Dan writes: ‘My biggest problem is committing to my magic practice. Why is it so hard for me to practice as often as I feel I should?‘

Distractions are all too common in the modern world with so many things around us designed to do just that, distract. Magazines, television and the internet are all capable of drawing you in and zapping your focus in a heartbeat. Losing your concentration when trying to get anything done is never a good thing, but when it comes to magic practice loss of focus can be enough to make you want to give up altogether.

Tyranny of the New.

It is for this reason that I thought this post topic would be especially relevant to magicians as we constantly feel the need to learn new tricks and techniques to stay up to date. However, it can be this desire to stay at the forefront of what is happening in the world of magic that can be the biggest distraction from your magic practice. We’ve no doubt all experienced the feeling of excitement when a new trick is brought to our attention, we can’t wait to try it out and we drop everything to do so. This is fine if you are looking for something new, but what if you are in the middle of magic practice on another technique or trick? You’ve dropped something before you have mastered it. Often, by the time that you resume your practice on that particular skill it is almost like you have never even looked at it before, such is the power of distraction.

So, with this in mind, what can we do to minimise these distractions and help us to get some quality, focused magic practise done? Let’s take a look at a few pointers:

Make a decision (and stick to it) – Choose just one or two things to be the centre of your magic practice at any one time. These can be either new magic tricks, techniques or a mixture of both. The important thing is to stick with your chosen task and resist the urge to move onto something new before you have completely mastered them. Turn the psychology on its head and use it to your advantage. If there is something new and exciting that you are itching to work on, use that as an incentive. Tell yourself that the sooner you get to grips with ‘A’ the quicker you can move on to ‘B’.

Have a goal – Setting yourself a deadline can also be a great way to incentivise your task. However, it is important that you are not overly hard on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline, providing you have put sufficient work in. Sometimes it can be difficult to judge just how long it will take to learn a new trick.

Be consistent – Choosing a time and a place where you know that distractions will be kept at a minimum builds a routine that will allow you to focus a lot better. Setting this up will help others can get used to the idea as well. If your family know that you are going to be using a certain room, at a certain time, on a regular basis it will be far less likely that you will incur accidental disturbances.

Meditate – Maintaining focus is very much a state of mind and something that can improve with time. Practising meditation can help with focus as can other relaxation techniques. Of course, this is something that is going to differ within each of us, but it proves that with practice the mind can be retrained to concentrate better and work in a more productive fashion. Take breaks and use a peaceful alternative activity to relax and take time out from focused practice. Read, paint, build Lego or FunWhole models. The key is to change pace, unwind and reset before continuing practice.

By using the tips above you will find that your magic practice sessions will soon become far more fruitful, which means that you will learn more in a shorter space of time. Now, who doesn’t want that?

How to Find an Audience for Your Magic Tricks

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Richard writes: 'I've been practicing magic for a few years, but only performing to my family. How do I find an audience for my magic tricks?'

Nice work Richard! You've been practicing your magic over the long term, and that shows a real commitment to develop as a magician. Like many people, you have reached the point where you have run out of new people to see your tricks. After all, magic needs fresh eyes because a magic trick is never as strong when it's repeated to the same person. Lets look at some ways you can start performing to a wider audience.

Dominic Reyes recorded a short video in which he talks about finding an audience for your magic tricks:

In a nutshell, it's all about reaching out to the community. You already have an audience that would love to see your magic. It doesn't have to be a commercial transaction as the real value for you initially is experience. Start looking for an audience for your magic tricks amongst the charity and support sector. Study the 'what's on' guide to look for events that might like to 'bolt on' some close up magic. Advertised events may be at a stage where they have already arranged the entertainment, but that should not stop you. The goal is to make contact with the organisers and introduce yourself. When the best season of events start to be planned, you can recontact and be at the front of their minds, when they are doing serious planning.

The secret is to MAKE CONTACT. The world will not come to you, all by itself.

Introduce yourself and become known in those circles. If you make an effort to put yourself out there as a possible entertainment choice, you will land some gigs sooner or later.

Remember to be active in the magic community. Join a local magic club and be INVOLVED. You will have fun, learn, and develop an understanding of your local areas market for magicians.

Feeling Clumsy and Don’t Know How to Start Learning Magic Trick – Problems

by Merchant of Magic Leave a Comment

David writes:

‘It is only recently that I have tried to learn magic, but the thing I find most perplexing, is where should I start? Where can I learn the basics. There are so many incredible things out there, it is easy to get lost and become confused. Most people dream of winning the lottery, or becoming a famous singer, or the like. Not me. I would love to be able to amaze and astound people with card magic. That has to be the ultimate goal. But I feel clumsy, and when I look at the hands of magicians on TV, I see slim and nimble fingers. Unlike mine.’

It’s great news that you have started to learn. You’re in for such a fun time! Learning how to do magic scores over many other hobbies as you can instantly start performing to a level that will impress your friends. That’s a far cry from the ‘painful’ learning period that beginners (and the people they live with) have to go through when learning a musical instrument.

As a place to start, check out these recommended first magic tricks for beginners.

You may also find these posts useful:

Where to Start Learning magic

How to start learning coin magic

You mention that you are worried about your hands. There’s no need to worry. Larger or small hands are no barrier to learning sleight of hand.

The main skill you will learn is dexterity in your fingers, a light touch, and the timing placement of your hands. These factors are not influenced by the size of your hands, just by the amount of practice you are prepared to put into your magic training.

Like anything worth learning, you are going to be clumsy at first. Your hands need to develop a light touch and you need to perfect the timing and flow for any moves you work on. Keep working on a magic practice drill.

As you work on your sleight of hand, choose some self working magic tricks, so you can begin performing right away whilst you work on your performing style, and confidence. Remember that it’s not a race. You build up skill over the long term. The only difference between you and a professional magician is the number of hours spent on practice.