talkmagic.co.uk

im just curious really...

do you feel there comes a time when you say to yourself "enoughs enough - i really must perform rather than just read and show my friends"...or are you happy with that level? there's certainly nothing wrong with either thinking as far as I'm concerned...

but, well, its been maybe two and a half years ago that i started performing for real, to people i dont know...and i really do enjoy it, once past the nerves and shakes at the start...

i suppose what im asking is, for the majority of us on here, is this art seen as a hobby to you, or are you an ideas-person or something in between? maybe you're an out and out performer or a shy theorist...

just interested really...

i would say for my self, 40% ideas, 30% theory, 30% performing - but dont feel as if that's the way you have to explain yourselves...

I think that when I started it was a hobby that meant I could do a few tricks for mates but as time passed and mates came to expect stuff and before I knew it I was being asked to go to other tables. It was then the magic upped a gear as performing for strangers became my main reason to practice.
Initially it was difficult getting used to building up a rapport but now that I'm getting used to it I can settle into a groove quite quickly. I think it is the performance that fuels my passion for magic rather than the other way. Any effect without an audience is wasted.
My one big falldown is my inability upto now to come up with my own material, meaning an original effect. I do my own patter, presentation, and take themes from existing card effects but haven't come up with my 'own' effect and find it difficult to even know where to start.

I can't stand performing for people I know....It's boring, repetitive and I hate the stale reactions you get...There's only so many times you can show a DL and fool them or do a french drop...There are advantages such as having your magic looked at objectively but it just doesn't compare to showing a stranger an effect and have them genuinely impressed by your skills...

As for coming up with fresh ideas and indulging in further reading I would have to say I'm all about performance with a generous sprinkling of my own character and explorations...I'm by no means an expert in any area of magic but I believe I do what I do, and do it well...I will go through phases of learning new material and techniques every few months or so but the feeling gotten from showing an effect you know so well that all you have to worry about is dressing it up, and for me making people laugh, is an example of real confidence and packs significantly more punch than even the strongest trick with no presentation....

The next step is to take some of the ideas that I have spawned and get over the hurdle of performing them in public and for the lay person...I think that is the direction I want my magic to go...I'm not interested in performing mind boggling, psychic-ly mental magic with no other explanation other than pixies up the sleeves...The only thing I want is that when I leave people say 'he was very good'...

So in that instance I would say that I see magic as more than my hobby, I am an ideas man waiting for a chance to show my worth...

slightly ranty so apologies

Bob

When I first started out, it was purely a hobby. Magic is something that I've been interested in for years and exploring it and learning at the start was more than enough for me. Then I moved on to performing for friends, but as said before that only give you a very limited audience.

I started to perform for people at the pubs, that was a great way to learn and to build my confidence.

Now I'm where I am now. I really do enjoy learning new things and never stop reading or working on somthing new, but I also want to get out there and perform for people and am working on routines to allow me to do that.

At the moment I'm about 50/50 between performing and learning