Hi. New user here. I wanted to introduce myself. I'm very eager to talk to other mentalists because I don't have any in-person mentalist friends. But I won't spam. Here's some background about me:

My name is Jared and I'm from Chicago, IL. I would consider myself fairly advanced when it comes to theory and knowledge, but intermediate when it comes to putting it into practice. I started card magic when I was a kingergartener and transitioned to mentalism in high school, because, as Osterlind put it best, "The stuff we do looks useful." I've been gigging, but only on the side. I'm a web-developer full time.

Ok, now we get to the cliché parts. My idols: Derren, Colin, and Pete. Give me a break, ok? I'm in my 20s. I own most of what Pete has put out, apart from those kits. I've studied all of Derren's stage shows and have practically written essays on them, that I've kept to myself with nobody to share with. Before anyone asks, yes, I've read Corinda and Annemann. But I do love that newer method, you know, the semi-controversial one (and self-admittedly in a little bit of a phase of overusing it), cause it just makes things look so good on the *outside*, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. Hopefully I'll begin to get to know you all over the next few months.

Welcome! What kind of mentalism are you seeking and what are your goals with it? Just a hobby for yourself, to perform part or full-time, or something else?

I think that will determine the experience you will have here. Have you been a lurker to this forum for long? I applaud you for introducing yourself here so everyone knows who we're dealing with and what your level of experience is, and where you hope to be headed.

You will probably find more that will be helpful in the mentalism forum downstairs once you can get there. Best of luck!

Welcome Jared:

Most of us were in our 20's, once upon a time. Indeed, I graduated from the 20's only 55 years ago!

For the fellowship that you seek, and need, get involved with a Chicago-area IBM or SAM club. You will find at least a few mentalists in most any magic club.

George

Thank you for the warm welcome Mindpro! In terms of premises: reading, predicting, impossible coincidences and pseudo-hypnosis are the main things up my alley. I'm not so much into telekinesis or other more physical premises. I'm seeking to perform effects that appear direct, but not necessarily propless. In fact, I'm a huge fan of gimmicks and I don't mind carrying them around as long as they don't scream "gimmick." I also find it important to, and I'm sure this applies to any art form, tell a story.

I do want to continue to perform part-time. I do like my full-time job at the moment because of the level of consistency and security that it offers. But it's made me realize how much respect I have for those who perform magic full-time, and maybe one day after reaching more clients I'll feel comfortable in taking that leap, but not any time in the near future.

Admittedly, I have been lurking here for quite awhile. I did have an account at one point, but I took a break and embarrasingly forgot the username, and the associated email has since been terminated. I don't imagine that will happen again though.

Thank you for that advice, George! I just did some research and my childhood magic shop hosts the IBM meetings in Chicago so I will definitely be attending the next one!

You are in a great town for magic! Chicago has so many venues..shops…and clubs.

Hi Jared, Welcome! I grew up in Chicago and moved to California about 9 years ago. If you are anywhere neart the suburb of Elmhurst, there is a magic club that meets once a mouth and is filled with nice people.You can find the club on internet by searching Elmhurst magic club . There are a number of clubs in the Chicago area, of course.

You might want to check into one of the oldest and most respected independent clubs in the Chicago area, Magic Masters.

Greetings Jared,

Many of us have experienced our twenties at some point. Personally, I graduated from that decade a mere 55 years ago!

For the fellowship you're searching for, consider getting involved with a Chicago-area IBM or SAM club. You're likely to find several mentalists in most magic clubs.