How People-Pleasing Destroyed My Passion For the Art of Magic

And What I Did to Save it

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When most magicians are asked why they are interested in the art of magic and pursue it passionately, they will, in essence, answer by saying: “It is my conviction that magic can bring emotions the spectator will never feel elsewhere than with magic — and it is thus my job to provide such a unique experience to him”.

However, what a people-pleasing magician never adds to his answer is “ […] regardless of the consequences on my life”.

I’ll always remember the shock of experiencing the “impossible” for the first time, after one of my friends seemingly guessed the card I was thinking of, without saying anything to him.

I’ll also never forget the two, consecutive thoughts I had after that experience:

1. “That was so cool! I have to discover how he did that!”
2. “I have to share this experience and feeling with others so that, they too, can know what it’s like!”.

This second thought, in particular, was crucial to my interest in the art of magic — since it determined all the choices and actions I would implement to achieve my ultimate goal, i.e. giving others an unforgettable and “impossible” experience with the secrets I discovered.