In this newsletter, I’m taking you through my magic process with the hope that it will be beneficial to you. I’m having so much fun right now, and I want you to experience that, too. Let’s dive in and see what I’m learning!
What are you studying?
Part of the fun of building a magic library is being able to pull books off at your leisure to study them. And indeed, I find it most fulfilling when I’m studying something from my library.
At times, that just means reading randomly or for the fun of it, and at others, it means more serious study on a specific topic. Research, if you will.
Right now, I’m randomly looking into EDC mindreading type effects. Most of my study has focused around applications of Bob Hummer’s Mathematical 3 Card Monte, but that has largely been unintentional. I started with The Green Neck System, and progressed on to other works I have accumulated that are similar:
4 Switch by Pierre Acourt - another method to direct the switching of 3 different objects so that in the end, they are in the order you want. This is very free and deceptive!
The Trojan Horse Project by MindFX - more of a Free Will type effect, but some interesting applications for mentalism on the go.
Proteus by Phedon Bilek - a drawing duplication done straight from the participant’s mind to your paper.
The Assumption Swindle by Jack Kent Tillar - a clever thinker, and I am enjoying his exploration of a subtle, yet effective principle that can be applied from both the stage and the parlor.
Truthfully, I’m having a blast reading through all the clever methods and allowing my brain to synthesize different methods, presentations, and possibilities that exist in our HUGE world of magic and mentalism. It’s an eclectic list, but it started simply enough - taking one book off the shelf to read something I hadn’t looked at before. That inspired me to proceed to the next, and one thing led to another…
But what are you reading? Let’s get each other inspired by what we’re learning.
Practice makes perfect
Practice makes perfect, but sometimes practice can be a real slog. That is, unless you’re practicing something you really enjoy…
It’s been a while for me since I was working on something that was really fun. Currently, I’m practicing an ACAAN that blows my mind every time I do it. It’s as close to The Berglas Effect as I can imagine, and it brings me a lot of joy to work on it. Every day, dozens of times, I use an online random card and number generator to help me run through the mechanics as I work toward perfection. Every time it comes out right, it looks like real magic, and that, boys and girls, is why we do it.
The key is to find a piece of magic that really gets you excited. It could be a cool method, a great story, or a unique prop. Whatever it is, embrace that as something that makes you uniquely you. Even if this is a stock trick presented in more or less a stock way, the fact that you’re doing it makes it special for you.
Seriously, what magic are you working on right now? I don’t mean this very minute (I get it, you’re reading this newsletter). But, what trick is in your sights but you haven’t quite mastered? What are you practicing and rehearsing? Does it get you excited?!
If you don’t have that feeling practicing something, find something that does. I promise it will be worth it!
Find Your Audience
We recently had some friends over to the house, and they knew that I perform magic. So, they asked me to share something with them. And this time, performing for them, I realized something…
Not all audiences are created equal. Sometimes, we force our performances on someone who isn’t into it, hoping they’ll appreciate our efforts. But the reality is, I enjoy performing for appreciative audiences WAY more than I like performing for unappreciative ones. That sounds obvious, but we don’t always act that way. The best thing to do is perform for as many people as possible, and find the audiences that like magic.
They’re plentiful, so put yourself out there and try something for a stranger or someone who hasn’t seen you do magic before. Let them know it’s an experiment - something you’re working on, and it doesn’t always go right. But on special occasions with special people, you never know…
Back to the story about my friends. They loved the magic I shared with them and spent the rest of the evening exclaiming that there was “no way” (one of the pieces I performed was the aforementioned ACAAN). I’ve certainly had worse reactions, and I realized in that moment that ‘normal people’ think magic is way cooler than our jaded souls often realize.
So let me encourage you - carry a piece of magic with you. Something you’re working on, and when you feel you have the mechanics down with a basic presentation, share it with someone and report back. I know you’ll be glad you did!
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Until next time, keep reading!
Back to Buckley
During the pandemic, David Williamson was doing some Instagram Live content, and I tuned in one time when he was talking about Arthur Buckley’s Slap Shift, which is found on page 23 of Card Control. He had some really nice touches on the control (much better than the original write-up, IMO!), and he goes over this sort of thing in his excellent Sleight School. But I believe I found an interesting use for this sleight that is extremely flexible…
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