Just the thought of it is magical…. New Years Eve.  It’s the night were we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.  It’s the reset button on our lives.  No matter how upsetting the previous year may have been, it’s almost like in that one night we get a fresh start.  We set new goals, we have new desires, and even though we will grow a year older in how ever many months, we almost feel younger; sort of newer in that first new day of the year.

New Years Eve is a GREAT night for magicians!  If you haven’t been booked for a show of your own yet, why not take this evening and go see one of the greats?  They all have shows somewhere on that evening.  You may have to do a bit of searching, but chances are there is a magic show in your town, or near you town on that night.  If you don’t have a show, why not call a restaurant and get booked to perform table-side?  It’s a great chance to practice your close-up magic, gain some recognition, and possibly get booked for a show from someone who sees you and loves you.

There are tons of people out on NYE, so get out there and get some exposure.  Restaurants will be packed that evening, so you’ll have no down time if you chose to go this route.  Heck, you’ll even make some money.  The restaurant may pay you, as well as the tips you’ll receive.  Of course, if you are already booked for a show, then way to go!  Have a blast!

Lastly, you can always conjure up your own show on that night.  Create a classy dinner party with invited friends and family, and actually perform a show for them.  They will never forget it.  If kids are your thing, then invite all the kids in the neighborhood for a special NYE kids show.  Your neighbors will love you and it’s a great opportunity to get some referrals.

Seek out the opportunities!  That’s what successful people do.  They don’t sit around and wait for something to happen, they make something happen.  With this kind of energy you will be amazed at what doors open up for you.

We’ve all been there.  You go to place the lighter back in your pocket, picking up the egg, and your hand gets stuck in your jacket pocket.  This leaves you having to shake your hand in order get it out of the pocket. And how invisible is that?  Not very.  This leaves people skeptical, and even if they can’t see the palmed egg, they know something is awry.  Here is a simply way to handle this trick that takes a little practice but will be well worth it.

Have the egg in your pocket.  As you go to place the lighter in the pocket, change the grip to have it between your index finger and thumb. It should be almost parallel with your index finger.  This will free up all of your other fingers to be able to grip the egg.  Scoop up the egg with the fingers, still holding the lighter with your thumb and index finger.  That way the objects will not touch creating noise.

Now drop the lighter.  Your hand will now be gripping the egg, but if you were to pull it out like this, the pocket will get stuck and you’ll have to shake your hand.  So, to avoid the shake, place the egg between your thumb and forefinger, and straighten out the rest of the rest of your fingers.  This will make it easy to pull your hand out without snagging the pocket. As soon as the egg is out of the pocket go ahead and curl the fingers around it in a normal palming position.

The final step to make it seem really natural, is to grab a hold of your lapel and straighten out your jacket, letting you hand then return to a normal position at your side.  This will seem totally normal to the spectator.

The effect of penetration in magic is one of the most astounding, and actually one of the oldest tricks. Every magician should think of having one or two of these spell binders in his or her repertoire.

A penetration trick is one in which one solid object appears to pass through another solid object.  This type of stunt defies all laws of physics and so it can really have a deep psychological affect on your audience.  Nothing grabs attention quicker that one of these illusions.

History is full of examples of this penetration effect, such as ghosts passing through walls, people appearing in locked rooms, the sword in the stone, and so on.  So the illusion that a magician can create is a very powerful one.

A magician can execute these effects using gimmicked props or simply using sleight of hand and misdirection.  And they range from large stage illusions, to pocket size up close magic.  For instance, a magician can walk through mirrors on stage, or dozens of swords can be passed through the body of the assistant.  Or up close, a cigarette can pass through a coin, or a coin through a handkerchief.

One of the most powerful ways to use this magic is being able to take two objects from an audience member and pass one through the other.  You won’t regret adding a few of things mind boggling illusions into your routines.

Most people think that the success of a magician is in his hands.  We spend so much time examining the props, or the sleight of hand, or the beautiful assistants, etc that all make up a great magic show.  But no matter how good a magician is at his or her tricks, none of it determines the success of a magician.

So if you really want to be a successful magician where should you look?  What should you study?  The answer to that is his or her mind.  The success of anyone in life is determined by one thing and one thing only, and that is our thought process.  Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people.  And the same is true for a magician.  So if you want to make it in this field, start to think like the people who have made it.

First off, successful magicians believe in themselves.  They actually think thoughts that propel them forward toward their dream.  They think they can do it, and therefore they do.  They are not arrogant and full of themselves, which is actually an indication that someone DOES NOT believe in themselves. On the contrary, great magicians are very humble.  They are grateful for what they have and what they can do because at their core is a deep belief in their talents and abilities.

Also, a magician has the ability to be single-minded.  Now, what does that mean?  It means that they have the ability to focus completely on their magic, for whatever time they are practicing or performing, they can fully throw themselves in it in any given moment.  Now this is not to say that magic becomes all you think about.  And that it should come before your family.  It just means that even if it’s for 10 minutes a day, you completely devote yourself to magic.

Great magicians, just like any successful person, if very self aware and aware of their motivations.  They know what’s driving them to do what they love to do.  And they thrive on that.  Knowing yourself is key to discovering what motivates you.

Many times people think that the magician is really the source of all the magic.  Partly this is true, because it requires the talent of the magician to pull off all of the intricate, fascinating details.  But in some tricks it’s really the props that are responsible for the effect.  And good props make good magic.  T doesn’t matter if you buy your props or make your props, but everyone knows that a failure with the props can mean a failure in the show.

Here are some guidelines for using props in your magic performance….

Know your tricks- some magicians rely so heavily on the prop that they don’t really know how to best execute the trick.  And vice versa, some magicians don’t know how to fully utilize a prop because they don’t know the trick well enough.    Fully learn a trick inside and out before performing it, with or without a prop.

Avoid buying gimmicked cards or coins- these tricks should be executed without a gimmick.  Using everyday cards or coins creates trust with the spectator.  And getting good at using regular cards and coins first and then moving on to more advanced tricks using gimmicks will provide a great foundation.

Maintain your props- let’s face it, magic props can be expensive, so take care of them.  Besides, good looking props just make you look better.  Keeping a well maintained supply will have you getting more referrals and more money.  This includes keeping your props away from temperature extremes and moisture.  Periodically inspect your props to make sure they are at their best.

Do not skimp- when you are buying magic props don’t let money be the deciding factor.  You get what you pay for and cheap props will not last long or work as smoothly.  If it’s out of your budget don’t settle for something that will break down after a few uses.  Better to save up and get the nice props.  You will be glad you did.  Many magic stores will offer a discount for buying in bundles.  This is always the way to go.  You’ll get more bang for your buck.

Having a successful magic business really has nothing to do with how talented you are.  You can have the most spectacular, mind-blowing show, but that alone will not have your phone ringing off the hook.  What makes the difference?  Marketing and promoting you.  Just like any other business, the business of magic is dependent upon getting your name out there and having the people who need your services come to know, like and trust you.  But before they can know, like, and trust you, they have to find you and know that you even exist.

So how do you make that happen?  Well, there are many ways to promote yourself and they can cost very little or as far as your check book can take you.  There is no limit to the amount of money you can spend on marketing.  But if you simply want to get started there are a few musts that your marketing campaign must contain.

First off, if you don’t have a website, get into the 21^st century and get one.  Whether it’s a mom looking for a magician for her kid’s birthday party or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company looking for a corporate magician, chances are the largest percentage of them will search on the internet.  If you’re not there, another magician just got the gig that you could have.  Also, if you don’t already have a website, don’t try to create one yourself.  Leave it to the experts.  Just like you wouldn’t have just anybody perform magic, it takes years of practice.  Same thing here.  You can get a great website starting at just a few hundred dollars up to thousands, all depending on your budget.  Make sure your website person also knows about social media and SEO and can implement strategies for you.  Your website should also be set up as a blog that you can submit articles to a few times a week, keeping your website fresh and at the top of the search engines.  This is where it’s at in marketing today.  If you don’t have all of this in place, you are missing out on tons of business.  Find a good internet marketer today and start getting yourself an online presence.

Aside from the internet, other ways to promote yourself are:  business cards, brochures that you can pass out at kids’ shows or leave at stores, etc., flyers, videos, and the list goes on and on.  The purpose of these materials is to get your name out there.  Also, the materials should not be about all the wonderful and fabulous stuff you can do, but more about how you can solve the problems of the people who need you.  For instance, the CEO of a company looking for a corporate magician doesn’t necessarily care how many women you have sawed in half, but they do care if you can entertain 500 people at their yearly convention.  See the point?

Have you ever watched a big stage magic show and really wanted to perform the stunts and illusions that you saw?  Some of them are so incredible, so baffling that you probably can’t even imagine how to proceed. Being a magician, you probably have parts of them figured out right away, but other parts seem unsolvable.  And don’t count on the magician to show you how it’s done, you know the oath.

One of my favorite illusions is the famous box trick.  Now there are several versions of the box trick but my favorite is the one where the magician locks the assistant inside, and then stands up on the top of the box with a curtain.  Then, on the count of 3, they switch places and now she is on top of the box and the magician is locked inside.

It’s incredible to watch, but even more fun to perform.  You can find the gimmicked box at an online store or go to your favorite local magic store.  They may be able to order one for you.  The whole key to the stunt is in the lid of the box.  The lid has a portion in the center that folds down, just enough for the 2 of you (magician and assistant) to slip through.  You are able to open it only from the inside.

To add an extra element of difficulty, use a bag with a draw string tie that you can tie in a knot to put the assistant in, while inside the box.  This special bag actually has no bottom, so one can easily slip out the bottom.

This box trick requires a lot of practice.  It also requires that you have an assistant who is small enough, quick enough, and flexible enough to squeeze through the small opening in the lid at lightning speed.  Of course, you need to be as well.  Just think, with a few weeks of practice you can be performing big stage illusions just like this one.  It will add a whole new element to your show!

Let’s face it, magic is a business.  And just like any other business you have to book gigs in order to get paid.  Some people think that magicians can magically make money appear, but no they don’t.  A successful magic business requires time, energy, sales, and marketing, just like every other business out there.  Magicians have to make money just like everyone else in order to buy things in which to survive.  Sure it’s an art form, but there is no reason for anyone to be a starving artist!

Some people have made a fortune in the magic business.  So why can’t you?  It’s time to treat your magic business like a business and start filling your calendar with high paying gigs so you can live a life that you love, and truly enjoy your magic, instead of struggling.

Following these 2 strategies can open the door and allow this success to begin to happen for you:

Market yourself.  Take out print ads.  One place to do it is in the newspaper.  Taking out a one inch column ad is enough to capture people’s attention and it’s affordable.  Of course, you absolutely must have a functional, user friendly website.  Your website must be able to capture peoples contact information so that you can continue to market to them over and over again.  Give away something fee on your site such as a white paper or e-book.  This will require people to give you their email address.  Also marketing yourself at your shows is important. Give away handouts with your contact information on it.  This keeps your name around and available to people.

Deliver your best.  When you are out there working, always do your best.  No news spreads faster than bad news.  If you do a bad job, EVERYONE will hear about it.  Count every show as equally important! You never know who will be watching.  Your next gig could come from anywhere, so always be prepared, and always do your best!  There is absolutely no excuse for “half-doing” a show.  If you find yourself doing that, just know that another magician is waiting in the wings to take your next offer.  Giving your best every time will allow you to create a reputation for yourself.  Either way, you create a reputation.  What’s the one you want to create?

In many ways magic is an optical illusion.  As a spectator, the magic takes place right before your very eyes.  You don’t see what is really going on, so what you experience is an illusion.  However there are some particular optical illusions that can astound the spectator.  And so both magic and optical illusion, though they are not the same, are very similar.  The both amaze, fascinate, and deceive an audience.

Magic is based on optical illusion because it involves the use of misdirection, either through hand dexterity or creative patter.  This makes it seem like you can perform the unnatural.  One of the most famous illusionists of all was Harry Houdini.  He developed a magic technique called Pepper’s Ghost.  With Pepper’s Ghost illusory technique a hologram is created with the use of tiny glass fibers.  This allowed him to hide certain images, and also create certain images.  The use of a black background is critical in creating this optical illusion.

In the late 1800’s Houdini was able to make an elephant disappear and then reappear with this use of this technique.  Since then many magicians have utilized this type of technique and it actually became patented in 1860.

One can hardly separate magic from optical illusion, since they really go hand in hand.  As a magician you can use many creative techniques to involve optical illusion in your act.  Using shadows is an easy way to make something appear or disappear.  Also tricks such as making a glass appear to be full of water with the use of a material inside the glass making it look like there is liquid inside.  Meanwhile you are able to fill it with coins and pour them out, when the audience is expecting a liquid.

What may be just as important as the tricks that magicians do, is the clothes that they wear.  The clothing or costuming that a magician wears is actually part of the routine.  And smart magicians know this.  What you are wearing is the strongest non-verbal form of misdirection.  And it is ultimately one of the most important details of your routine.

If you think about the classic magician you probably automatically think of black tux, and bowtie.  And if you are a classic magician performing tricks like dove production, etc. then this is the correct costume for you.  But think about the goth-rock style of Criss Angel or the hoodie, street style of David Blaine.  Do you think they dress just to match their personality?  Guess again!  It is a well planned marketing effort.  It’s all about personal branding, and with the mentioned magicians, it’s a huge selling point for them.  It makes them memorable.

So when considering what type of costume you want to wear for your routine, ask yourself the following three questions:

1-Does it match my persona?  Make sure your style matches the persona and magic style that you want to convey.

2-Misdirection-how can I make my outfit misdirect my audience and have them thinking and feeling things that I want them to?

3-Gimmicks- does this costume allow me to carry around all of the necessary props and gimmicks that I use.  Some magicians use no gimmicks, and so this is a non issue.  Others use many and so you must have a costume that is easy for you to use, with lots of pockets inside and out.  And sleeves that fit just right.

Clothing can be a very powerful tool for magician’s to use.  So give this aspect lots of thought and you will come up with what is just right for you.  Then be consistent.  Don’t send the public a mixed message by changing your style all of the time.  Go with what works and stick to it.