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Ok so you’ve got the card magic basics down, you have started to learn-magic-tricks, you’ve been practicing magic and now you just need some people to show the magic tricks you’ve been working on. How do you find them?
You’ve got a built in audience with your friends and family. But, be warned, these are some of the toughest people to perform for. They know you. They know that magic isn’t real. They are happy to bust your chops if you mess up. If you’re trying to do anything serious, like mentalism, you’ll have a hard time convincing them to take you seriously.
But, on the other hand, they are also the most patient, loving and understanding people in your life. They want you to succeed. So, think carefully about who you ask to watch. Your Mom and Dad are likely to be more forgiving than your snotty-nosed, annoying little brother!
If you’re an adult learning magic you’ve got a ready made audience every day at work. When someone is on a break, making lunch, getting some water, you have the chance to approach them and ask to practice something you’re working on. Most people in an office, or at any job, would relish the chance to stop working for a few moments and see something cool.
If you’ve learned some easy tricks for kids and feel you’re ready to try some out, school is a great place to practise. Do remember that during recess there will be a ton of people who would love something different to do. You can start with your friends, and when they react in an amazed way, other people will look round and want to see! This is your way in. You can even ask your friends to really react loudly to make sure other people realize what’s happening!
If you’re of drinking age, and have realized that just because you’re 30 it’s not too late to learn magic, then a bar has one massive advantage to all the other places here. There’s liquor involved. And slightly intoxicated people are easier to show magic to. They’re more open, they’re more up for something different and because alcohol reduces certain inhibitions they’re easier to misdireect and perform for. They’re also likley to react in a larger way because the booze will have removed some of their inhibitions.
Be warned though, very drunk people are not fun to perform for. They’ll forget cards, they’ll grab for your props, they’ll fail to follow simple instructions and they will think they are hilarious.
There’s an art to spotting the right level of drunkenness. You’ll figure it out!
This is harder. People are busy. Going about their day and probably don’t want to be accosted by a stranger inviting them to pick a card. But, here’s the skinny, these are the perfect people to mess up a trick for when you are learning because you’ll never see them again! People waiting for a train or bus, people in line for a coffee or sandwich, people waiting for a friend. Anyone with time to kill is perfect to approach asking if you can show them something interesting. Just smile, be polite, be aware you will be rejected by many people and soldier on. You might just make someone’s day by sharing a little miracle with them.
We hope you found this article useful. If you want to learn some more magic tricks, then we recommend our free video, 10x10 by the amazing Paul Wilson. He’ll teach you ten tricks and ten sleight-of-hand moves you can amaze some of these people we mention.
