From The Only Way to Become Amazingly Great at Something
http://zenhabits.net/the-only-way-to-bec......mething/
linked from http://magicandconjuring.blogspot.com
Which you should bookmark and read often if you haven't


“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” - Albert Einstein


Very often you’ll see blog posts or books teaching you to “master” a skill in only 10 days, or 3 days … in fact, it used to be 30 days but the time frame to master something seems to be shrinking rapidly.

I’ve even seen tutorials claiming to teach a skill in just a few hours. Pretty soon we’ll be demanding to know how to do something in seconds.

Instant mastery of skills and knowledge! Hey presto!

Unfortunately, the reality is something a little less magical. Or maybe that’s a fortunate thing.

There’s only one way to become good at something:

1. First, you must learn it by reading or listening to others who know how to do it, but most especially by doing.
2. Then do some more. At this point, you’ll start to understand it, but you’ll suck. This stage could take months.
3. Do some more. After a couple of years, you’ll get good at it.
4. Do some more. If you learn from mistakes, and aren’t afraid to make mistakes in the first place, you’ll go from good to great.


It takes anywhere from 6-10 years to get great at something, depending on how often and how much you do it. Some estimate that it takes 10,000 hours to master something, but I think it varies from person to person and depends on the skill and other factors.

Want to be a great writer? It’s possible to be great within a few years, if you have the God-given talent of Fitzgerald or Shakespeare, but most of us toil for over a decade and are still trying to get better. We’re still learning, to this day, and if we look back on our first few years of writing — of any kind — we’ll tell you we sucked (for the most part) back then.

Want to be a great blogger? Same deal. I’ve been doing it for almost three years, and I’m still only competent. Gruber’s been doing it for, like, 7 years and he’s still only … well, he’s pretty great by now. You have to do it, make mistakes, learn, really begin to understand it, and someday, if you stick with it, you’ll be great.

There’s no one who is great at his profession who hasn’t been doing it for at least 6 years — no designer, no programmer, no carpenter, no architect, no surgeon, no teacher, no musician, no artist … you get the point. I dare you to name one. Most have been doing it for over a decade, and are still looking to improve.

It takes desire, it takes drive, it takes lots and lots of doing.

So here’s the thing: don’t get discouraged if you’re just starting out. Have fun, like we all did in the beginning. If you have fun, you’ll learn to love it, and THAT’S when it clicks. When you love something, you’ll want to do it all the time, sometimes late at night and often.




Find that desire. Do it, don’t just read about it. Don’t buy a single product or book or magazine that claims to teach you something in minutes, hours, days. They’re lying to your face, with a hand in your pocket at the same time.

Do it, keep doing it, then keep doing it some more. It’s the only way to get great, but the good news: anyone can do it. It just takes some time and some doing. Hey presto.

When the world says, “Give up,”
Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”
~Author Unknown

Thanks for sharing this! I have been doing effects for friends and family for about 4-5 years and I have my first show for strangers on the 13th. To be great we all have to start somewhere. Thanks again.

Congratulations Zainan, good luck

Most new comers I give grief to but from reading your few posts I think you "get it"

Your time line is about right, usually I figure at least 3 years of fooling around, searching, study and practice to be ready for a first show


We all spent time being bad or having a place to be bad

But then again my opinion doesn't matter, the audiences does


Again about this article, it's away from the world of magic which is where must can/shold be found but certainly applies


If someone really wants to learn the art (or anything) this should not discourage but give inspiration


now off to "The Thing" that I've spent 6 months rehearsing to have it look right for a 2 minute piece

Vick,

I think some magicians became great in significantly less time than the values you found on that website.

Some magicians perform, practice and pontificate yet continue to draw a vacuum their entire careers.

It's not a matter of time. Time only allows those who continue to progress and never think of themselves as great to improve.

No snippet of clever sayings one finds on a website that rings true is a path to knowledge. I'd really rather read what you've discovered. What steps are you taking to continue your journey?

For me, I'm at a standstill. I need to quit hanging out on-line and go practice and rehearse.

KG

Good post Vick. I don't want to be a great magician, I just want to be a very good entertainer. My motto: Never say "that's good enough".

Jim

I’m with Jim on the Entertainer idea, but WHEN I do Magic, I want the Magic to be exceptional. I don’t want any punks in the back row saying “I saw this guy on TV, and he…” (fill in the blank). They should be speechless.

I remember a comparision from long ago, don’t know where it came from…

Skill can be learned. Talent is inborn. Either one is sufficient if your only goal is to be mediocre. But to be great, you must begin at the talents your were born with and then multiply your skill by education and repetition. Only when both Talent and Skill are both maximized can one be truly great.

Thanks for the links, Vick!

Kent,
What I found recently in 2 words .... Joanie Spina.
Most amazing director and educator. Working with her for just 40 minutes did so much for me, I am extremely fortunate. She made a huge positive impact and opened my eyes to a lot. Showed me how much further I have to go

More voice lessons, acting lessons and a wide open imagination. More and better bookings


Working on 3 pieces at once. "The Thing" by Bill Abbott has become the "The Rites of Spring" as the spring spirit appears under that cloth spreading light, warmth and color to the world waking up from a winter's nap. Appearing and disappearing, coming back to spread more spring.
As summer arrives and the spring spirit is placed back in the "box" I'm left with reminders the spring spirit left to share with the audience, production of spring flowers from both hands.

6 months of work for a 2 minute 40 second piece including introduction



Posted this thread so someone new to the art can realize it's not an overnight thing, there is no simple download or new trick to buy that will make you (great). There is dedication, a lot of work and commitment in striving to be the best you can. It's takes time but there is a lot to be said for enjoying the journey.

It's a great thing to be just starting the journey


There is something to
"1. First, you must learn it by reading or listening to others who know how to do it, but most especially by doing.
2. Then do some more. At this point, you’ll start to understand it, but you’ll suck. This stage could take months.
3. Do some more. After a couple of years, you’ll get good at it.
4. Do some more. If you learn from mistakes, and aren’t afraid to make mistakes in the first place, you’ll go from good to great. "


Can't see anyone achieving a level of significant ability or contributions to the art in less than 3 years ....

... but I enjoy being wrong (means I get to learn something)

Just for grins, Kent have you personally seen anyone in the art who's work you respect/admire or whom you thought was doing significant work with less than 5 years study? With less than 3 years?


Don't know if you've tried this Kent (you may have many times in different ways)but what worked for me that Joanie was able to do

Get out of the comfort zone. Do something that forces you to work in a different style, tempo, for a different audience that you've never been in front of or would not normally work for. With different props or new effects. Anything that pushes you (or pulls you)

What if someone took your cups and balls and gave you tomato soup cans, a bread ball, a cheeses ball and changed your table into a grill and ordered up a grilled cheese and tomato soup?

Ok maybe not enough or too much but am sure you already got the idea


More than enough about me ;-)


Jim, DW both good points as always
It's always going to be about being the best entertainer you can
In our field you have to be able to do the work and at least learn some manual dexterity, then the presentation comes (my gift for the obvious shines through)


Again I have to say
http://magicandconjuring.blogspot.com
Well worth following

Devil's advocate:

"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough" -Voltaire

Vick,

I knew you had so much more than homily behind you! Thank you for sharing deeper thoughts.

You have a director. That is a HUGE STEP!! I don't know Ms. Spina. Her reputation is huge. You will make insanely large improvements. I've really only worked as entertainer sitting at a contraption full of levers, pedals and ivory. I cannot compare what little I've done in magic to someone at your level.

As for young masters . . . it happens. Dan and Dave, although not mainstream magicians, they've made a massive impact on the art. They've been at it a long time now. When they burst on the scene it hadn't been that many years.

In two words . . . Joshua Jay. He burst on the scene at a very young age.

Young savants are far and few between, I will definitely grant you that.

I think the vast majority of magicians are satisfied way too early. I can see you are working hard and working smart. It's a beautiful thing.

As for tinkering with the cups and balls. I spent years and years on the routine I have. I like to think I thought outside the box enough on that trick. I've done it for: Magicians, folks on the street, folks at a formal show and several thousand via the web. I hope to polish it even more as the days pass. I should probably hire somebody like Ms. Spina. That might make it jump up a level.

Again, Vick, I dug the rejoinder post. I'm glad to hear you're kicking up your heels and getting better and better and better.

Gaddy . . . I need to drop in where you're workin'

KG

Vick, this is easily one of the best threads ever on the Café.

Everyone who is attempting to be good at anything should read this.

Seriously.

Thank you for putting it so simply!

Your welcome and thank you Kent

One of the things you and I will always disagree on is the significance of your work
Everyone who sees your Cups & Balls is blown away by it, the presentation, the thinking behind it and the entertainment value (part of which started in days working behind the counter of the Fun Shop) makes your cups and balls a significant piece and world class
If someone reading this hasn't seen Kent's work, it's well worth watching and one of the best C & B routines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t__UnSXmjvc

The mastery of the moves is amazing, the presentation is what elevates the piece
So we will always respectfully disagree on your statement "I cannot compare what little I've done in magic to someone at your level. "

Personally I have been extremely lucky to have found Denny Haney and his shop, that helped me significantly (as has a rather unique mentor/friend)

I won't ruin it and ask how long did you put into the cups and balls before it got close to this level Kent? ;-)


Pakar ~ thanks, some days I'm a bit harsh and a bit of an horse's tail but I've been helped immensely in this art so I have to leave some behind as well


So greatness ..... maybe never but the best you can do/be ~ lot of work, time thought, effort, searching, help and some luck

If your starting that journey now, congrats. Don't ask for things to be handed to you, there are no shortcuts ....

... but the view along the trip ...... is excellent!

Vick -- thank you for sharing Kent's C&B routine. Wow! Nice, original routine that shows even the oldest of magic can be made fresh and exciting.

Agree with you main point in the initial post -- if magic could be mastered in a short time, then anyone could do it. If anyone could do it, then it wouldn't be magic! I've been seriously studying magic (decidedly amateur) for the past two years and it's only been in the last few months that I've felt comfortable outside of safe audiences. It certainly is well worth it to spend the time -- months, not hours -- to perfect a routine and then have the audience gasp on queue.

thanks for sharing!

Hudson

Hudson ~ your welcome, glad you got something from it

Magic has parallels with learning music, takes time then you feel a certain ability to play

;-)

kudos..