I have been working at a local Buffalo Wild Wings Kid's Night for almost 10 years. I know that table hopping at one venue for that long is pretty rare and that I should be grateful. I am grateful and the restaurant has been a wonderful place to work over the years. They give me a free meal before I work and pay me fairly. Truth be told though, I am burned out from working there. I have done things such as sponge balls, hot rod, vanishing silk, and cardtoon deck so many times I literally can go on auto-pilot and do them. I practice many other effects, but unless I am working with older children I often times don't get to do them. I have had other restaurants over the years, but this has been my longest running one. I am actually thinking of quitting just because I have been there so long I am burned out.

My question is, have any of you had a similar situation where you are feeling burned out, and if so, did you find a way to work through it?

Thanks.

-Paul

Hi Burned-Out Paul,
I hear ya. Like you, I perform many of the same effects for those that have never seen me before and have been doing the same routines for close to 14 years in my restaurants.....To keep "me" from getting burned out, I keep in mind that some of the patrons have never seen me before so this is all new for them and I feed off their enthusiasm. Also..review the hundreds of effects you have that you forgot about.

I added the egg bag bag, ninja/messado rings. Eddie Ace makes a turtle to rabbit sponge that is fun, JB Magic's On The Case,
Sketch-O-Magic by Sammy Smith. All this is to say, ditch what you have been doing and force yourself to perform new stuff.
I buy stickers from art4clowns.com (they have a nice selection even for magicians) and incorporate them in card tricks.

Yes, you are right, you are lucky to have the venue for as long as you have. Shake things up, try new material, dust off your chop cup, hook up an IT Loop, make a bottle appear from your silk handkerchief, you get the point. HAVE FUN !!!

I'm far from burned out but I do get excited when I work in a new area far from my home base. Every one knows me in town and it's just not the same as performing for people who have never seen me or any close up magician for that matter.

I would say keep your job but at the same time look for new places. You might enjoy working at a more adult venue in town where you get to do more advanced nagic.

Congratulations on ten years at the same restaurant! That is quite rare and speaks well of your abilities as an entertainer.
Rather than quit, perhaps there is someone in your area that you could bring in to give you a much needed break. Mentor a younger magician with the understanding that you can return at your discretion.
Best of luck

Thanks all for your comments. I don't plan to do anything drastic yet.

Hey Paul,
I have felt similar things to you. Here are some thoughts & strategies....Let's imagine that for the sake of argument, your typical set is 3 or 4 tricks. How about trying the following tactics:
a) Drop one trick & introduce ONE new trick into your set - hopefully this will help you feel 'freshened up' & revitalised & bring your motivation back... It gives you something to look forward to each time you approach a table and doesn't make your set feel quite like you have indicated above (something I can relate to). Once you start to feel 'bored' again... repeat the process I've suggested here & drop another one & bring it yet another new trick!
b) Alternatively or additionally, re-introduce an old favourite from your past routine (from as long ago as possible) & bring it back. Hopefully will have the same result as above. Perhaps bring one in from when you were very new & quite green (but not quite a beginner) - see how you handle it now that you are much more experienced and thoughtful & know how to get maximum reactions. Might be a fun experiment as well as freshening up your set!
c)i Get agreement from the restaurant that you can have a substitute when you have other commitments. No doubt like most of us restaurant workers you probably do this a couple of times or so a year when you go on holiday etc, but why not do this once a MONTH if you are feeling like this.
c)ii Perhaps, to get your motivation back & just to start with, why not take a whole 3 or 4 weeks off to start with? Get your subs working overtime! You might get a case of 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' & return with new enthusiasm
c)iii Similar to above is to get another residency on the same night... so that you are forced to split them with subs. In some ways the change of environment might help without even changing your sets at all though COMBINED with doing anything suggested above it might help a lot.

Hope these ideas help!

I would agree with Mr Smiles. I have been working restaurants for over 25 years. I know how you can feel a little burned out. It's usually more the non-receptive customers that bum me out than the repetition of tricks. One thing that gets me excited is to try out my own new ideas. You can really fine tune you own tricks by studying the reactions. Also, I have found that it stays fresh more if I try to get the customer involved as much as possible - with joking and having the magic happen in their hands.

Good luck,

Dennis

Well said dduane "You can really fine tune your own tricks by studying the reactions", I get a real thrill out of either a) introducing new material of my own and polishing it live in the restaurant over the coming weeks/months or b) introducing material from major magicians but doing it in my own way, often with quite original additions and always with a new script of my own (which also takes weeks/months to fine tune).
You're probably on the same wavelength on this idea Paul so hope you don't see this as 'granny sucking eggs' type advice; I note you are a long time poster on here (& a good one at that too).

I'm also very much with dduane about 'in their hands' and banter/rapport with the audience.

Another thing that gives me satisfaction and makes feeling bored or burned out rare, is that I do not perform in restaurants that have young kids... my restaurants will rarely have children and if they do its on a handful of times per month... and they'll usually be 12+ years old. So as part of your strategy, review whether the type of restaurants you are at really suit you (they probably do, just sayin' to think about it). In my case I would personally feel bored and unfulfilled entertaining children regularly; however that's just me.... we all have to be ourselves and many, many magicians here not only love entertaining children but are also very good at it and find it highly satisfying. Just not me, that's all.

I also I guess tend to select places with quite a high demographic; I'm not being snooty, I just work quite hard at witty one-liners & often deliver some 'off the cuff' that are pretty erudite and I need an audience on the same wavelength that appreciates the same kind of humour. My first residency was pretty mass market but I've never saught out one of those since, always higher demographic for 'job satisfaction' & avoiding boredom/burn out. I'm always happy to cover for friends when double booked though just for the change & to help out fellow magi who might be stuck for cover.

All the best,

Thanks to all who commented.

Do you know any other local magicians? How about trading a few nights with them?

Paul, I don't think it is Burnout, but more possibly something else. If you been doing it right, you should have been getting other shows, close-up and stand-up, for private gigs. You have to constantly sell yourself and services. A thing like you have is rare, unless you married the restaurants daughter.

If it was burn out, it means you no longer want to do magic any more. I hope that is not the case, but only you can decide that. This kind of opportunity, should have increased your routines, and found new ways of presenting your magic tricks.

It also sounds like you have a mental block, only certain tricks are for kids. That is just not true, unless you are in a place that do it and get to the next table and say out of the staff's way.

Are you working for tips (gratuities) at well. This can keep your boost your ego as well at the end of the night.

If you have a desire to "perform", then it is not burn out, but you are just not forging ahead at getting performance opportunities from the customers. You should have made some connections by now with people who could use entertainment at some kind of function or private parties. You have to tell them. People only relate to what they see you currently doing. It is the old "pigeon hole" method of hiring, for all they know, you are a company employee, and not an independent contractor. If you want to expand, you have sell your services constantly.

Do you have table toppers on each table telling who you are and the other services you provide in entertainment. If not get some pictures taken while you are performing and also professional photos at a studio for your promotional material. There are some excellent books on restaurant work, and how to promote your services.

The best book on restaurant magic promotion is by Scott Hollingsworth out of Texas. I think he still sells the book, maybe he has expanded it since I got my copy. Look him up on the internet, contact him for his book, it will tell you how to turn your gig into a promotional opportunity.

Only mentioning many standard things here, without know more about your establishment, it is hard to give concrete advice.

I would not quit until I tried many of the things I mentioned, and if nothing develops then make your decision.

I got burnt out on magic a couple times for over a year. I switched to music. I play guitar, bass and sax. Playing bass, looking at a crazy haircut, stupid t-shirt or and ugly girl is even more monotonous, as many times you're just background sound. Then I started getting back to magic, where, at least they have to pay attention to what you are doing. You get more back and forth action/reaction. I think taking a break was good for me. I returned with better perspective. So says thegiz!

For me, working restaurants isn't about the magic - it's the people. I've built real relationships with many of my regulars. I've been invited as a guest to graduations, weddings, and other events as one of the family. I look forward to seeing these families, college students, and retirees every week. This relationship keeps my approach fun, fresh, and energized - even on those days I would rather be somewhere else. It's part of that Ambassador vs. Entertainer approach, I guess.

Great way ţo work.

Challenge yourself to do something completely new and non-trivial.

You must have some favorite tricks that you never do because they take too much effort to get into your set.
Create a new set of some of your favorites; don't do anything old, and go for it.

Or you could employ new methods with your existing tricks.
How about using David Williamson's "Whirlybird Vanish" with the vanishing silk? Do you use that method? If not, then try things like that.