Want it or Need it?
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about change being needed in the world of magic and certainly magic in the UK. Most people agree that the standard is not as high as it should / could be and something needs to be done. A recent lecture at the Magic Circle given by Noel Britten was all about this, and of course no-one disagreed as that would suggest arrogance or ignorance. So here is my little bit:
No matter how much something is needed without a desire to change, change will not happen.
I have known people who NEEDED to loose weight, ( I was a fitness instructor for a a good 10 years), and yet these people very often DIDN’T WANT TO do it. They wanted to lie on the sofa and eat pies. It wasn’t until the need became critical, ( i.e. they would die if they didn’t), that they took action. They still didn’t want to get fit and loose weight but they did want to stay alive and that was the driving force.
I agree that the standard of magic needs to improve but that change is not going to come from within the masses of the Magic Circle, instead it will come from individuals who lead the way by example. It’s fine telling Johnny Puzzle-Boy that he needs to get better but it’s going to get you nowhere. We should salute and embrace the amateurs who make up the majority of the Magic Circle but I don’t think that it’s our job to change them. It’s our job to make them want to change and we wont do that by telling them all how much we despise their lack of flair and imagination. We should allow the guys who simply enjoy performing magic to their kids or grandchildren to do just that and they shouldn’t be made to feel like an inferior species to the working professional. They need to be motivated into wanting to improve their skills and the “professionals” can do this by helping them see the benefits of following this course of action.
Instead lets kick the crap out of the professionals. Every single professional magician I know NEEDS to improve but they don’t ALL WANT TO because:
- Many make a good living out of not getting caught doing their tricks and that is good enough for them. Apathy is a problem in magic.
- Many believe that just because Jo Public was too polite or indifferent to tell them them that they sucked they did a good job. Ignorance is a problem in magic.
- Many genuinely believe that they ARE magic. Arrogance is a problem in magic.
In order to improve you have to WANT IT and then NEED IT.
The people who WANT IT and NEED IT will improve the fastest. The people who just WANT IT will work the hardest. The people who just NEED IT will lie on the sofa and eat pies.
