Criticism
Image from www.SXC.hu
As I write this I’m sitting on a coach traveling to Madrid having just finished performing at another InterMagia, festivals of magic for the general public. The Spanish love magic, there are probably about 70 pure magic festivals across Spain each year, maybe more. One of the many positive aspects of working at festivals like these is that I get to work with some world class acts and even better I get to spend time with them during the long Spanish meals that we’re treated to.
This weekend I was performing in two Gala shows with Junge Junge, two of the nicest and smartest guys in magic. The two shows were back to back with a turnaround of 1 hour, My first show was not great. New(ish) material, in broken Spanish meant it was bit of a shambles. Fortunately for me the guys had watched from the back of the theatre, (I opened, they closed), and they talked honestly with me during the turn around period. The advise was clear, hard, and necessary. I had forgotten some of the basics, eye contact, prop management, and it was summed up as “not good”. (In contrast the organisers felt I had done a good job, which highlights why sometimes it is valuable to seek criticism and not just accept praise.) So I had the choice to either be pissed off that someone had dared question my performance, or take it as it was intended as good advice. I chose the latter.
So many times I have heard performers justify mistakes and shit performances with a string of meaningless excuses or just a pure lack of self awareness and I’m as guilty as the next guy, (who at this moment looks like a Spanish chicken farmer). This is compounded by the number of magicians who criticise in a non-constructive way, usually as a way of getting round to showing you a trick (or 10). In the right conditions this can trigger a game of “That’s shit, watch this”, which will continue until someone dies.
So……
Taking Critcism
• Seek it out and make people aware that you are open to it.
• If you’re not feeling strong enough to take it, defer it don’t dismiss it.
• Be your own hardest critic, not your biggest fan.
• Don’t disregard anything immediately – think it through.
• Write it down.
• Say thank you!
Giving Critcism
• Ask if the timing is right before you crush a delicate ego.
• Make sure you know what you’re talking about.
• Long lists are not welcome.
• Be honest not “clever”
• Make sure it’s broken before you try to fix it.
• Remember it’s only you’re opinion.
• If it’s obvious, it’s OBVIOUS!
As for my second Gala Show it was a hundred times better than the first but in my opinion there’s still a long way to go.
Please feel free to leave only positive comments about this post.
