The Magic Industry Changed. Did You?

1:
I didnt actually do work in 2019 i was still in full time education
I actually only got into magic in the 2020 lock down.
2:
Ill just do the same question but for my goals for when I started out.
My goal was to connect with other people on a deeper level by giving them the same feeling that I felt when I watched the trick for the first time. I was also hoping to do it with street magic and strangers on the street with insane reactions just like david blaine.

3:
Still in full time education

4:
I want to make my audiences experience (especially my street performances) epic and unforgetable.

5:
I cant seem to give the level off experience I want to give to my audience on a fairly consistent basis. People seem to have a lack of wonder when they watch my magic and carry on behaving in the state that they were in before the magic trick. They aren’t changed by the experience. Nothing has moved them.

6:
I really feel that I would benifit from hearing what other performers have to say about how to elevate the audiences experience rather than more tricks which are generally just a distraction ( unless there proper any time any where Ben Earl style effects then I will just drop everything and learn them because they are so good and they teach you much more than the trick itself)

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019? I was a year away from the end of my career with the Toronto Blue Jays and was still working occasionally as a magician and escape artist in Toronto, Canada.
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time? I had hoped that after leaving the Blue Jays position I would be able to have more time to perform but then spinal surgery and Covid basically ended my professional career.
3. What do you do for work now? I’m now a podcaster, author and birder.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days? A days doesn’t go by where I don’t pick up a deck of cards or some coins. I am still reading and learning new magic all the time, but not sure if performing publicly is something I want to do.
5. What’s standing in your way right now? I’m 65, have arthritis and some cognitive issues. Still, I’d love to do some coffee house magic and perform professionally again.
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there? Suggestions on how to reinvigorate my magic and perform on a local scale, not as a full time living, but to be able to share the magic with new audiences. I picked up my first magic trick when I was 14 and saw Doug Henning on opening night in Spellbound. No matter what, magic will always be part of my life.

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
I was a Merchandiser for the Pepsi Company
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
Wanted to at start Performing at Bars or small events
3. What do you do for work now?
Currently Unemployed.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
Lost my Goals. Wanted to create a character/Story Teller for spooky magic
5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Lost my passion for Magic due to mental health issues.
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
Well its been the a while since I’ve returned to the website. How to get the courage to perform magic and getting self employed business running.

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
retired Firefighter/paramedic (since 2013), fully disabled, lost left leg, living life large in a wheelchair.
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
no big goal, I’ve been into magic since age 13 (I’m 66 now). I’m a hobbyist, I go to 2 or 3 conventions/yr. I do one 15-minute performance/yr at my church holiday party
3. What do you do for work now? retired w/pension and SS.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days? continue to go to conventions, see old friends, make new friends – do my annual church act
5. What’s standing in your way right now? nothing
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there? improve the quality of many of your offerings and bring prices down.

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?

In 2019, I was performing magic full-time — mostly close-up shows, private gigs, and street performances. My life revolved around cards, coins, and connecting with people through wonder. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was everything I wanted.

2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?

To make magic my life — to perform professionally, travel the world, and eventually have my own show. I didn’t want a “backup plan.” I believed that if I dedicated myself completely, I’d somehow make it work.

3. What do you do for work now?

These days I work at a magic shop and also at a restaurant. It’s not the life I imagined back in 2019, but it gives me stability, structure, and time to think about where I want to take magic next.

4. What’s your goal with magic these days?

I want to keep magic close to my life, even if it’s not full-time. I still perform, create, and study it — but now I care more about quality than quantity. My goal is to find balance — to make magic meaningful again, not just a job.

5. What’s standing in your way right now?

Time, mostly. After long shifts, it’s hard to find the focus to create or practice deeply. But also, part of me is still figuring out what kind of magician I want to be in this new stage of life.

6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?

By inspiring that old spark again — showing that magic can still be bold, creative, and relevant. Not just tricks, but ideas that challenge and motivate us to grow. Sometimes, what magicians need most isn’t a new deck — it’s a reminder of why we started.