We're all afraid of something. I won't go into my ultimate greatest fear. But as a magician my greatest fear was always of failing. Just utterly failing to do the effect properly, being a bad magician.

One day, years ago, that fear manifested in the form of a wrong card revealed. A very dramatic reveal, wrong card, no outs. I was crushed. But in the long run I got a positive result from that horrible experience.
1) I'm not afraid of messing up anymore and
2) I've taken steps to ensure that it will never happen again. Ever.

What's your fear? Face it and gain strength.

I'm a very new card magician, a hobbyist. My greatest fear is to reveal the secret of my trick because of a uncontrolled movement caused by nerves. I know the only way to loose my nerves is to practice and perform. It's a kind of endless circle: I have to perform to loose my nerves, but when I perform chances are great that I mess up and because I'm scared to mess it up... tada: I got nerves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE

For a VERY funny routine about 'fear'......

Best,

I have a fear of being on a stage. does this mean I suck ? no.. I just perform for small groups of people instead.. I have fun with that !

Public speaking... not having the right thing to say... mumbling and stumbling for words during a trick... thinking I sound like a total fool...

Taking acting classes to help with this and my presentation.

Next would be sloppy moves... messing up... being called out on the method...
But then I think, hey.. its entertainment.. so what if I mess up... its not like Im a surgeon.. if I mess up, we laugh, I say man I need to practice that one more... and move on....

Mark Reed, do you have 'Scripting Magic' by Pete McCabe? I just got this book and it's THE remedy for your (our) fear of using words. Here are some useful excerpts from 'Scripting Magic.'

http://www.scriptingmagic.net/

Also, Tamariz has a bibliography in his excellent work on misdirection ‘Five Points’ for the magician / actor.

It seems that, basically we all fear looking like a schmuck.

Thanks Brad !! That was GREAT.
It does work.

It does? Then you'd better post off your five dollars to the doctor!

My worst nightmare is arrive a stage and found my case empty, maybe do a show naked its another one...for me and for the audience!!!

Actually, I'm trying to script my show around the fact that I *am* a schmuck!!

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I know it's not every day you get to see a professional magician" ... something goes "bloop!!" ... "and it doesn't look like today will be any different!"

I do fear that I won't remember the little details that are so important. Like which way to pull the ID out of the box. Do I cut above the crimp or below? And other minor issues like that.

Ed

I like your idea very much Mr. Millis.

Hansel, keep your clothes on. There are laws. heh

LOL!

Come on guys...just Stop It! ;-}

Best,

UMH
I would fear an accident happening & hurting a member of the audience.

This is the worst fear of any magician, period. End of story.

Disclaimer:

DO NOT watch this clip unless you have a very strong stomach. It is extremely graphic and comes from the "Faces of Death" series, which is morbid. And DO insure that you don't risk your own life or those of any audience members by using a cheap piece of plastic as a backup. Also, DO NOT perform these types of tricks in the presence of children.

This video has given me nightmares in the past. Watch it at your own risk, if only to learn what you must never do in your own act:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWTaVjX9TR4

:magicrabbit:

When I was younger in high school I used to do a lot of th eplays that were performed. I would sweat buckets before a I went on. I was cast in the lead in 2 of the performances and I thought my head was going to blow up I was so stressed out. It has gotten better but still to this day I am so nervous that the show will not go as good as I want it to that I get butterflies to the point of almost being sick. Stage fright is a very hard thing to overcome. I beleive it was Carly Simon that had her carrer cut short because she had horrible stage fright. A great voice and she was to scared to share it with the masses. For me it is the whole act and not just a certain move. I practice,practice,practice. Script,block,stage,reherse and all that it takes to make my show performance ready but it is still the stage fright that gets me at times. I have a new act that I haver spent, in my opinion, a lot of money on and I have not performed it once yet because I am afraid that I will not live up to my own standards. Iy is in a lot of performers and no real easy way to get over it. Although now those 2 words might just help, STOP IT!!!!!! I wish.

Steven

as an "ex" collector of horrormovies I have all faces of death. I hardly watch them but it is fake. But man.. if that happens

Hurting a member of the audience! It happens gang.....

I was and 'volunteer' during a close-up show. Guy was using a Hades Finger Chopper. Without doubt one of the scariest props ever devised. He reassured me as to the safety and then proceeded to CUT my finger rather badly! I was miffed.

Knew of a guy using Flash Paper in L.A., who caught a spectator's hair on fire. Embarrassing.

Another performer so shocked a front row spectator that the spectator wet their pants!

You try not to think that such things can happen, but in fact in live theater where you are in close contact with the audience you need to look at what you do as a performer and attempt to see how such mishaps can be avoided. Not only that, but what IF something happens??? What do you do?

When I originally learned Linking Rings I was entranced by the routine in Lewis Ganson's Routined Manipulation book. I still use it and it's the routine, slightly changed that on my instructional DVD. What was wrong with it? Well, in the original Ganson had the performer TOSSING out the rings to audience members. Tossing them to land on the floor where they could be picked up, examined, etc.

I frankly read this concept with a great deal of horror! In my mind I saw a single ring bounce up and off the floor, hitting and hurting spectator and thus ending a budding career as a performer. I tested my theory by tossing rings about on various surfaces and watching what happened. I then promptly swore off tossing 10" linking rings about and came up with the concept of either being close enough to the audience to simply hand them out or have a spectator come up on stage to help me out.

I never had a mishap, but was told a story by a friend in which a performer was doing the rings and accidently let a single fall. It hit the hard concrete floor on edge and bounced up and hurt a spectator! Eeeek....

Best,

When I was ten years old I did a magic show for my family on Christmas eve. I was so bad that my mother, who was pregnant at the time, wet her pants multiple times laughing at me. This year is the 25th anniversary of that event. I wonder if I can make her do it again.