Huh, I wonder where someone might get that impression?

Your Penguin live lecture description states:

"Ian Rowland is a mentalist, magician, entertainer, writer, speaker, photographer, musician, poet and a recreational mathematician. He travels all over the world, mesmerizing audiences with his subtle yet commanding performances."

https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3576

Do amateurs and hobbyists travel all over the world, "...mesmerizing audiences with his subtle yet commanding performances"?

Then there is this:

"Occupation noun 1. a job or profession".

Click here to view attached image.

To be fair, Merriam Webster's first entry for Occupation is simply "an activity in which one engages"

That's entry 1 a. You left out 1 b: "The principal business of one's life: vocation"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occupation

And to be fair, as Google AI Labs says:

"The colloquial definition of the word occupation is a person's regular work or profession, especially as a means of earning a living".

Which aligns well with the first entry of the word on dictionary.com:

"Occupation: a person's usual or principal work or business, especially as a means of earning a living; vocation:"

In my opinion, when a person lists their occupation first as mentalist (along with other things) this suggests to me they do that for a living.

The Penguin live lecture description also suggests this, describing Ian as a "...mentalist, magician, entertainer..." who "travels all over the world, mesmerizing audiences with his subtle yet commanding performances":

"Ian Rowland is a mentalist, magician, entertainer, writer, speaker, photographer, musician, poet and a recreational mathematician. He travels all over the world, mesmerizing audiences with his subtle yet commanding performances."

https://www.penguinmagic.com/p/3576

If one travels all over the world mesmerizing audiences with their commanding performances, in my opinion, this suggests one is doing this work professionally. If one is actually an amateur and hobbyist who does not perform professionally, why not mention this in the description?

So we agree it can mean either, have a beer and move on.

Anyone looked up the word ‘inane’?

Kick Off the New Year with My Mind Rocks!

It’s the start of the month, and you know what that means—new content day at My Mind Rocks! We’ve got an action-packed schedule lined up to make sure 2025 starts with a bang. If you’re not already a member, now is the perfect time to join the best online mentalism community out there. Here’s what’s coming up this month:


Meet “The Reaper”
Let me introduce you to my old friend, The Reaper. This 2-phase routine really does “kill” (pun intended)!
Perfectly suited for weddings and special events, I performed this effect exclusively for a decade for the bride and groom. It’s designed to seem utterly impossible, and to top it off, you leave your client with a permanent, physical memento that will remind them of your magic forever.
Don’t miss the chance to learn this powerhouse routine—it’s generated repeat bookings on a regular basis.


Special Guests You Don’t Want to Miss


This month, we’ve lined up two incredible guest appearances to help you elevate your craft:

• Oz Pearlman: Sit in on a 60-minute interview with one of the most successful mentalists in the world today. Oz shares real-world advice on how to thrive in modern mentalism. This session is packed with insights you can apply immediately!

• Sidney Friedman: Join us on Sunday, January 14th, for an exclusive live session with Chicago’s own Sidney Friedman. He’ll show you how to fill your calendar with bookings and make 2025 your best year yet.


Live Sessions & Weekly Jams

• Weekly Live Members Jams: Every week, connect with other passionate members to practice, refine, and develop your ideas and effects. It’s the perfect way to grow and improve alongside like-minded performers.

• Monthly Group Session: Mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 21st—our live group session is the highlight of every month, bringing the whole community together.

Why Join My Mind Rocks?

If you’re not a member yet, now’s the time to jump in. My Mind Rocks is the ultimate online mentalism community, packed with exclusive routines, live training, and expert advice to take your performances to the next level.

Ready to become part of something amazing?

Visit www.mymind.rocks and start your journey today.

Let’s make 2025 the year your mentalism soars!

Inside My Mind Rocks – February 2025 Recap & Sneak Peek at March!

February was packed with exciting content inside My Mind Rocks! This month, we took a deep dive into S.A.D Mentalism (2006) with a refreshed look at the ESP card routine ‘Wake Up Dr. Rhine’—introducing a brand-new concept that enhances the perceived realism of ESP card effects. This idea can also be applied to many other mentalism routines, making it a must-watch course update.

We also had an incredible live guest session with the one and only Scott Creasey! He gave us a full access Q&A, discussing everything from his time performing in Spain to tarot, billets, and even the time he voluntarily took a full pint to the face to prove he was blindfolded! Scott also generously shared several unreleased billet switches and a powerful full billet peek using a wallet—pure gold for mentalists.

Our live group session saw fantastic discussions, including Terry Tyson’s psychometry work, ideas for boosting attendance at live events, and a deep dive into music in mentalism (royalty-free & AI options included!). We also debated the use of disclaimers in performance, broke down Banachek’s appearance on The Psychology Podcast, and swapped crazy gig stories—some hilarious, some terrifying!

Sneak Peek at March!

March is shaping up to be another fantastic month! We’ll be revisiting ‘The Collector’, a routine from my 2007 DVD Your Thoughts Are Mine, breaking it down step by step and exploring refinements for modern performances.

And for our live guest session, we’re beyond excited to welcome the one and only Luke Jermay! This exclusive live session will be an unmissable deep dive into his insights, techniques, and philosophies in mentalism.

Want to get involved? Join us at www.mymind.rocks and check the Events section in the community for upcoming live sessions! ????

I joined start of last week and a week in I'm very impressed with what Looch has put together. There is an amazing collection of videos under the mentalism toolbox covering a whole range of mentalism fundamentals. There have been some great guests on and more lined up. Then Looch has videos of his own material, a new presentation each month.

There is also a community aspect. There is a forum which is quite nice as it's private, so can discuss things a bit more openly. Then there are also weekly live jam sessions. I made it on last week's and it felt like a nice friendly group. Mixture of levels of experience, but not seeing anyone talked down to. I'll probably only make it on every other week, but I like that I've got a chance to talk ideas through with people. I've operated in a bit of a vacuum for too long and it's not necessarily good for development.

At £15 a month, or less of you pay for longer periods it feels good value. For that price I'd be lucky to get any single product with as much information. The only problem is I'm watching performers I didn't know about and I want to buy their material.

It is an absolute pleasure to have you with us at MMR Joshua! I have been thoroughly enjoying reading your ideas!

Cheers Looch. Looking forward to this week's jam on meaningful mentalism. I've got a good effect with no meaning currently. Hopefully the collective brain power might be able to come up with a meaningful presentation. Then Luke Jermay later in the week. Exciting week ahead.

No April Fools here - April is Big at My Mind Rocks!

We’ve got a HUGE month ahead inside the MMR community, and you do not want to miss what’s happening…

We’ve officially launched our brand-new feature: Members Spotlight!
Our very first spotlight shines on Colombian mentalist Ricardo Montoya—with over 60k TikTok followers, he’s bringing bold, creative energy to the art.

Join us for an exclusive 2hr+ session where Ricardo shares his journey, teaches 3 powerful close-up effects (with live performances), and even drops 4 extra bonus ideas. Plus: performance-only videos and quick recaps are included to make learning easier!

Special Guest: Colin McLeod – LIVE from Las Vegas!
Join us on Thursday 10th April at 8pm GMT as Colin shares insights on Creating a Mentalism Show—a must-attend session with one of the biggest names in the business.

Weekly Jam Sessions
Every Tuesday we meet LIVE at 8pm GMT and again at 9pm EST—these have been growing fast, and they’re full of shared ideas, experimentation, and inspiration.

Monthly Group Session
We wrap up the month with our next live group session on Wednesday 30th April at 8pm GMT—open discussion, community collaboration, and always a few surprises.

Jan Forster – LIVE at My Mind Rocks |Tuesday 13th May, 8pm UK

Tomorrow night, we’re hosting a very special LIVE session with one of Europe’s most respected professional mentalists — Jan Forster.

This isn’t a pre-recorded lecture. It’s a chance to join Jan live via Zoom, ask him your questions directly, and be part of a genuine, unscripted conversation about mentalism, performance, and psychic entertainment.

It’s happening inside My Mind Rocks, our global online mentalism community.

If you’ve been curious about joining, this is the perfect opportunity to see what makes MMR such a special space for performers of all levels.

MMR June Update - This month we're deep diving this month at My Mind Rocks - and asking the big question: *Does Method Really Matter?*

Instead of several short videos, June's course content is a focused 45-minute investigation that stemmed from a conversation right here in the community. We put classic low-tech methods up against cutting-edge high-tech ones, testing them out in real performances to see what *really* makes the difference. Spoiler alert: it's not just the tech.

Alongside the course content, June is packed with live events:

**Special Guest: Eric Samuels** - Tuesday 11th June, 8pm UK time
Eric is joining us live for a worlds first deep dive on the classic 'Sneak Thief' plot. Eric has spent his career developing and fine tuning this plot and will share the history and psychology with us.

**Luke Jermay - LIVE Q&A** - Tuesday 24th June, 8pm UK time
After the original session had to be postponed, we’re thrilled to finally welcome Luke back. This is your chance to ask him anything in a candid, off-the-cuff setting.

**MMR Monthly LIVE Session** - Wednesday 25th June, 8pm UK time
These monthly meetups are always full of ideas, discussion, and insights. Don’t miss it.

**Weekly Jam Sessions** - Every Tuesday, 8pm UK / 9pm EST
Informal, friendly, and always full of gold. Bring a brew, bring a question, bring a routine - we're here every week.

It’s shaping up to be one of the most thought-provoking months yet. See you online!

Looch... you're KILLING it with this group. The teaching is excellent, and the community is genuinely great. I'm happy to be a member since month 1.

Thanks Joe, it's a lot of hard work but man I am enjoying building something special with you guys. Its the members who make it and you sir have been incredible in supporting MMR. Thank you!

This month, we’ve got something really special lined up for all MMR members…

Exclusive Hypnosis Workshop
We hired a venue in Sheffield, invited a real audience, and filmed a complete live hypnosis show - no stooges, no pre-show, just pure, powerful work. Then, join me and professional hypnotist & mentalist David Bolton as we break it all down in detail.

Special Guest: Christopher Carter
Fresh off the release of his brand-new book In the Spotlight, Christopher Carter joins us LIVE on Tuesday 8th July at 8pm (UK time) for an Access All Areas Q&A session. This is your chance to chat directly, ask your burning questions, and hear insights straight from one of the very best.

I signed up for this on day one, and the quality and quantity of the material (and guests) on here is incredible.

There's so much to digest, I have only made it up to the February session!

I'd encourage anyone who is thinking about joining to take the plunge.

Thank you so much! That really means a lot.

Christopher Carter joins us LIVE at 8pm UK time tonight. This will be another cracker of a live session considering he has just released his 'In the Spotlight' book.

The recording for this LIVE session is in the MMR members' toolbox, and it's well worth checking out.