Fear is a good thing. It helps us a) realise that we are not perfect and should practice and gett better, and b) gives a boost of nervous energy that pushes our performance into top gear! I would suggest, when performing for laypeople, try and do effects that use NO SKILL. Not easy tricks, but tricks that are COMPLETELY self-working.

Great examples are Micheal Ammar's Xeroxed Card or Out of This World or any number of tricks that do not require sleights. Do them until you are comfortable performing for strangers then moving onto easy ones.

I've been a professional magician for YEARS, and I still wouldn't do a snap change for a professional audience. (Apparently there is video of Vernon showing him doing the snap change for a video shoot and he stuffs it up 10 times in a row!)

It's Marlo who messed it up.

Well, I did what most people suggested, and started out with my custom Shotgun trick followed by Synergy. Then I floated the card FROM MY POCKET with IT. It was great. Then I just spun and floated it around with IT a little. Then, I pulled out ACR, but without signing. Biddle move into a packet, make it appear face up in the middle of the deck. Float it. Then, I pulled out NFW as a finisher.

I probably should have done ACR last, but NFW was just as good. This was all done for my uncle who hasn't seen any of my new tricks, and who I don't see that often. He liked them.

Congratulations. The key is to keep performing for DIFFERENT audiences.

P.S. Sorry, Vernon, you're great and Marlo stinks.

Lots of advice in this thread, some of which may be valid, but I am afraid that I also see a lot of baloney spouted which could actually retard gogeta97's progress.

The key thing is to do what you fear to do and get a record of successful experiences behind you.

How do you do what you fear to do? Well, for a start do not feel that you have to approach people in the street a la David Blaine as seems to be the silly fashion at the moment. At best you will get funny looks and rejection, and at worst you will get arrested and rejection.

Learn about five self-working tricks. Keep away from fancy moves until you have overcome this fear. Show just one person. Then another at another time. Then still another at another time. Sooner or later you will get great reactions of amazement and laughter. This will give you confidence.

Some of the greatest tricks in the world are self-working especially if you use cards. I can recommend Poker Players Picnic in the Royal Road to Card Magic. Or do as I do. Or the Piano Trick. All great tricks.

One you get the first few gasps from people, your fear will vanish like the wind after a little while. Do not feel that you have to perform on a stage yet. For the moment just show your stuff to people in an impromptu fashion. Practice the patter rather than the moves. If you make it semi-entertaining you will be ahead of the game straight away because less fearful magicians than yourself bore the hell out of people. You will be ahead of them straight away.

Persevere and do what you fear to do. Slowly at first. You will speed up in the end.

Nervousness is a natural part of performing. If you ever lose it, you may become too comfortable and your show could suffer from apathy.

You want to do the best show you can, so there is pressure.

You hopefully have practiced your routines to where you can do them in your sleep, but your subconsciousness dances with doubt. Pressure again.

Even Elvis felt stage fright before every concert, and he had been performing for years with the same band and material in front of huge crowds.

Before performing, go through a checklist:

1. Tricks - do I have all props necessary to perform and are they where they need to be?

2. Hands - are they and fingernails clean?

3. Breath - VERY IMPORTANT. Tic Tacs are wonderful and can be kept under the tongue or between your cheek and gum.

4. Breathe - without realizing it, you will tend to short breathe almost causing hyperventilation and increase your anxiety. Slowly breathe in your nose and out your mouth several times before you begin. And pay attention to your breathing as you perform.

5. RELAX and enjoy the performance. After your first trick the butterflies will usually disappear, and you can relax further.

Honestly, I am quite nervous while I perform in real-world situation. As I am now learning from two full-time magicians, it is kind of pressure. Yes, I am nervous.

However, I feel that it is quite a good way to learn experience that you never get while practicing at home. Now I even get to prepare homework to perform specific sleights when I meet them next time.

I do believe that now I am focused to fine tune my sleights and control my fear while performing. I know that I will overcome it, but it takes time.

I hope that all of us will overcome our fears, become mature magicians, and bring joy and happiness to our audiences.

Sincerely,