I’m Shy Doing Magic Tricks For Friends

I asked Scott: What are you struggling with right now?

Here’s how he replied:

I’m an older guy, but a beginner magician. In my professional life, I present material in front of crowds and run meetings all day long – and fearlessly. But, when it comes to debuting my new little magic trick to friends I am uncharacteristically shy – I can’t bring myself to do it.

This failure to perform is affecting my practice, since it’s non-motivating to spend hours on a trick no one will see. This lack of confidence also leads me to over-thinking – is the patter right, what other tricks should I link it to, etc.

Just spelling out the problem gives me stuff to think about, but I was touched by your request and thought I’d make myself respond.

Thank you for any thoughts you have, Scott

Scott talks in front of a crowd professionally, and runs meetings all day long… But in those situations he is a different person. He are in a professional role, playing a ‘part’.

Many of us become shy doing magic tricks for friends, because they see us differently. We are seen and treated differently by different groups of people… Our friends see through the magician BS.. We are laid bare.

Your friends know you don’t really have powers.. They feel comfortable heckling you. Why shouldn’t they? There’s no need for them to play by the same rules that your audience or meeting members have too. Their social norms are different..

All this can throw magicians off their game, and it’s usually why beginners struggle.. The toughest audience is our family and friends. Ironically, that’s the very audience most beginners face first of all.

If you can relate to this is your own life and find you become shy doing magic tricks for your friends or family, read this free ebook as its full strategies that will help

The Pitfall of Performing to Family and Friends – by Dominic Reyes

I hope this helps you

Dominic Reyes

The Magicians Wife Test

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Why using a magicians wife test isn’t always the best way to try out a new magic trick

Guy writes:

‘I bought a book explaining a card effect from you, I read the plot and set it up. As there was no sleight of hand, it was easy to do and practice. A lovely effect. Now my first victim on any magic is my wife (part of wifely duties is to put up with being the guinea pig on magic effects – aside from the other wifely duties). And obviously by now she knows all the sleights and tricks. After it was done she told me how the trick was accomplished; it didn’t fool her.‘

Hi Guy,

Many thanks for sharing this with us. One of the problems with using a friend or a family member as a guinea pig is that they begin to learn methods, and that’s what they begin to see when a performance is going on. Like us, they stop seeing and enjoying the ‘magic’, and they follow all the wrong things.

I never show my wife a trick first now as it can put me off performing it to a lay audience. My wife can see all the things I know a lay person will not see. My wife isn’t taken in by patter and generally doesn’t find me interesting if I start to talk about some psychological study, she knows what I know! If I begin talking to her about a subject that she knows to be just patter it won’t engage her, it just doesn’t have any effect. Other people who you don’t know, even friends you don’t see much of will be hooked in by your patter and then you can entertain them with the trick.

It can be good to test a routine with a ‘magicians wife test’ but the more wife tests you do, the wiser she will become and the harder it will be to get a great reaction. Look at a room full of magicians and how they can give great magic very little applause or reaction as they have an idea of what is going on. Methods are what are running through their minds when you perform, which means you never connect in the same way as you do to a completely lay audience.

Sometimes though an effect can also fall flat on one audience and go through the roof with others. The real secret is to work an effect with different audiences to see if it is ‘for you’ or not.

I hope this helps

Ben Williams

P.s You may also find this free ebook useful:

Not Doing Magic Tricks – How to Say No

by Merchant of Magic 1 Comment

By Ben Williams

Barry writes:

‘The bit I’m really struggling with is the people who do the line “oh, so you’re a magician…” and then expect to see something immediately. This is particularly a problem when someone who knows the stuff you do introduces you, so they have seen it all before.’

This can be a common problem. A lot of people have never seen close up magic before so they will jump at the opportunity to see magic first hand. One thing you should always do, whether you show them magic tricks immediately or don’t show them anything at all, is tobe polite. If you are polite and likeable, it doesn’t matter what you say.

If you are serious about your persona as a magician then you should always account for these types of situations. Have a few select items in your wallet or on your person so you have something to show. Turning around and saying, ‘oh, I haven’t brought anything along with me’ (unless you are a stage magician!) is a major let down and immediately ruins any mystery you may have about you.

If you are introduced as a magician, and someone wants to see some magic, remember that you are still in control of your actions. If you don’t show them a magic trick right away, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Sometimes delaying your performance and not showing them something right away can help intensify the excitement when you are ready to perform, which in turn can lead to better reactions.

Some of my favorite magicians are always 2 steps ahead of anyone else. Magicians like Gary Jones and Greg Wilson will already have loaded a card in your pocket or set something up as soon as they settle into a situation. If you pre-empt situations like this, when you do perform some magic tricks, it will seem absolutely impossible. If you keep this in mind and ready yourself, that is half the battle. Whenever possible, try to predict these situations!

However, if you really don’t want to perform you should not be afraid to say that you are having a night off. Make sure you tell your friends that there won’t be any magic tonight, and ask them not to introduce you as a magician. Most friends will understand this, and won’t want to knowingly put you on the spot.