by Robbie » Oct 9th, '10, 14:56
It's the going out and doing things for real live people that's the hard part, definitely. And the only way to get around that is to grit your teeth and do it. Pretend to be confident. Experience from work helps a lot -- if you've had to stand up for yourself in meetings, or tell colleagues how to use a system, it's all good people practice.
Going to a TM meet-up, club meeting, etc is just as hard. I've only been to one local TM meet, and I had a good time and everybody was very friendly, but I still haven't got up the nerve to go a second time. Similarly, I went to a lecture at the local magic club, and again a good time was had, but I don't think I would ever join the club and keep going back.
I was out of magic for a good 20-30 years, and have only recently got back into it. So the past few years have been spent mainly catching up and absorbing knowledge, with no interest in actually doing it. I can feel that I'm coming to the end of this absorption phase, and will have to start performing in some way soon, and that's a damn scary thought.
Even more so because, being self-employed and working from home, I have no contact with people in my everyday life -- most days I see my husband, the newsagent, and maybe the postman. So there's no opportunity to do the occasional trick for classmates, workmates, etc. This is the big practical problem I can't see a way around. If anybody can think of a solution, I'd be delighted to hear it.
"Magic teaches us how to lie without guilt." --Eugene Burger
"Hi, Robbie!" "May your mischief be spread." --Derren Brown
CF4L