talkmagic.co.uk

One simple question: What can I do to regain respect amongst you. Let me know what qualities of myself you would like to see change. Ego is being worked on.

Michael Kras

Michael,

I have not made any comments about you before, so I hope you will find this unbiased and useful.

I have made posts on forums which have ended up with me being embarrassed and often apologising. I find that a break, sometimes for a week or so, sometimes for a few months helps me to re-eveluate. Take an honest look at your posts. Read the replies. Don't do it now, but wait a couple of days. Try and do it without the emotion, just read what you and others have said. remember writing isn't the same as talking face to face. You need to look at what you are saying and think about some of the people you are saying it too.
You need to have respect for your audience. At the moment, you come accross as being someone who tells them how great you are. You are there to entertain them. They are paying your wages. They are the customer. Concentrate on getting the best and most entertaining act you can. At the moment, you want seem to want to learn all the magic you can.
Magic doesn't make a performance. Spend time working out routines, script them. Tear them to pieces and start again. Take away anything that detracts. Make sure it is in a style that suits you, but that wont make the audience feel that you are tryibg to be superior.
Hope you can see that there is nothing personal in there, but an honest reply.
You seem to be a magiholic. The firts step to recovery is to admit there is a problem, which you have done by starting this thread. This is where you have started earning the respect. It is up to you to prove you can learn to keep it in proportion. It doesn't matter if you are brilliant or average in magic, as long as the performance is right and the public likes and believes in you and what you are doing.
Take some time of all forums, list your magic and do as suggested. Come back and report your progress, then you will have shown that most noble of abilities. To heed advice.

Darrel.

Well thank you Darrel.. Very good advice.

I will start off by totally eliminating the ego (which WILL happen), putting more practice into the effects I perform regulary, not posting here like a fiend, and stopping the "I'm so great!" attitude. I am nothing special, so why act like I am.

More will come soon.

Michael

Michael Kras wrote:Well thank you Darrel.. Very good advice.

I will start off by totally eliminating the ego (which WILL happen), putting more practice into the effects I perform regulary, not posting here like a fiend, and stopping the "I'm so great!" attitude. I am nothing special, so why act like I am.

More will come soon.

Michael

You shouldn't totally eliminate the ego, just keep it in perspective, same as the I'm nothing special comment. You need a certain amount, which should be combined to make confidence. At the moment, it has shouted out arrogance to people here. I wouldn't want you showing magic without any of your persona, just to aim to nurture it to a performance style which people will enjoy. There is a saying about not running before you can walk. In your case, I guess you were levitating before either.
In other words, enthusiasm is great, but now is the time to concentrate on what really makes a show, rather than learn more for the sake of it. You have a great knowledge of magic at 14. It will take months to go through and script and routine shows. Years of gaining experience. Take the time to get the performance right and you could become a great magician, rather than someone who can do magic.

This doesn't just apply to you, but you are guilty of the following:

Before uploading a vid - play it back and see if it's a decent quality or not. If it's not, then bin it and re-tape it. I've seen many a post by you (and a few other peeps) along the lines of, "here's my vid of 'such and such a trick' - sorry about the quality of the vid." If you know the vid is of poor quality - why bother uploading it

Aaaah, I feel much better now that I've got that off my chest .

And so you should. I have learned from that. Thank you.

Michael - as someone who hasn't really replied to any of your topics...! The above is a prime example of something people find generally difficult about your posts (I think) - many threads, constant replies... it can feel like we're being swamped. This is perhaps an excusable example as you're asking for criticism, which is why I ventured in

I think even the most irritable members would have to admit that your enthusiasm for magic is worthy of at least some respect, but quality not quantity is always worth bearing in mind. This is a forum, not MSN - to have every other post be yours in a thread can get tiresome. This doesn't just go for you, we have had a glut of younger magicians (I expect) come on here - they tend to ask a question that only ever applies to them (ie. is of no interest to anyone else who happened to search the forums), reply in single lines to every poster... I'm sorry to say it comes across as a bit brash and selfish.
There are many magicians on here who want to actually talk about magic, discuss the intricacies of an effect or presentation etc, so to see thread after thread of "wich is best indecent or sinful pls reply", or perhaps vague and ominous threads with titles like "am I wrong?!?!?!" or "what do I say 2 that?!" - all very self-focused - well, most people just skip them, I know I do. You can guarantee that many won't even read this thread because they saw a self-referential title and your name in the creator column! To do what many newbies seem to do which is attack other newbies for putting a baby step wrong in the hope of impressing more established members only makes things worse.

It's important to notice that the people on this board who seem to be "respected" are so because they only post when they have something useful to say. Perhaps you could start viewing this forum as a community or a place to help others instead of just a resource and a place of entertainment for yourself? Also, treat this place perhaps more like you would a magic society than any old internet forum. You wouldn't go to a real place full of knowledgeable and experienced magicians and run around, gabbling away to them all, showing them unfinished tricks, trying to shove your own material in their faces and asking them every question that occurs to you under the sun. You'd consider questions (or anything) carefully before asking, you'd find out what had been said before, you'd take on a quiet and receptive attitude until bit by bit you gained more respect and perhaps offered to show them a card trick - you see what I'm getting at?

To gain respect you must give respect. To give respect, don't waste people's time and don't constantly pull focus on yourself. If you want to impress an ancient martial arts master, you treat him like a master, you don't waltz into his dojo acting like you own the place and offer to show him the armlock your brother taught you!

This doesn't just go for you Michael - about half of our newer members would do well to read this. Before you post, think. Is this a pointless one liner? Am I teaching my granny to suck eggs? Asking for secrets is not the only way to be selfish on the boards - if you make us all wade through "yeah but I want that one but I only get £3 pocket money so if I save for 4 weeks what should I get..." people will be shouting "I don't care, p*ss off" at their screens before you know it.

So, take a deep breath, consider whether you think you're actually helping anyone with what you're about to say...

Consider whether you've looked into other ways to find the info you want rather than just type it up here because it's easier...

Consider how many posts you've already made on the topic...

Consider whether you have thoroughly read the whole thread, and are concisely summing up your entire experience or advice on the topic...

...only then will you press SUBMIT!

Here's the point: unless someone asks you to clarify, explain or defend your position, you treat each post like it's everything you have to offer on that subject. If no one brings anything to light which changes your views and makes 2nd or 3rd posts absolutely necessary, leave it alone. Pretend you are not just filling time with an internet forum, but writing a letter to a magic magazine, hoping it will get published. Say everything you want to say, and no more.

Hope that helps.

Michael, that is an excellent post by farlsborough. Take the time to digest the contents. Last couple of points I have. I did search and reckon you are on around 8 or so forums. Nothing wrong with that, but you need to make sure that if you cut down posts on one, don't start upping the rate on others. You wont gain by it. Use the time wisely.

You have given details of books etc you have read, dvds you have watched. Go back to them and really READ them. Start with the performance ones if you have them. Don't try to finish the book to say you have read it. Sit down, read some of it, make notes, then think of it in relation to you. Use the knowledge to do as has been suggested.

Come back and let us know how you have used what you have learned, but not in a look what I've done way. You should get the respect you deserve from more members, but don't count on it being from everyone. Time for action from you, not words.

darrel wrote

I did search and reckon you are on around 8 or so forums.

gosh, and yes I have read some of your posts on this forum
and I agree about your enthusiasm being a good thing.

But ask yourself this. If I had spent 90% of the time I was on a forum practising magic, how much better would I be? and how much better would my posts to said forum be?

We can talk all we want, on a forum we can be as good at magic as we want. But when It comes to performing live it's practice that makes us good.

You can't buy or talk experience.
You practice practice practice so with each performance you will be at your best
This way you will gain the most experience from each show you do:D

Now I've reread this I best get off this darn computer and pull out me ropes

I've said this a few times. But I'll say them again.

Get rid of the website. Gone! Non-exsistent! Forget about your website. Your YouTube videos. Get rid of them! Get rid of them all! Spend at least a good month performing and perfecting a couple of effects/routines. Then you can think about filming them and putting them on YouTube.

When this time comes, don't put "Here is Michael Kras' latest and greatest effect! Brilliant" because it's simply annoying. Just put "Here is an effect I perform. Enjoy." See the difference?

Play back your videos, make sure we can actually see them and again DO NOT FILM unless you have the effect nailed. However, if you are having trouble with something, a certain sleight, film it and post it. I'm sure people will be able to help.

As for posts and topics. Well, plenty has been said about that already.

Hope that helps.

I think it's time we accepted that Michael posts to see people talking about him, regardless of whether it's good or bad. He's just celebrated his fourteenth birthday. For some around that age, getting noticed and talked about, especially by adults, is an incredibly powerful need. The more you react, the more he feels a sense of self. The reactions he gets here are waning, so he's he's currently flooding the Bunny with the very stuff that's been panned over here. He's not a good magician, he's a young teenager trying to convince himself he's a good magician. Why should he change and actually become a good magician when who and what he presents himself as now already satisfies his simple need for others to notice him?

thats a little harsh...

HenryHoudini wrote:thats a little harsh...

but sadly true. Just today he resurrected a 2 week old thread to say this:

Michael Kras wrote:This is all sorted out. I apologize for someone coming here?? Confused Rolling Eyes

Anyone else have anything to say about me?

Everybody is entitled to some leeway here and there, but enough is enough.

oh

that is sad

Im attention loving too though. I just cant find away to grab attention with my magic.

Which is why that thread was locked and so is this one. Let's get back to talking about magic - please.