When you don't feel like practicing, what do you do to get motivated to pick up those props?

Mark

I imagine the lost, scared, embarrassed feeling I'll have if I go unprepared.

I'm dyslexic so it seems to take a lot of practice to feel comfortable.

Fortunately, I enjoy many forms of practice but not the full dress rehearsal with no stops. I have to "scare" up the impetus to do that.

-Mary Mowder

Check the fridge...any food in there? Uh oh...I better get working.


On a 'serious' note, if I'm not motivated to practice and I don't have a specific piece/show I'm working for, I figure my boredom means I need to come up with something new...whether it's attempting to force creativity or working on a random juggling move.

Watch a magic DVD.

Since I am mostly a hobbyist, I sign myself up to perform for my Magic Club. This gives me a focus and makes me figure out what I need to work on with a specific deadline.


Pete

Push yourself to practice a little, then you will get started again.

I know I need to rehearse more but usually I just take my props to work for the ones I use and use them on coworkers.

Other times I routine while jogging where I can really dig in and do my best patter presenation.

Preparing for what to do with a failure (and it will happen), I think is most important.

Perhaps the answer you are looking for is to discard your bothersome props, and look into entirely impromptu effects.

I actually am so dysfunctional I like to practice. But there's nothing like a show on the calendar to get you flicking some fingers.

Lately I want to work on the cups. I bought Michael Ammar's Complete Cups and Balls and a Mikame wand. I have some Brett Sherwood balls and a decent set of Precision Magic brass cups, a mat and lots of time. I'm motivated.

When I get bored I start learning a new trick, but I also force myself to practice on my old ones in between practicing the new. The excitement of learning a new trick will most often rub off to the old ones as well.

Even impromptu effects need practice.

-Mary Mowder

Mostly my stubbornness keeps me going

Sometimes going back to, and working on, a super easy effect and getting a good reaction with it can make you remember why you started to doing magic in the first place - and that can often drive you to practice again.

Also, a break can sometimes help. Take the weekend off. Come back fresh on Monday.

I also find that looking at magic history can inspire me - reading about the greats of yesteryear can generate some new passion and motivation.

I have a list of things that I don't perform now but may want to work on in the future so I pick something off the list and play around with it...it helps stimulate my creative side and from there I find I get motivated to practice the things I will need to work on..Howard

Agreed. There is a relaxing joy to practicing, particularly moves. I am making a distinction between practice and rehearsal, by the way. In our lives, in which, so much has become virtual, there is satisfaction in the manipulation (not necessarily the magical meaning) of objects. It's a tactile Joy. Even though I am a "mental" guy, I love practicing Three Fly and CMH (with Brendan Rodriguez' kicker). I love practicing Apollo Robbins "wither vanish". These look like real magic and require muscle memory.

When I don't feel like practicing magic, I start reading my mechanical engineering books and doing some homework, after 1-2 hours, I feel tired for doing my school stuff, then I start practicing magic. Change the focus and do something else, then get back to magic.

I have a recurring dream (interestingly, not as uncommon as I initially thought) that I'm back in college and enter a class for final exams, realizing I had not studied at all. Upon waking I steadfastly resolve to rehearse my program that day!

Just begin practicing something. We wait to be inspired/ motivated before we begin. But actually, it has been demonstrated that activity precedes motivation, not the other way around as we often think. Mark out some uninterrupted time and begin practice -- often your mind will then follow what your body is doing.

Go out and DO magic. This will give you a craving to DO IT BETTER. When you want to do it better, you will PRACTICE. You cant just live your magical half of your life in front of the mirror. Magic is a performing art, so get out there and PERFORM! Even one good trick will give you motivation. But as soon as you stop PERFORMING, you will not want to PRACTICE. If you do not PRACTICE, you cant PERFORM. So, as you can see, it is a circle you have to kick your self into. Once you get IN, if you are carefull, you will not come OUT for a long time.
So, GO DO SOME MAGIC!

Anyone else want to give some idea on how to practicing mentalism acts?

. Change the focus and do something else, then get back to magic. [/quote]
I did this once and the focus on something else lasted nearly 21 years just now maybe 2 weeks ago I really got back in.