Back in 2019, I had one goal: perform magic full-time.
No backup plan. No “safety net.” Just a deck of cards and a head full of delusion that passion alone could pay the bills.
Then the world shut down. Venues closed. Gigs vanished. And suddenly, “being a performer” felt more like a dream than a job description.
Five years later, I prefer the stability of a paycheck. The structure. The security. The comfort of knowing rent will get paid, even if I don’t pick up a deck for a month.
But I started wondering… am I alone in that?
Did the pandemic change how you see magic too?Did it make the dream smaller - or sharper?Did it turn your passion into a hobby again?
I want to know where the community stands now.Not just the pros, but everyone - from bedroom cardists to working mentalists.
So tell me:
1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?3. What do you do for work now?4. What’s your goal with magic these days?5. What’s standing in your way right now?6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
Respond below with your answers and we'll pick one comment at random to win a $100 Ellusionist Gift Card. (Yes, really. No catch. We just want to hear from you.)
157 comments
Jake
1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
Programmer
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
Street Performing
3. What do you do for work now?
Programmer
4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
Higher paying gigs.
5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Work and my own motivation.
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
Idk maybe host online events or some other way to make practice / learning social.
William Neagle L Neagle
Life was good before the pandemic. I was doing weekend gigs to earn some “travel” money while being a full time teacher. (And, yes, I do perform some magic for my students. It makes a great bribe to get something done quickly.) But when the pandemic hit, there was nothing going on but, because there was a pandemic, I wasn’t traveling either. Then things came back quickly and I was booked more regularly than before. And then this year came. It has completely blown up and traveling? I ain’t got time for that now. Seriously, my plate is full and I have no complaints. I’m at the stage of life where this is exactly where I need it to be. My magic income has tripled and I’m actually throwing gigs to other magician friends. How can Ellusionist help in this situation. Keep putting up things to break the stiltedness of repeating the same trick for the zillionth time. And, hey, an offer for house money isn’t so bad either. But I’m livin’ the dream and dreaming the life.
laurence Hudierez
Back in 2019, I was working at either Sam’s Club or Macy’s I honestly can’t remember which but at that time, my big goal was to build a YouTube channel with Jibrizy, which actually happened. The plan was for that to take off so I could eventually have my own magic show, like Criss Angel, David Blaine, or Cyril. Unfortunately, only Jibrizy blew up, and I got complacent. I then shifted my focus toward America’s Got Talent and even got a call from a producer, but I realized I’m more of a performer than a creator I struggled to build original routines, even after video chatting with Justin Miller for consulting. These days, I work for Apple Retail while still holding onto my dream of becoming a TV magician or a performer like Justin Flom. What’s standing in my way right now is mainly my personal situation I’m behind on bills, I’m the only one in my family currently working, and I just don’t have the funds to move forward the way I want to. I truly believe Team E could help me with a blueprint or roadmap to achieve these dreams because I know I have what it takes to reach the top I just need the right guidance to get there
James MacElroy
1) In 2019 I was selling solar panels door to door.
2) To be able to perform impromptu effects to impress people (especially women), hoping I may get more invitations to various events. This actually worked!
3) I am retired. I work part-time one day a week.
4) My goal is to get ready for Halloween. I belong to SAM#4 and we volunteer at various hospitals and nursing homes. After Halloween, I want to get ready for the holidays.
5) I am standing in my own way. I am lazy :(
6) Ellusionist could have themed effects (Halloween, Christmas, etc). Halloween SOCKS is a great example. Maybe some routines for close-up and parlor.
Thanks for doing this. I’ve been using Ellusionist for years and am very happy with the support!
Dave Nickodemus
. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
I had just started my family entertainment business: Puppet Tales. Created a website, started sending emails to try and book shows. Was making some great progress. . . and then the pandemic hit!
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
To build it into a full-time business.
3. What do you do for work now?
I’m still doing magic and entertaining. The business continues to grow with a very busy summer season. It’s my full-time job now, but need to scale it to make it more financially beneficial.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
Continue to grow my business brining high quality magic and puppet shows to thousands of people, continue to improve as a performer with better magic tricks, stronger puppetry, great show scripts.
5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Just need to keep getting my name out there, get in front of people, let people see what I do!
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
Keep bringing amazing effects that amaze both kids and adults!
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.