The Bernoulli Effect for Magicians.

“For horizontal fluid flow, an increase in the velocity of flow will result in a decrease in the static pressure.”

If you pump water through a pipe and then narrow the pipe the speed of the water increrases and the pressure drops.  The same thing works for creativity.  If you have a thousand ideas about a thousand projects that’s one idea per project, however if you limit yourself to 10 projects the ideas will flow quicker and that’s 100 ideas per project. You keep the volume of ideas the same and narrow the focus. The result is less pressure and more chance of acheiving something worthwhile.

Look at it another way.  If I asked you to write about “the world”, you have so much choice that you’d probably get lost in your search for a good idea.  So look at the world through a window and literally you have a much smaller frame of reference and a much higher chance of thinking of something to say.  It’s a form of mental bondage and there’s something liberating about a PVC catsuit and a hockey mask.  Apparently.

Amatuers Borrow, Professionals Steal.

When you borrow something the intention is to give it back and it’s never really yours,  however when you steal something the sole purpose is to make it your own.

There’s not a successful performer on the planet who hasn’t borrowed something and you’d be an idiot if you didn’t reference what had gone before.  When you take something however take it with both hands and run for the hills.  Do whatever it takes to make it yours, (a paint job and new wheels won’t be enough), and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get away with it.

5 Ways to be better.

Meaning – Does your performance have any? Try asking why am I doing this before you ask how you will do it.

Ability – Do you know what your abilities are? Work right up the boundaries of what you know you can do and then take a deep breath and push up hard against them. Don’t step over them or you’ll screw up, but remember that boundaries are always changing.

Generosity – Try giving away a bit more. More of yourself, more of your ‘secrets”, more of your material. People are going to take it anyway in one form or another so beat them to it and maybe they’ll thank you for it.

Insight – Spend more time being critical of yourself than you are of other performers / people. Just remember that perfection is flawed.

Creativity – Magic is a very small world. The real world is much more interesting, (says a guy sat in front of a computer!). Go on fly my pretties FLY!

Look at that it’s an acronym !!! And it spells MAGIC, (not magic spells) – what are the chances of that? Even a juggler could remember that.

I will rattle on about each of these over the next few months, ( if I can see the point, polish up my writing skills, feel like giving it away, reckon it’s good enough, and can think of anything to say.)

I’m the best magician in the world!

I’ve just won, (11th May 2009), the Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year – Hooray for me!!

So now the dust has settled and the phone has stopped ringing, (debt collectors), I thought I’d say a few things about the competition and competitions in general.  I’ve entered 2 and won both so there.

The main reason I entered the competition was as a marketing ploy. A touch cynical maybe but regardless of how the competition is viewed inside of the magic profession in the eyes of the general public it is a BIG THING!  The opportunity to boost my profile in what are “difficult times”, seemed like a sensible move.  I employed a PR company to send out press releases on my behalf and I will contact clients and agents to let them know I won a prestigious award – it can only help.  I’ve started a blog for God’s sake! read more