Stood Up

Magic is an interesting thing. It delivers an experience that is hopefully well...magical. But because it is likely presented in a way that is abstract from normal life. It appears as a separate magical event.... a trick.

But what is really interesting about the process of magic is how we might use it in life.

What if you use the same time-consuming process, of practice-failure-more practice, of method after rejected method, of incremental improvement, of polish, performance and sheen, and of brevity and compassion to deliver into the hands of another individual a single brief moment of wonder.

Using the premise of magic, to gift somebody an experience.

That's even more perfect, isn't it? More perfect than a trick.

But there's a problem, isn't there?

There is no rabbit. 

There is no top hat. 

There is no deck of cards.

They don't even know to suspect a double lift or Aronson stack.

They don't speak the language. But they think they do. Because you presented it so perfectly in their language.

There is effectively, in simplistic terms, nothing signalling the amount of effort it takes to make something look invisible. 

There can't be. 

There mustn't be. 

And yet...

This is perhaps why most magicians introduce themselves with a phrase such as "Can I show you something..." It allows a little time for you to prick up your ears, and wonder what....

In Magic, your audience knows they don't speak the language because they recognise that the language is Magic. They're not going to ask you for the deck of cards in order to try to duplicate what you've just done. It would be preposterous. 

But perform a little magic in real life and it will likely go unnoticed. 

You've misdirected perfectly. 

There's no round of applause. No recognition. Your personal magic is so perfectly invisible that it becomes almost perfectly worthless.

It is, ladies and gentlemen, and I don't use this overthrashed word lightly, a paradox.