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I am and always will be a "Card guy." I own numerous gaffed decks and buy regular decks by the case....everything I do stems around cards. I will always have a soft spot for card work but I am trying my best to expand into other avenues. I seem to always find myself saying "that was fun...but where are my bikes"

I need/want to expand my routines so that I can go in a completely different direction if I desire (as boredom can set in doing the same 5 or 6 restaurant routines each week) but can't seem to find an inspiration as it all seems just so different or boring to me......if any of you know what I mean (and I know some of you do) but have had some success branching out, give me some suggestions for effects/material that may inspire me to go in other directions.

I do own bobo's, a TT, some IT and an ITR, as well as many other small misc items......what are your experiences with branching out and what was the "aha" moment or item that did it for you?!

Not sure if they would be well suited to a restaurant but Cups and Balls has really taken my interest - my kind of "aha" moment trick. I also really enjoy the multiplying balls, but I guess thats not really good for a restaurant either so I'm not being much help. But outside of the work I'd recommend those.

The cups and balls is deffinatly my favorite effect to perform. As for getting inspired to go beyond card magic, here are a few things to help you along:

Francis Tabary-Rope Magic
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-3D9xvhWfRk

Dai Vernon-Cups and Balls
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9JXILIWELt8

David Roth-Coin Magic
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LpBgDffoCqA

Gary Darwin-Thimble Magic
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Setabzz1otU

Tribute to Dai Vernon (this will inspire pretty much any magician)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z7r_6RCBAsw

Slydini
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wBNfXx1wh9Y

I actually found that my biggest inspiration for expanding my magic outside cards came from reading the Tarbell Course in Magic. I was already interested in other forms of magic, but this serries gave me a more motivation to learn than I have ever had.

sponge balls and coins? well thats what i've been meaning to learn cept i've been a lazy a**.

Thanks guys....I occasionally use Cups and balls, and usually carry around a couple of foam balls as well.....I should advise more clearly. I do currently do things other than cards, I do some small rope magic, silk work, TT work, Holy Moly, coins, etc....I just have not found that one thing that makes me go "AHA" I could see myself really diving into this as well.

I do have a rather large working repitoire and it does have some diversity in it just not proportionally as much as I would like....I haven't really gotten a passion to move elsewhere with the inspired furvor that I have with cards.

I have slowly been getting into some mentalism (Sanctum and kioku) but not really "digging it" if you know what I mean...just doesn't seem to get my juices flowing and it shows in my performances as I am not really "selling the performance" like I do with things inside my comfort zone.

Of all the areas that have likely given me the biggest spark I would have to say IT and Cups and balls have been the closeset.....don't get me wrong, I LIKE the other things, just really LOVE the card work.....like anything, I will likley stumble into some other ideas when I am not looking so hard.....but ideas like the ones mentioned by the others do help, so any more suggestions would be appreciated.

Yeah I know what you mean. I tend to avoid an area of magic if there isn't a 'skill' to be developed.
This is bad practice though, since the effect is most important.

But i get pleasure out of doing anything that requires practise and skill to achieve. The German's have a word for this, but I can't remember what it is. I suppose English speakers call it 'the flow'.

So far I have found this in cards. I like coins and elastic bands, but again I keep coming back to my cards. I feel like I'm being unfaithful.

How about mentalism of the more 'naked' type? I'm not a mentlist, but I have dabbled like yourself, and I find it highly appealing...

EDIT: Oh aye, and PK effects of the Monster Bertha type. I like the sound of looking like a Greek God.

What about producing a coin from your cards? Straight out of Bobo.

Click here.

Just a thought.

Mike.

ahhh - you have the opposite with me!

I am a card guy myself...but what really gets me going is the psychological performances of mentalism! The pseudo-explanations and performances.

So I am moving more into that area...cards no longer make me go "aha!" - though I do have a soft-spot for fancy things

im a hybrid and massive canasta fan, so cards with psychological handlings is part of what i love...

i'd say on a deeper level, you maybe are becoming a little bored of yer average "take a card, put it back, here it is" kinda effects...so i'd recommend:

stacks
s***t card(s)
and a different framing of who you are...

if you can still get it, lewis jones' Seventh Heaven is a phenominal book, as is his colab with Jack Avis - Ahead of the Pack...

lots of cards, but in different ways...

if you cant find them, then basil horwitz all the way my friend...he's an undiscovered genius..especially when you read volume 5 and see who he's influenced..

Michael Jay wrote:....What about producing a coin from your cards? Straight out of Bobo.....

I have Bobos book....will look into it - and some other coin work - while riding in the vehicle tomorrow.....6 hours to kill!

why not apply all you know about cards to different paper based products?

photos/postcards/business cards...

a business card OOTW...there's an idea! a potentially bad one at that..but you get the idea...