talkmagic.co.uk

Following on from the thread, 'How old were you when you got in to magic', I wondered if anybody has ever fallen out of love with the art or lost their enthusiasm or became disillusioned with it at all?

Every Saturday when I watch 'The Magicians' on BBC 1.

I have been married to magic for 53 years. I have always remained faithful. However, I fell out of love with magicians decades ago.

I did last year, I had a lot of other things going on in my life and just totally lost interest in magic. I put it all down for a while and eventually I got the urge back.

I've been in magic for 40 years, but like Mark I am not overly fond of most magicians. As a result I've had my ups and downs with magic itself. Now however, no longer in the industry I have re-kindled my love of magic. When I moved to PA 10 years ago I met a fellow who wanted to start a local chapter of the IBM and I agreed to help. We got it up and running and within the first year I decided that magicians are basically the same wherever you go, and quickly distanced myself from the club, (as did the other fellow).

Now, I go to the occaisional meeting, they meet once a month and I manage about 3 meetings a year. I find that if I don't get to caught up in the 'brotherhood' I can remain faithful to magic.

Really Talkmagic has provided me with an outlet, a place where I can discuss magic and other stuff with magicians and not be so involved, and if I don't really like what I am reading the little red X on the top right of my browser is just a click away.

I should add. I do like talking on these boards.

I've had a couple of periods in my life where I TRIED to leave magic as the result of personal frustrations, failures, etc but I simply couldn't, even Harry Blackstone teased me over the fact that "it is in my blood" and bet me that I'd not make it a full year away from performing and being in the middle of the mix. . . he won the bet

Magic, especially if you think you want to work as a full-time pro, is a nasty mistress for which a near constant Love-Hate rapport seems to exist. Even now, I find myself having fantasies about building up another big show only to have the physical aches and pains of this old body remind me as to why I got away from the big stuff in the first place

Long before there was an Internet I wrote an article about how Magic (the art form, not the card game) was an addiction. I even teased Mark Wilson for being the drug pusher that got me hooked on "the junk" when I was barely out of diapers. I know of very few of us that have truly fallen in love with her, that have been successful in walking 100% away from her clutches however. . . which I think supports my charge. . .

MAGIC IS AN ADDICTIVE DRUG!

It's how I pay my bills, so no. But I keep interested by avoiding close-up performers, and television shows like The Magicians.

I fell out of love with magic when I was about 15 because of the very secretive nature of the game, I didn't know any other magicians so nobody to talk to/share ideas with and back then I didn't have a computer with internet access so no online forums.

It seemed to learn anything you had to put your hand in your pocket and without performing or friends to share with, it got a bit dull practising the same old things in my room.

A short time later I found juggling and the community was so open and embracing of new members, everybody took time out to show you and teach you things and no money had to change hands. So it seemed you had a "I know this and you don't" community versus "I know this, sure i'll teach you it" so I put the magic down and fell in love with juggling.

About a decade later I became friends with a magician, after he found out I used to love magic and could handle a deck of cards he taught me a good ACR and re-kindled my love.

A little irony is my problem of "This costs too much" was never an issue my second time around, not because I have a job and cash to spend, but because most of my cash on magic is just spent on books, playing cards and flash paper

In the 10 years im doing it ive packed my cards away many and many of times.I'll be interested in it for the rest of my life though.I'm currently on a huge buzz with it because I'm performing a lot.

I think the secret to not getting bored is to perform on a regular basis.You can't just do tricks for friends and family and get the same satisfaction.You want people running away from you screaming.That's the reason I will always do it no matter how anyone puts 'magic tricks' down and belittle magicians.

Do a stint every so often to keep things fresh is my best advice

Yes. I often get people running away and screaming but perhaps for a different reason than Flood.

If your talking about the helicopter effect mark then we are on the same note

I sometimes think I've lost interest, but I still practice when I'm not looking . A good performance always makes me twice as enthusiastic as well. [/url]

I fell out with it a few months ago.

I suppose it just hit me how strange it is going around just tricking people and lying to them.

Then I realised how pointless virtually all art is.

Which is why I find it amusing that Criag called magic a drug and I called art a drug.

Ultimatley art is a drug. It gets us through life and removes us from the world, if only for a short time. Thus is the source of all artistry, mental abstraction and drug use- want of escape. A purpose is found.

I love magic, always have, always will, but every single December, after the Christmas mayhem, I just loose all interest in performing, it can get so tiring. 30+ bookings in one month, that's more than 80 hours of 'can you make my wife disappear'.

I had one 3 day period this December where I did 8 gigs in 3 days. It was too much, my enthusiasm just went. It became more of a tedious job than a passionate endeavour. You feel like you're no longer living the dream. You loose your edge, that performing energy that is so important.

But then January comes and the bookings dry up until March, so you get a long rest and time to recoup, then Blackpool comes and by the end of it, I'm raring to go and as enthusiastic as ever about performing. Then you realise that you're so much more polished because of all the bookings and you can't wait to go out and perform again.

This happens year, after year. I'd have it no other way. I know many other pros feel the same way.

Dave Bonsall

DaveBonsall wrote:I love magic, always have, always will, but every single December, after the Christmas mayhem, I just loose all interest in performing, it can get so tiring. 30+ bookings in one month, that's more than 80 hours of 'can you make my wife disappear'.

I had one 3 day period this December where I did 8 gigs in 3 days. It was too much, my enthusiasm just went. It became more of a tedious job than a passionate endeavour. You feel like you're no longer living the dream. You loose your edge, that performing energy that is so important.

But then January comes and the bookings dry up until March, so you get a long rest and time to recoup, then Blackpool comes and by the end of it, I'm raring to go and as enthusiastic as ever about performing. Then you realise that you're so much more polished because of all the bookings and you can't wait to go out and perform again.

This happens year, after year. I'd have it no other way. I know many other pros feel the same way.

Dave Bonsall

Thank you Dave. That's exactly the way I feel, and the reason I posted this thread. I'm glad I'm not the only one!