My first gig or lessons learned
I had the pleasure of performing some walk around card magic at my brother's organization's annual fund raising gala this past weekend. It was a really swanky event. The organization, Center for Global Impact or CGI, rescues girls out of human trafficking and provides them with vocational training so that they can ultimately better their lives. Support the work they do at www.centerforglobalimpact.org
Here are a few take-aways I learned about walk around magic.
1. Pick the right trick. The first effect I tried was for a couple that had been married for 20 or so years. I wanted to do a version of a trick called the Anniversary Waltz. It's not especially difficult however it is quite involved. I messed it up a little bit and got all panicky. As the night went on I stuck to about 5 other effects I was super comfortable doing. This built my confidence and I became more relaxed and was able to engage others better.
2. Pick the right people. The key is to find a small group of people that are having a lull in their conversation or seem to just be waiting for something, anything to happen. I steered clear of groups that were heavily engaged in their own conversations, the last thing I wanted to do was to be an annoyance.
3. Fake it till you make it. I'm not the most confident person in the room, which is admittedly odd considering what I do. This requires me to fake that confidence until it hopefully becomes real. I think I have to kill my ego too. Great performer's have the ability to get outside of their own heads, perform, and be in the moment. They simply don't worry about how they look or if they are embarrassing themselves. I reckon this is especially necessary for a magician.
As I continue to reflect, I'm sure I'll find ways to improve and grow.
If you have an event you'd like to make special and unique we should talk. Shoot me an email and let's discuss your event and how we can make it magical for your guests.
Cheers,
Cecil
