How to become a great magician
20th October, 2024
What is the one trait, the thing that made the following magicians and mentalists successful and famous in the world of magic and some even beyond?
Juan Tamariz
Derren Brown
David Blaine
Shin Lim
Roberto Giobbi
Paul Vigil
Joshua Jay
Dani DaOrtiz
Mac King
Piff the Magic Dragon
(Max Maven)
(Eugene Burger)
(Ricky Jay)
(Gabi Parereas)
This is only a tiny sample of the great the examples.
Some of them have sadly passed away.
What is the one thing that made them rise above the rest?
What is their big secret?
What is common with all these magicians / mentalists?
Nothing.
And yet, everything.
They are all unique, that's what they have in common.
They express themselves through their work.
They are true to themselves. And on stage, they are who they want or wanted to be.
They took the risk, to do something different, to be unique.
They walk their own paths.
And that's where the similarities end.
Not literally, but you should get my point.
They are not generic magicians.
Nobody is interested in generic magicians.
But with the majority out there being generic magicians, we have ended up with a "formula" for what a magician "should" be.
In art (and sometimes in life), being generic and unoriginal doesn't get you far. It usually doesn't get you anywhere.
So, if you want to become a better magician you need to become unique.
But unique doesn't mean that you need create a character.
Be something that you are not.
We are all unique, so you need to be you – the actual you.
But, in order for you to be you; you need to rid yourself from the habits and shackles of the generic magician.
You need to take off the mask of the generic magician.
And you need to look deep within, to find the real you, the one buried and forgotten under the "formula".
You need to drop the run-of-the-mill Ambitious Card and Sponge Balls routine from your repertoire. And every other trick that every single other magician out there does. Every effect that is in the standard-issue repertoire of the generic magician.
From now on, you only perform effects that you find beautiful and meaningful.
You will give the gift of truly great magic to your audience.
I know that they gasp when suddenly a regular sponge ball has turned into a huge sponge whatever in their hand. But those are cheap tricks. And you have more to give to this world than just cheap tricks. Take my word on that.
For every effect new and old (just not the one of the generic magician), find something to say that gives insight on you as a person.
Create presentations that deeply resonate with you, and how you see the world.
Share your thoughts, viewpoints, and stories with the people you interact with.
Ditch the "scripts" of the generic magician. Wipe the word "patter" of your vocabulary.
You are an unique amazing human being. You need to understand that and trust yourself.
You are more creative than you think, you're more intelligent than you think, you have more to offer to others than you think.
And as they say, if you give you will receive.
Be you. The actual you. Even if it, at first, makes you feel very vulnerable and even scared.
Stepping out of the hollow skin of the generic magician is terrifying.
An it's not easy.
But that's the only way to become the true you.
To become a unique magician, a truly interesting magician.
I know. It's comforthing to stand behind the shield of the generic magician.
This one: "Just look presentable, don't smell, and do the same 'commercial' hurts-your-soul-to-perform 'crowd pleasers', you and thousands of other magicians have done for the decades."
The one that slips in, slips out, like a wet bar of soap. Forgotten just as fast as the sooty water runs down the drain.
In my real life the stakes are high.
Before the premiere of each and every thing I've ever shot and been part of, a film, a documentary etc.
I'm more nervous than in any other time in my life.
Why?
Because I've tried to express myself as an artist and a craftsman to my _full_ ability.
I have laid my soul bare for everyone to see.
I've put myself into a position in which anyone can judge _me_ and _my_ work.
"This is what I want to say, this is what I could come up with, this is how well I did it."
Never has anyone said to me, "I love how generic you made it, how close to the average it looked like. How there were no original ideas."
Most come and they say, "I really loved it, especially the...".
Few will always say, "I didn't really like it."
That is something you need to learn to live with. Some will love what you do, some will dislike it.
In magic, when you start your journey towards greatness, most will belittle what you're trying to accomplish. Talk behind your back. Disparage you online.
Until they one day see what you have become.
It's the price you have to pay, if you want to be taken seriously, as an artist and a performer by your audience and your educated peers.
And starting that journey today is what makes you improve and get better, and ultimately succeed.
And when you succeed at things you deemed hard or even impossible, when you keep chipping away the marble to create something special, the joy and fullfilment you get from that is one of the best feelings in the world.
Yet you will not succeed in everything everytime. And that's natural part of the process.
Everything worth doing takes time. More than you think.
But it all starts with you needing to stand naked in front of everyone.
And to get comfortable with it.
This is who I really am, and this is what I really want to do.
The more you do that, the more you realize that it's awesome to be _you_.
And everyday you learn that you have more and more to say.
More and more to give and share.
After a while, you understand the emptyness of being the generic magician.
The majority will be there, hiding behind their masks, trying to discourage and prevent you from trying to achieve your true potential.
Trying to put you down, because you dare to reach for something greater than they have the courage for.
To them I say, if you are content with what you have become and achieved, sure, you do you.
But step aside from blocking those who want more than you.
To be a great magician, you need to become the best version of _you_.
It's up to you to take the first step. I can only take you this far.
- Max Arcanie