I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment of this short video from Derek DelGaudio and The Future of Storytelling.

Which was one reason I started my magic podcast

Besides telling stories from the last almost 6 years of performing magic on the street (mostly)…

I wanted to break down and unpack the disdain I have for most magic.

The above video and picture I cropped out of it…

signify the main problem…

which I gave a name and reference point for on the podcast.

Too many tricksters and not enough magicians.

The reality is magic isn’t about tricks, moves, methods…

it’s about the experience of the audience.

The connective way the performer creates this…

and the performer trying to communicate something bigger than just deceiving audience members.

When you see the average magician perform…

it’s the unending diarrhea of boring, visually obvious remarks mixed with…

meaningless tricks garnering only fleeting surprise.

Therefore Derek, like myself, believes this art has become maligned and denigrated through the hackneyed approach of “our own”…

the unthinking plagiarist who, in often the poorest of tastes, mimics the last 400 examples of the same trick.

It should be videos like this act as a clarion call to remove yourself from these weak practices and instead hoe your own road.

If you’ve followed the podcast at all, you’ll see I have highlighted many artists who fit the bill of distancing themselves from the mediocrity.

Artists such as Ricky Jay, Rene Lavand, Roberto Giobbi, Michael Weber and others forthcoming as the episodes continue to roll out.

Every day I see so-called “magicians” share videos like the one at the start of this post.

In fact, this is how I stumbled across this video

I see them like and agree with these kinds of assertions.

Yet when they perform…

there is absolutely nothing, zilch, zero…

of the thinking promoted here.

It isn’t present in any way, shape or form.

They seemingly know enough to parrot correct ideas.

So why not go the extra mile and DO IT?

This may forever remain a mystery. 

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