What do you do magic for?

Im not sure if a topic like that is posted, but the search engine is offline.

Mod, feel free to remove this if too many topics like this one came up.

I just started in magic not too long ago. But while i was thinking about presentations, it seems what magic means to you, and what do you do magic for, affect alot in how you present it.

Your style of presentation, comes from what you do magic for. Some do magic to impress. And sometimes when the trick is good, the audience take a step back. While other times, they crack their head trying to figure your trick and become a skeptic.

Others do tricks to entertain. Personally i like how David Stone does his trick. It seems like he does tricks to entertain. It's "okay" for him to make a fool out of himself. But he certainly doesn't make a fool out of his audiences.

What do you do magic for? Of course many will just say that its a combination of both..

Now THIS is a discussion I haven't seen before. Thank you for posting it.

I am very, very interested in what motivates other magicians.

I'll share first:

There are 2 levels when it comes to my magic. On the first level, I believe that magic at its core is, and must be, entertainment. Very simply put, if magic weren't entertaining, no one would watch. And if no one watches, its not magic, its practice. After all, according to Martin Nash, magic is supposed to happen in the minds of our audiences.

Therefore I believe magic must entertain, and I strive for that in my performance. This is the first level.

The 2nd, deeper level of how I see my magic is this:

Magic reminds us our 5 senses can be fooled.

I find that in our day and age we rely far, far too much on our 5 senses. We have forgotten that they are fallible - that WE are fallible.

Magic to me is a reminder that I should not be so arrogant as to assume I know everything. Just the other day I got fooled by an extremely well executed french drop and sl**ve. If THAT can fool me, how can I claim to have perfect perception?

In other words, what make me so sure I'm right all the time?

I must say though, that this 2nd level doesn't directly affect my performance, my primary motive is always to be as entertaining as possible.

Now that exams are over, I may find more time to post. That's good.'

Well, for me, I started 3 years ago, when I was studying in Melbourne, Australia. I was sharing a flat with a fellow magician. He would show me tricks and I would be so blown away. I decided that I wanted to be on the other side, bringing such pleasure to those around me. More specifically, i hated to be fooled, and i wanted to fool others. So i begged him to teach me. He did.

Half a year in the same house with him, I picked up everything i could and moved on beyond that. In melbourne, there was this magic show in the city and i would frequent it, buying DVDs and decks of cards whenever I could. I must say that knowing more now, it was ridiculous that i would pay such a high price for the stuff in Melbourne.

The main reason why I kept up with practicing was because I have extremely itchy fingers. Those who know me would know that my hands must be doing something at all times. I would practice my coin roll ALL the time and would pick up the deck to do whatever i could whenever i could. Must say that i was guilty of practicing in public quite a bit. Although I do it less now, i still pissed the occasional Shade off from time to time. :P

My view on magic has really changed over the 3 years. At first, i only wanted to perform some tricks at the occasional parties, bringing some joy to friends around me. Magic was nothing more than a ice breaker, a tool for me to make friends.

More recently, i am more interested in bringing my audience a slight sense of wonder, and a short suspend of disbelief. This is really the difficult part of magic, and i do get the occasional "wah, how often you practice man" or "you must have no life" kind of statement. I can still deal with those. It is difficult to let people think that real magic exist in this world. Afterall, i perform magic, not miracles, as David Stone would so aptly put it.

My source of satisfaction comes when my audiences gasp, laugh, clap, and thank me after each performance. They may not remember what I've performed when they wake up the next day, or they may not even remember my name or face. But if they remember that at a certain place or event, they saw some pretty cool stuff and that made them happy, i think i have done my job.

It really isn't about the tricks I do. Although i practice and make sure that i perform at my best at each performance, my main aim is to learn how to interact with people as that is really an important skill. Being able to walk up to strangers, and make yourself liked by all in the group, is not a simple task. Knowing what to say, how to react to what others say, and how to respect your audience is really something valuable to learn. More so then the next most amazing trick sold on the market.

Magic is not about your tricks, like how sales is not about your products. It's about the people. And this is how I hope it will remain for the future of my magic.


Zi An

What do i do magic for? I perform magic, to bring the sense of wonder and amazement to my audience.

What then is my definition of magic? In contrast to mattlee's point of view, magic to me in its pure sense is an art form that amazes, mystify and allow the audiences to experience 'the impossible' - to experience miracles. Note that this doesn't mean that we put ourselves across as the one with powers (or however it is put), but that magic should come across as close to a real miracle as it is possible to.

I will not put entertainment before the sense of wonder, for that is the differentiating factor of magic against all other entertainment. For i believe there is no other art forms that create such a sense of amazement and wonder as magic. So to me, the core of magic is the wonder and amazement. There is an irony here - that if people do not find magic entertaining, they will not watch, and thus they cannot experience the amazement. Hence i say that magic must appeal, such that people do watch first, but, the core of magic is wonder and not entertainment.

Magic to me is a most amazing and difficult art form. We as practitioners of magic, must put in the maximum amount of skill and practise so that the little things we do come across as the most un-rehearsed thing. The best magician, do not look a single bit skilled (as in the technical showy bits kind of skill - just think David Blaine) to the layperson.

In conclusion of my rambling, i guess, to me, magic is to induce in my audience the suspension of disbelief to allow them to experience a miracle and perhaps, in that short frame of time, believe in that miracle, while enjoying the experience.

We don't disagree as much as you think. Essentially what I was trying to say is summed up in your own words:

I mean to say the exact same thing. However I would say that the message of magic is 'wonder'. Magic as I define it is 'wonder' delivered through the medium of entertainment.

The 'entertainment factor' is a crucial ingredient in what Teller calls 'the unwilling suspension of disbelief'. If a trick is not presented in an engaging way, the spectators soon become preoccupied with finding the secret of the trick, or even worse, loose interest in what you are doing. When it comes to that point we call all safely agree - that's not magic. What could have been a miracle degenerates into a trivial puzzle.

Most people hate puzzles.

Hmm... let's be brutally honest about it: I do magic to impress people, especially but not limited to the opposite sex.

Yes, you may say that I'm insecure, needs approval and probably wants to recommend me to a shrink, but hey, face it, unless you like to perform for yourself, your ultimate aim in giving people the "sense of wonder and amazement" is to impress them, putting yourself in the spotlight. How good can you feel when they are impressed by the magic but forgot the magician?

Ok, I may sound very shallow and pragmatic here but trust me, I do read Darwin Ortiz, Henning Nelms and Tommy Wonder to upgrade my "magic knowledge" too... but that's because I love to do better magic so to impress others better.

Not that I have anything against the "magic- as- an- art", but.... it can sound a bit pretensious to keep saying that, especially when most of us don't even know what "art" is. At least, I don't pretend to know... maybe you guys can enlighten me? :lol: :D

PS: By the way, the above is truly my opinion, not intended to dig at anybody...

Nope, not essentially the same. There is a vital difference here. Perhaps my english isn't that strong, i do not know how to put it, but essentially, wonder and amazement comes in magic as the foremost, whereas in your case, entertainment in magic comes as a foremost. Magic can be used to deliver messages that are shocking, messages about safety and etc, through the medium of wonderment. Quite a difference in our school of thinking i guess. And i don't mean to bash yours, to each his own.

No offense taken, though i thought your opinion could be put across in a more succinct manner.

Art, in Cambridge dictionary, is defined as the making or expression of what is beautiful or true esp in a manner that can be seen or experienced, as in a painting; or things produced in such a way; or fine skill in such making or expression or in the making and doing of anything. Magic to me is a true art form because it allows us to present mysterious and wonderful things i a beautiful manner, or rather aesthetic manner (not 'beautiful' in a true sense of the words). There exist a fine skill in magic - as i mentioned (putting in the maximum amount of skill and practice so that the little things we do come across as the most un-rehearsed thing - the irony of it) and so there is what we say the Art of magic.

Of course, what i say is pretty much my own opinion, so you do not have to take what i wrote. To each his own. Though i do think it is a pretty much bummer that magicians themselves to not think Magic as an art - it is little wonder then, that we have to fight so hard to win people over in concurring with some of us that magic is an art form.

"Though i do think it is a pretty much bummer that magicians themselves to not think Magic as an art - it is little wonder then, that we have to fight so hard to win people over in concurring with some of us that magic is an art form."

First of all, I'm not saying magic is not an art. It can be... but not necessarily must be.

Can magic be effective without being artistic or trying to be artistic? I should think so... just look at Max Malini.

What I don't really like is some (not all, probably not you or matt) who keeps parroting the line about "magic is an art" without knowing exactly what they are saying.

By the way, I think it's not necessary to win people to think magic is an art in order to amaze them. Did Blaine made people think magic=art? I don't think so... but he certainly make it popular.

Firstly, it is very nice to read all your thoughts. It taught me quite a bit.

Initially, i did not know that anyone was even replying to this topic after i posted it up. Only check it up today even though i come on every other day.

I think many of us go through different stages in magic. Just like ZiAn mentioned about how he started off with " Magic was nothing more than a ice breaker, a tool for me to make friends." before he presents it with a sense of wonder.

I have not been practicing magic long enough but i think i have a fairly good grasp of the techniques. So i questioned my presentation.

I remember reading a book on mentalism once which commented that young magicians would never suceed in mentalism. The reason behind being how intimating a young magician can be, compared to a older one whom you wont feel competitive with.

Let me explain a little. It seemed like a younger magician, would have a higher chance of facing a skeptical husband who feels inferior when his wife is impressed by the trick. While an older, seemingly more knowledgable one would pass off as one with enough experience to do a really good trick.

Its the same point i started out my post with.

These days i make a coin vanish and look confused than pause and wait for someone to call me "God!"

Hopefully in time to come, i'd be convincing enough to perform and giving the audience a sense of wonder too.

I read that booklet too and rolled on the floor laughing. It often depends on presentation and personality

Cheers.
csjoshi

I do magic to fill up the emptiness inside me. Ya, I am a lonely person. Ok, that's crap.

Magic to me, not just entertainment. It is something that not many people dare to bring it up to the next level, the career level.

I always like to do something different, Cheerleading for example. So since magic to me, bring a different level of entertainment and joy, I feel that it has a certain value in market and interm of career building. (Always strive to be different to be successful)

Well, it does give me the satisfaction of able to do what I wanted to do, and earn my bread and butter through it, thats what everyone wishes to, but do you dare to.

So, in the end, Magic's path is towards Entertainment, but to me, its a path to the endless possibilities of what is going to happen in future.

I would say that for myself, magic is about self-fulfillment and entertainment.

The very basic of of self-fulfillment is to be able to perform magic. Which will stun the layman. The next level of self-fulfillment is to be able to master a particular trick or handling that interest you. I am sure at certain point of a time, or in fact most of the time, after you master a trick you will feel a sense of acheivement. Recall the day when you are able to do the whole ACR routine smoothly, or a muscle pass. You feel great don't you? Is just like you have completed a mission. But magic is never ending, you will constantly be exposed to more magic along the way and eventually picking them up. Every time you picked up a trick that you are being entertained by before, you will feel good of yourself lie 'Hey, I can do this too'.

Every magician dream is to be able to perform. To perform you have to be entertaining, in which ever way that suits you best (comedy etc). A performance without entertainment is just like a body with soul.

This may sound like something from a dating book, and perharps it is.

Magic is something that demostrates social value. By "social value" i mean how others would look at you as someone who is sociable.

People look at you as someone who is comfortable around people, someone who's good at presenting himself, and someone who is very much socially accepted.

In some other words, to impress.

As a young and self-acclaimed magician, I shall present my views.

Magic, for me , frankly, is an entertainment of the highest value. Not entertainment in the sense of a lousy comedy which makes you laugh at its ridiculous, but a different level of entertainment.

Magic is an entertainment that inspires, it is both entertaining to oneself and others ( that is probably the reason why I am practicing...to see myself do a great trick, I would be like "WOW" to myself.)

Magic is, for me, a short term miracle. To see the wonder and amazement in the audience eyes, be it to one person or hundreds ( which I never tried , but believe) is something....that cannot be described in words.

This may seem cheesy, but for me, its true...

i love magic, for the fun it brings, and for the pure attraction and charm of it. No matter a skeptic (my parents) or a believer ( my sis ^_^ ) , everyone loves magic tricks.

:mellow:

Magic for me is like a hobby, something fun.

I only recently started magic, but magic for me is an entertainment, like singing, or dancing. I like doing this type of entertainment, as I like to see the faces of my audience.

For me, its also a way of socialising. I like using magic to make new friends.

It also gives me this pleasure that my hard work has paid off, after so much practice, people enjoy what I do, that is why I like magic.

I agree with birder123, I started magic as fun things to do then became a hobby, then use it for ministry work.

Magic help me to built up my confidence in public speaking and make new friends.

Today, I am thinking to used it as my "second career", ha..ha...hopefully within three years, I will be on the path.

All magicains in the forum, please give me some advise how should I start?

Thanks.

M.A.D. B)

Hi!

I do magic to impress, and entertain. Because i have just started magic, i do not have a LOT of confidence when performing. But just the other day, i performed to a little girl, and she enjoyed my performance so much, she remembers me as, Magician kor kor (kor kor = big brother)

It motivated me to continue my passion of shocking, impressing and making people happy. Sometimes, i show magic to people when they seem to have trouble and it just makes them happier. Funny that when one person takes on the road of magic, everything changes and knows just how to past time. DOING MAGIC!

My opinion only,
-blue_mode_1

HiHi, :D

Since so many people posted, i guess i will too.

Well i started as a card collector, when i went to Ellusionist website, i was totally amazed by their stuff, hence getting hook onto it.

Now i do magic as a hobby, and as a pass time. I love to see the amazed or the jaw dropping face. Somehow i just like the reaction when you just amaze them, like out of no where on the street, you open your fire wallet or cards sleights in their face. :blink:

And each time i successfully amaze someone it just bring me to want to amaze another 10 more. :lol:

All to be said was said now, thanks for reading i guess :D

I can't remember why I really started the thread. I guess I was hoping to get the philopshy behind magic right before I went out there.

These days too many young magicians seem to have a confused image of how magic should be. Much "thanks" to marketing sites like ellusionist and crappy youtube videos.

We see that alot of magic is about being "Powerful" and being "Magicial". Its a very tempting thing for us to make ourselves seem above the rest. But I don't think its right. Having said that, I am probably one of the victims.

Too many times we are over our head and we get the wrong ideas.

Magic should be an experience. And a magician should connect to his audience on a personal level.

Hopefully this post makes a bit of sense.