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I started magic when I was around 9, and I've been practicing since I was this age. So I've had 9 years of practice. I mainly do sleight of hand with sponge balls. I can do the classic palm (still working on it though, not perfect), the french drop, etc, with coins. I can also do the thumb clip with coins.

If there's a sponge sleight, I can probably do it. (Although I probably don't know a few..)

For example, I can make a sponge ball change from black to red (via the thumb palm/clip), the retention vanish, convert a retention vanish into a thumb clip, visa versa, and Have a few clever ways to show the hand 'empty' with the sponge balls.

Also, I can produce them in some ways. For example, make a sponge ball disappear with a thumb clip, then rotate the hand around and drop the ball in.

What exactly level would this be? Intermediate? Advanced? Beginner?

Remember, I can do all of this very fluidly and convicing.

Of course, there's more than just technique. My patter is alright (Although I have depression, it makes it hard to be funny sometmiies), I'm good with misdirection, and the psychological aspects of magic.

Oh dear, I don't mean to be rude or to discourage you from posting but please, please can you post something different than your age and how long you've been working with sponges.

This is all starting to wear a little thin.

Given your other posts and the content within them I would suggest that whilst you may be intermediate and perhaps an advanced level at spongeballs, I would say that due to your loack of wider magic knowledge and experience you are perhaps only a mere beginner.

Start reading the archives here within TM and much of what you ask will be revealed and along the way, you will find new things that interest you.

dat8962 wrote:Oh dear, I don't mean to be rude or to discourage you from posting but please, please can you post something different than your age and how long you've been working with sponges.

This is all starting to wear a little thin.

Given your other posts and the content within them I would suggest that whilst you may be intermediate and perhaps an advanced level at spongeballs, I would say that due to your loack of wider magic knowledge and experience you are perhaps only a mere beginner.

Start reading the archives here within TM and much of what you ask will be revealed and along the way, you will find new things that interest you.

I really do apologize.

I tend to get carried away like this. I think it's because of something i have -- fear of rejection. I'm afraid of being rejected, so I ask how I am, and state how old I am, hoping someone will compliment me. It's not realy attention getting, it's a sympoton of depression.

Honestly, I know alot of the basics of all types of magics. Force, flourishes, rope magic, misdirection, illusions, and set up back.

A force is sometimes used, especially in mental magic. It's where you make someone assume you are making a free choice (for example, choosing one of three cards), but in reality, you can 'force' them to pick the card you want to pick.

For example, with the 3 lemon trick. Where a dollar bill appears in a lemon, you force them to pick the gimmicked lemmon.

SpongeBallSlight-of-hand wrote:I really do apologize.

I tend to get carried away like this. I think it's because of something i have -- fear of rejection. I'm afraid of being rejected, so I ask how I am, and state how old I am, hoping someone will compliment me. It's not realy attention getting, it's a sympoton of depression.

Bombshell warning
If you have a fear of rejection, then constantly purporting to be proficient one post, and dumb the next will only encourage people to reject you.

And I am not so sure that magic is the ideal hobby if rejection is what you fear, because without an audience, the magic means nothing, and if your audience rejects you, you'll be upset.

And they WILL reject you.

Magicians get rejected on a regular basis. It's the norm. It's how you LEARN to be better, by people telling you where you are going wrong.

And here's a small hint: STOP bombarding the forums with long posts expecting comments on your sponge ball stuff. Try and join in a bit, mingle, and if you've not got a comment, don't worry.

This is a friendly place, you're very welcome here, but I think rejection is the least of your worries if you keep pushing down people's throats the fact that you are American, Sponge expert, nearly 18 etc.

Personally, sponge ball magic bores me to tears. Granted, I do have some and I perform a gentle routine when the time is right, but it seems that perhaps for you to broaden your own horizons you need to perhaps study a bit more magic in general, as in my opinion, those little sponge balls just aren't floating your boat anymore.

PLEASE keep on trying, and PLEASE keep on posting, but PLEASE stop delivering the insecurity speech. It is giving members the wrong impression of you I am sure. It is almost the negative of what you should be doing to combat your fear of rejection.

seige wrote:

SpongeBallSlight-of-hand wrote:I really do apologize.

I tend to get carried away like this. I think it's because of something i have -- fear of rejection. I'm afraid of being rejected, so I ask how I am, and state how old I am, hoping someone will compliment me. It's not realy attention getting, it's a sympoton of depression.

Bombshell warning
If you have a fear of rejection, then constantly purporting to be proficient one post, and dumb the next will only encourage people to reject you.

And I am not so sure that magic is the ideal hobby if rejection is what you fear, because without an audience, the magic means nothing, and if your audience rejects you, you'll be upset.

And they WILL reject you.

Magicians get rejected on a regular basis. It's the norm. It's how you LEARN to be better, by people telling you where you are going wrong.

And here's a small hint: STOP bombarding the forums with long posts expecting comments on your sponge ball stuff. Try and join in a bit, mingle, and if you've not got a comment, don't worry.

This is a friendly place, you're very welcome here, but I think rejection is the least of your worries if you keep pushing down people's throats the fact that you are American, Sponge expert, nearly 18 etc.

Personally, sponge ball magic bores me to tears. Granted, I do have some and I perform a gentle routine when the time is right, but it seems that perhaps for you to broaden your own horizons you need to perhaps study a bit more magic in general, as in my opinion, those little sponge balls just aren't floating your boat anymore.

PLEASE keep on trying, and PLEASE keep on posting, but PLEASE stop delivering the insecurity speech. It is giving members the wrong impression of you I am sure. It is almost the negative of what you should be doing to combat your fear of rejection.

Wow, I manage to make everyone hate me on any forum.

You know siege, I gotta admit, you're a great person. But even you are getting tired of me -- I probably sound very egostitical and selfish, by the sounds of "I'm a sponge expert." Now, I didn't say that, but I guess it came off in that context. No one likes people who brag. If I'm bragging, I apologize.

I thought people would appreciate my long post, but I guess people don't want to hear me complain with long posts, either.

If people find out my tricks, for whatever reason (And they usually don't), I don't get upset, and give up. I practice more. And more. And more. Utnil I get it right. Getting it wrong only frusterates me more, and gives me more determination to practice it more, and get it right so it won't happen again (or is less likely)

I live in near Sun City, a retirement community. Most everyone are 65 are older. It's sometimes hard to fit in. I walk around, and if I ask someone if they want to see a magic trick when they are walking, they usually say no. If I ask them if I can show them something, they usuallysay "What?" and I show them, and they're amamzed. Women always seem to be more amazed than men for some reason. I always practice on audiences.

Dude, nobody hates, resents or even dislikes you.

But you are trying far too hard to fit in!

Be yourself, and just go with the flow.

We are all looking forward to you getting your videos sorted to see some of your sponge ball stuff.

Seige

i like you too.

Just chill out and do your best. Rejection, like ridicule, is nothing to be afraid of. I write for a living and I started off with nothing but rejection. Usually, it comes in the form of complete silence. It's like someone you're falling for not calling you ever again. Horrible. Most can't live with the gut-wrenching feeling and give up in embarrasement, but if you really believe in what you're doing then you'll get up the next day and do it all again because it's worth it in the end. I think you have the tenacity to keep hacking away at indifference with better and better stuff, and believe me, there's no better therapy for depression than finally getting to "yes". Grab a web cam, put up a file of your best routine and show us what you're capable of. Really go to town on it.

spongey

_I_ like you too.

We all have ways of being, wouldn't it be dull if we were all the same?

Tomo wrote:Just chill out and do your best. Rejection, like ridicule, is nothing to be afraid of. I write for a living and I started off with nothing but rejection. Usually, it comes in the form of complete silence. It's like someone you're falling for not calling you ever again. Horrible. Most can't live with the gut-wrenching feeling and give up in embarrasement, but if you really believe in what you're doing then you'll get up the next day and do it all again because it's worth it in the end. I think you have the tenacity to keep hacking away at indifference with better and better stuff, and believe me, there's no better therapy for depression than finally getting to "yes". Grab a web cam, put up a file of your best routine and show us what you're capable of. Really go to town on it.

Thanks, I really want to! I live near a Bestbuy, how would I host it on a website and show it?

Well, you can upload it to the file sharing section here if it's under about 2Meg, but for longer pieces of work with higher resolution, I think most people swear by Putfile.com.