Have you ever stopped to consider what magic has given you? Apart from, that is, a hobby or a semi professional income or even a full time job? Because I think being a magician actually provides us all with a number of big side benefits which we may not always appreciate. Here are some of the things I feel it has provided for me. Continue reading “What Has Magic Given To You?”
The Extrovert Introverts
Last month the topic for the Mark’s Monthly Message video sent out to members of E-Club Pro dealt with the subject of understanding how spectators may be feeling when we approach them to perform our strolling magic. In this discussion I suggested that most performers present their magic in an extrovert manner which in certain circumstances and for particular spectators might be too much and a bit embarrassing.
One of the E-Club Pro members from the US emailed me to give the opinion that he wondered whether all magicians were in fact extroverts, since many were actually introverts who used magic to perhaps overcome a lack of self confidence.
This raises an interesting point. In the Mark’s Monthly Message I was referring to the fact that most performers present their magic in an outgoing, upbeat manner, not that they were automatically natural extroverts, but it does lead one to consider just how many of us are genuinely naturally self confident. Continue reading “The Extrovert Introverts”
Your Self Esteem Makes You A Better Performer
In order to a good performer I would suggest it is an absolute necessity to be really confident in your ability. That’s not to say that you won’t feel any nerves prior to a performance, but more that once you get out there in front of an audience, you have an inherent self assurance that enables you to be successful.
But where does this confidence come from? Is it purely from having years of successful performing experience behind you? Is it just that you’ve seen it all before, have negotiated previously all the likely stumbling blocks, and so you no longer feel that there is anything very much out there that can surprise you?
Continue reading “Your Self Esteem Makes You A Better Performer”
There Are Some Things That Get Better With Age!
As you grow older, you can be forgiven for thinking that there’s very little which actually improves for you! Your eyesight gets worse, you feel like you have diminished energy, modern gadgets appear to be unfathomably complicated, and your joints ache. Hmmm, not great!
However, I would suggest that for magicians there are a number of things which do improve as you get older, and so in the interests of redressing the balance, I thought I would tell you what they are.
Continue reading “There Are Some Things That Get Better With Age!”