Not exactly the average career, magic isn’t taught in colleges or universities and by many, is not even considered as a possible profession. However, there are many very successful magicians, who have dedicated their careers to magic – they are no different from other artists, just maybe with a little more mystery.
So if not formally taught, and Hogwarts doesn’t really exist, how does one take the first steps towards magic? Here are a few tips to consider.
Steps to Becoming a Magician
Begin by learning
To start out as a magician you don’t need to be 8 years old and have a beginners kit. You can begin by reading books, watching famous magician’s performances on YouTube, taking a look at instructional DVDs and videos online. Get an idea of what magic really means, understand some basics and make sure you have the right supplies. Choose the tricks you want to learn and buy the deck of cards, coins, and other items that can be purchased online or at a magic store.
Find a mentor
Even before this step, it’s good to get an idea of the type of magic you’d like to practice. Mio, for example, has been practicing close-up magic in Miami for years, but there are many other options: street magic, stage magic, children’s magic, etc. Once you make that choice, find someone to learn from. They may not reveal their tricks, but an experienced magician will help you with your technique, teach you some basics, and most importantly – inspire you.
Practice and innovate
Once you’ve gotten through the basics, you will need to practice day and night and perfect what you have learned. But that’s not all, no one wants to see the same old tricks over and over again, so try to come up with new ones. Be innovative, create your own magic and then practice that to perfection, so that when you perform, your audience will be fascinated.
Start small, dream big
Don’t expect well-paying, full-house gigs right away. You’ll probably have to perform for your friends and family at first. Then get started with smaller events, birthdays, churches, charities… Eventually, you will be able to land bigger and better-paying gigs, but you have to really want it, believe in yourself and work hard for it.
Network
Print business cards and give them to everyone. You never know who will decide they a magician for their event and if no one knows that you can perform, then they won’t hire you. Network online as well, join magician’s clubs, advertise on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, don’t be shy about it! At the end of the day, everyone wants a little bit of magic in their life.
We hope that the tips mentioned above help and inspire you to pursue your interests in magic. For more information on our services, please contact us.