thanks Doc!

I engaged everything before I discovered my place in card manipulation. I've posted various links to my web cam demos while sitting here at my desk. Many don't realize that one of those 60 second demos took 10yrs of practice but who cares? Hehehee.
I obviously didn't care care how long it took as I loved doing it daily - evidence of Doc's recommendation to "find what you love".

Stop spending "$" and spend "valuable time" on discovering your true interest via research and collaboration with others. You have many here who can assist you according to the posts above.

Randy Stewart

Any updates DA?

Wow! I'm impressed at the level of support shown here! DA, you're in good hands!
My input would just be "Enjoy the Magic you do...". When there is joy, you can't really go wrong...