I am losing my edge very quickly in magic. I use to be confident, so much so that I would be considered arrogant. My question is, How do you approach a stranger to perform magic?

My fortei include:
Floating dollar.
Spongeballs.
Three card montie.
Humming bird card.
Raven.
TT - silk vanish/ among other things.
Scotch and Soda.
Two card montie.
Holy Moly!

Countless slight of hand. I just hate using cards.
The other 90% of my magic I feel comfortable with is in a stage setting.

I am not sure what is going on with me, but it just seems like my ego burst into amillion pieces. And being a Magician that is NOT! A good thing.

Your friend,
~Mayo

I passed through something very similar too. I realized that I was getting sick of the same reactions. Felt like all this was worthless because nobody cared. They were just getting tricked. But one day I used my torched and restored card routine. Which is aimed to be inspirational and a couple of days later this guy comes and said I changed his life.Because of that he had been taking far more risks with really good outcomes. This made me realize the power that magic has and it IS NEEDED.So therefore I continued working more happy than ever......

Another reason for your insecurity might be the fact you are attacking a million effects at once. Say you are huge into presentation right, make sure you get one perfected at a time. Too much can be really frustrating. SOmetimes you don't feel like you are ready and that makes you wonder why the hell am I doing this. So chances of you messing up, might be messing you up.

YOu really have to remember the power of magic and the fact that you mayo are a bizarrist.All the philosophy and fragility of life and emotions are getting to you. Stop being so negative when outside of bizarre magick if you are all the time. Felling happy is good often.

Back to a more straight out answer of how to approach a stranger.Remember there isn't much for you to loose than to make a mistake , while for the spectator there is TONS to gain. If you ask me.....the spectator is worth far more than me messing up. Like it or not , it really is just a cheesy magic trick.Technically atleast.

A good way to approach someone, as much as you hate it, learn some card manipulations. They break the ice with people. They are very much interested on what you are doing.Be curtious to people and they will often say they will love to see you, if you are asking. If you feel something is too much for the audience to take , warn em. For scary magic.

where from here......reflect and remember that overly confident mayo. How can you get there again...only you can answer this.

Good luck and Just go for it.

In the long run......remember why you started magic. It never fails to cheer me up looking for that next audience reaction.

Could it be that because you know 'the secrets', and have practiced the effects, that others will know 'the secrets' too?
In other words.
You bought these because they fooled you.
Now the mystery has totally diminished for you.

Understand?

In other words I am a collector? Not a performer?
I am very confused still Lol.

Your friend,
~Mayo

Mayo ... you are losing the "amateur edge"!

When it's new to you, you think it's the greatest thing in the world, and feel you must go show everyone how cool it is. Eventually, over time the disappointed spectators rack up ... and you begin to realize that not everyone loves magic as much as you do, and that not everyone wants to see it - some people don't want to see it at all. More time passes, and you begin to wonder if anyone cares to see it at all ... would it even matter if you didn't do it??

It's frustrating, I know ... the amateurs always have the edge over the hardened pro's simply because they are not affraid to take that chance. You just hafta gather the courage to keep going.

I keep going due to a childhood memory - the earlest memory I can recall actually, I was probroly still in a stroller. The memory of a magician banging linking rings at Bush Gardens. I don't remember the routine, I don't remember his name, I don't remember what he did in the show ... but I can clearly close my eyes and see him standing there with two shiney metal rings, and banging one into the other. For whatever reason, that one memory has stuck with me for over 25 years now.

When I do magic now, I try to focus more on the kids ... hoping that maybe I can inspire a child, just as I was inspired when I was a toddler. That works for me, don't know that it would work for anyone else. But you need to figure out what it is about magic that you love so much, and the direct your energies there and not worry about the people you are performing for.

This is probroly one thing that sets me apart from most magicians ... at this stage, I no longer care if my audience enjoys my show or not - it's my show not theirs. I do the magic I want to do - even if it's not a jaw dropper effect. I've been advised by countless magicians to do what the audience wants, BLAH! If I did what they wanted, it would be their show and they could stay home and watch it. This is *my* show, and I'm going to do *my* magic the way *I* want to do it. I no longer care if the audience enjoys it or not, but what I've learned is that if I do what I want to do they can see I really love what I am doing, and that's when they relax and enjoy the magic with me.

So try taking that list of tricks you do, and if you don't truely LOVE the effect ... stop doing it, even if they say it's the best thing you do. Is there a paticular trick that you like, but don't perform because you feel it's too simple or not great enough? Start doing it. I think you'll discover that when you are doing the things you want to do ... you will enjoy it a lot more, and when your having a good time everyone else will have a good time too.

JoeJoe

I'm not saying you're a collector. Your ideas are terrific.
You said "I used to be confident.."

I took this to mean that you were once confident you could fool or mystify others.

Here's what can happen from my perspective.

I see a trick done and I think it's really good.
I buy or learn this and begin to practice until it all fits together.
The more I do it the methods, sometimes simple, become clear to me.
The wonder I first experienced disappears.

Since the trick is now very obvious to me I may begin to think it will be obvious to others. I tend to forget how "really good" the trick is and sometimes feel uneasy about presenting it. Just one reason why a lack of confidence occurs for me.

I hope I'm coming across OK this time.

By the way. I hope you're recording your ideas. They are really special.

Ah! I see! I am sorry I read that wrong the first time.
That is a VERY strong point. Something I done with my silk a while back was record myself performing it. Then I watched it a month later after I thought it was to basic, and it blew me away!
That makes perfect since!
Thank you guys !

Your friend,
~Mayo

Sometimes this happens to me. I learn a trick or a sleight but once I know the secret if it's extremly easy I'm nervous that other people might very well know the trick already or they might figure it out. I haven't had this feeling since I was about 6 though (I'm 13 now). I just had to work through it.

Sometimes a new or different audience might be helpful. The same effects on the same people soon have them figuring out the secrets (as we all know). It is always fun performing for an individual or group before whom I have not performed before.

JoeJoe,
I am in the same position, as the poster. But I have been doing magic for quite a few years. Your post said to me exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks for the motivation.

Brian

Is the "Raven" a trick? I always thought it was a gimmick.

OK, another Great Line, stolen from Daryl, which he made at his lecture earlier this week in Dallas. It really hit home to me, because I knew exactly what he was talking about, just never heard it put so well. Daryl said, "If you learn a trick and practice it, then perform it exactly as you learned it, it goes directly from your head to your hands. It is always someone elses, it is never your own, because there is nothing of you in in it. But if you work with it, make it your own, modify it, give it something of urself, then it passes from your brain, through your heart, to your hands."
I can't judge for sure, but from the list of tricks above, I get the feeling you have done very well passing the magic from your brain to your hands, but you need to pass it through ur heart.

With the world like it is today with all the polotics and technology people are told what to believe. So showing them this random act of magic which is IMPOSSIBLE in their eyes makes them think? How did he do that? maybe there is more to life... like remeber ur first magician showing you tricks? didn't you wnan be amagician cause you thought he could actually do magic!! like it was real!! that's what they think whether they are 3 or 33

This is a very interesting thread. But I am having a little trouble understanding one post.

funny_gecko:
What do you mean when you say


When you say


When you say


Please tell me where you get this information. I wana like lern it.

Bob

This worked 4 me. I think Joejoe is right. not everyone is interested like us. the key words are LIKE US. get really good at a trick practice, practice, practice till you've got it. then find someone interested. there is only 1 type of person we know for sure is interested. a magician. show him the trick. once you amaze your first magician, you'll never lose your edge again.

Photius had a really
important message where he said change things a bit and make it yours.
Good luck Mayo

With those 9 trickes you easily have a 45 min. act!

By two card monte do you mean Be Honest?

Do some magic for a family member or friend (a stooge)and let the crowd come to you.

We've all been there at some level at some time... The best recommendation I can give you is to just do it. It will only take one delighted reaction to spring you right back on track.

In response to Joejoe's suggestions, I totally agree. It is YOUR show and if it was the audience's show, they would not have come to see YOUR show in the first place. I guess I am lucky that my spectators like the tricks I like performing which would include VERY BASIC tricks, lol. I love Hot Rod and sometimes I use the Bunny Sticks for fun once in a while as well.

On a mild tangent regarding the concept of getting 'used to' what we do, and projecting that on our audiences:

I have a few times created what I viewed as 'throwaway filler effects,' only to find they were among my most powerful effects with an actual audience. Sometimes the audience amazes the magician.

Steve