Understanding and Purpose

Slights, they are just tools to me now. Building blocks. Little tricks to get the job done. To use the ACR example I need to bring the card to the top. 3 times. Seeming to be in 3 different ways. Well I do not think about which move I need to do I just do what is needed.

The problem I find is that magicians (well at least my generation from what I have seen) focus on gaining to new trick or slight. That the harder it is means the worse ass. I can say now I am a lazy magician. I find the path of least resistance. Not only because I do not see the need to bust out an epic slight. Also because it is more important to me to handle the cards in a natural way. As in if I was really doing magic, I would have no need to be endlessly cutting and shuffling my cards for seemingly no reason. I wouldn't need to touch the card much really. I set up my trick before the trick. Do the moves while people relax after a trick, until you state that you are ready to start a new trick. That's when they look the hardest. That when a lot I have seen start to start their slights.

Also why wank yourself off in front of people. No really think about what I just said. You are sitting their thinking you are the most epic person when you are meant to be entertaining others. You do that stuff in your own room/house etc. I have read a book of epic hard passes. Now they are all good and it helps me a lot with my passes. The thing is I do not need to do any of them to get the job done. Now I have learned them and I have used them but very rarely but again when it was most natural to use them.

Now there is an art called flourishing which is a different thing all together. Magic is meant to look easy, or at least it’s more an effort of will than dexterity. Magic you are not meant to show bad ass slights (well most of the time) while flourishing or even if you more of a performer who does the card shark thing.

 It is an art like fire spinning; it looks cool, look hard and is impressive.

Everything in a performance, whatever it is. It is a means to an end. Each and every note you play, word you say, the way you move your body needs purpose. Everything has a meaning. 80% of communication is non-verbal. Symbolism, metaphor, body langue all has a meaning if you know the meaning of it or not. If you are not aware of the messages you are selling then it could work against you. For me I work to make my magic to be as close to magic as I can. That's the goal. Now I will never claim to do magic, I will not claim to be psychic but then there is a contradiction. Perform like I am doing magic but claiming not to be. The thing is I want it. I want to say "nah I do not do magic" and people to say otherwise. I want others to claim that there is no way for that to be anything but super-natural.

To give an example. Imagine a performance where I claim to be using body langue to read people, the stuff I do is logical that I could be done with body langue. Then I start doing stuff where body langue would no longer work. The people suspend their disbelief, I state that I started with body langue but I have been using suggestion throughout. That I started with body language as a starting board while I was setting up for suggestion. Now it makes sense again for the people.

Now I done that for the reason that they will no longer question if my stuff gets a bit out of hand from what I said I can do. They will wait to learn again how I am doing it. So the suspension of disbelief will not happen again and will not distract them from the rest of my show. Yes I am setting up for the end of the show when I to do something not explainable. They will not sit there thinking I am patronising them saying I can mind read or on the other side he is just pretending to be a psychology expert when he just bought some really good tricks from a magic store.

Then I start to branch out again doing things that my explanations do not add up with but there is a difference with this time and the first. The first I started to chance what I did but to similar effects, as in impact. Yes the 2nd trick would have more than the first but the 2nd time I do the switch. The second time I the pace sped up. The Impact jumps up instead of increasing in a gradient. I wouldn't go much fast than before but the pace will effect that way. Then to end I would do something crazy (or at least I would hope) that defies all explanation. People "Will ask how the hell did that work" I will reply just some sleight of hand suggestion and reading body language. Some part of them (hopefully) will not be able to take that explanation. Logically they will say it makes sense. "What else could it be" but something inside them (hopefully) will question if I do magic/read minds/ have control over peoples wills.

For the example, the tricks I do not matter, what I say not much. The slights used, again not really. What matters is the impression I wish to give. The goal of the performance. Then you can worry about slights and tricks.

You might end up having to bust out your best slight.