Can Your Audience Guess the Secret to Your Magic Tricks?

I read this on a famous magic forum... 

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out something is going on his hand..." 

There's no B.S. on this blog. Here's the truth... 

I see a lot of magicians always posting about their spectators knowing how something is done - and I've never understood that concern.

I just googled "jumping x on hand magic trick" and double cross is the first 2 entries. Yet, almost every magician owns one of those gimmicks. 

Times have changed.

Perhaps it's something for us all to consider as performers.

We perform a trick and they have a great time - whether 10% of our audience suspects there was something in the magicians hand or not, does it matter?

If 1% of the people at the gig google it to discover the secret, does it matter?

My phone blows up when Blaine or Dynamo does something online/on TV. Or when Britain's Got Talent or America's Got Talent is on.

I get WhatsApp messages from family and friends, asking me if I know how it's done.

As a magician, the same probably happens to you.

There's a certain percentage of people that will care to go after the secret, and there's a larger percentage of people who just enjoy the performance.

You have to ask yourself a question. 

"Do I perform to make myself look good? Or do I perform to make them feel good?

The former is about building yourself up. In this scenario the secret is everything. Because the secret is what gives you the adulation of your audience. 

No wonder you feel threatened by an easy method, or something that looks like it could be 'guessed' or 'discovered' by your audience. 

Right now, during the trick, you know something they don't - but if they knew it too, your identity would be threatened. 

However, let me tell you something nobody has ever told you before. You are more than what you do. 

You are more than your job, more than your hobbies and more than what you learned on a $30 download. 

Your identity isn't fixed, it's reality is solidified by the one perceiving it. 

• To someone you perform a magic trick to, you're a magician. 
• To someone you tell a few jokes to, you're funny. 
• To someone you help out, you're a generous person. 
• To someone you beat to a parking space, you're an a**hole. 

I used to go through life with 'magic' as my identity, in tattoos, in my clothing, in my social media handles e.g (@geraint.magic, @magicofdeduction etc). 

With that mindset, where my entire identity is magic, I'd be bothered if the secret was obvious, or discoverable. As it would challenge my identity - and make me look & feel far less unique. 

"It's not abut my identity, I just don't want to look stupid in public."

I get that too, but here's some tough love... A flap card breaking, a separated double lift, a missed 'sleeve' of a coin, won't destroy you.

Life goes on. 

You remember your failures - but your audience won't - and even if they do, it'll be 0.0000001% of their life. Completely insignificant.

They've got their own stuff to worry about. Kids, bills, work, heartbreak etc. 

If you perform to 10,000 people and 100 know the secret - it's still just 1%. 

99% of people go with it. 99% love it. 99% tell their friends about it. 

The idea of being flawless is a myth. If that's what you expect you'll never be able to do anything.

• Famous Chef's burn food every now and again.
• Famous F1 Driver's spin off the track every now and again. 
• World-class athlete's pull muscles, or break limbs. 

Failure is inevitable.  

So you've just got to go out with the intention of having fun... and it's not about you being flawless. 

It's about sharing something cool with those who are receptive to it - and not bothering with those who aren't. 

A Gift To You 

Here's a gift for you for reading this far. This was the first magic DVD I ever bought. 

It's by my business mentor Brad Christian and it's called Crash Course 2. 

Yes, it's old and in 4:3 aspect ratio, but it's a masterpiece. 

And today you can get it for free. Just add it to your cart and checkout and you'll get the download in your Ellusionist account. 

Why am I doing this?

Because I feel magic has lost it's way over the last few years - and hopefully the thing that sparked my passion can re-ignite yours. 

Get out there, do it, perform, share, fail & have fun along the way. 

Magic isn't real, so those looking for a perfect method will never find it - and they'll be unfulfilled forever. 

And those looking to never get caught will live in fear - and never perform anything.

Hopefully that's not you.