The Art of Magic Series Web Journal

Art Works in 2010!

2010-01-26T09:17:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year! Hope you're feeling inspired to do great, truly artistic magic this year.

I've been giving lots of thought to continually finding ways to make my magic seem more spontaneous and natural. I find what it really comes down to is simply being in the moment. Paying attention. Paying attention to the spectators, paying attention to your surroundings, paying attention to how you feel in each moment. And acting accordingly. Even if your magic is tightly scripted, and you perform it with the same wording every time, how you deliver that script should absolutely NOT be the same... EVER.

While you may in fact find elements of your delivery and timing that tend to work the best, and you tend to deliver them more or less the same each time, nonetheless, you must remain open to what feels most appropriate in each moment when you are actually performing. There can and should be at least subtle (and often not so subtle) differences in each performance.

What we're really talking about is communication. The root of the word "communicate" means "to have union with", to connect with another human being. Are you connecting with real people on a real, human level, or are you simply "talking at" your "spectators". If you're simply following your script, on autopilot, with the exact same delivery every time, that's what it amounts to.

While this is especially true of close up magic, it's also true of all other types of performance, even "silent" magic performed to music. Are you "present"? Are you in the moment? Are you paying attention and relating to your audience as real human beings, and not just "spectators"?

Keep this in mind next time you perform.

And hey, here's an update on the Art Works campaign and follow up to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman's visit to Peoria. ArtsPartners just announced the release of this new video highlighting the arts in Central Illinois. (Included below.) And this weekend I'm attending a meeting of arts advocates to begin putting forward the participation and "working together" that Chairman Landesman suggested.

Art works!

NEA Chair Plays in Peoria

2009-11-10T07:11:00.003-06:00

This past Friday, I took part in a discussion that was part of a visit to Peoria by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman, Rocco Landesman. The visit came about as a result of comments that Chairman Landesman made several months ago, saying that he didn't know if Peoria had a theatre, but that if so, it probably wasn't as good as the Steppenwolf in Chicago. Suzette Boulais, Executive Director of ArtsPartners, and Kathy Chitwood, Executive Director of Eastlight Theatre each wrote to Rocco, saying he should come see for himself what Peoria has to offer. And he took them up on it, using his visit to Peoria as the kickoff for his Art Works tour, which will have him visiting cities throughout the country to learn how art shapes the economics, city revitalization, and social development of communities. He wrapped up his visit by attending a special performance of Rent at Eastlight.

The discussion I attended took place at WTVP studios and was taped for the NEA website, as well as a special edition of At Issue, a WTVP program with producer/host, H. Wayne Wilson. I was one of the audience members who posed questions to Chairman Landesman in both tapings.

I have a strong sense that those of us in the arts have a responsibility to make our voices heard, when it comes time to shape public policy that effects how the arts are funded and allowed to thrive. One of the interesting points that Chairman Landesman made is that even some Congress members have made comments about the (comparitively miniscule) amounts of the national budget directed to supporting the arts being frivolous, and that it could instead go to creating "real jobs". Rocco pointed out that someone who'd spent their life working to become the top violinist in a symphony orchestra would not think they didn't have a "real job". And he went on to note that the number of people who have full time jobs in the arts is actually greater than the number of people with jobs in the transportation sector and automobile manufacturing industries combined.

There was also discussion of the arts in education, how it's the first thing eliminated when budgets are tight. And yet it's been shown again and again that students who have the arts as a part of their curriculum achieve higher in all areas of academic pursuit, as well as at success in life and business after leaving school, than those who don't. We need the arts if we're to compete effectively on the world stage. Those who claim otherwise are simply ignorant of the facts.

So it's obvious that the arts play a major role in the economic, academic, and cultural health of our society, and it's time that those of us who have a stake in the arts step up and educate people on the realities of not only the part that art plays in our personal lives, but also of the value it has in our economic health as a nation.

The True Value of Art and Entertainment

2009-11-03T10:13:00.004-06:00

Well, it's been a while since I've shared anything here, so I thought it was high time. I've had a busy summer, and I'm currently gearing up for my holiday season. I've been tracking some of the press on corporate holiday parties, and how many companies are cutting back, due to the economy. And of course that can often cut into the bottom line of those of us who earn our living performing in such markets.

This morning I was thinking about entertainment and the real value of it. It's also come up recently about the importance of the arts and the loss we all suffer when funding cuts lead to the elimination of arts related programs.

So as a performing artist and entertainer, I give some real thought to the value of live entertainment. I was realizing that in our culture, much of the entertainment is mostly escapist in nature. In other words, people use it to "zone out" of their everyday stresses. Which is fine as far as it goes, but unfortunately, it often leads to "lowest common denominator" types of fare. Entertainment that just goes for the shock value, or the glitz and glamour that grabs attention, but has no real value beyond pure escapism.

In this climate of mindless media, it's easy to see why people often think of entertainment as frivolous and unimportant and having no real value. In order for entertainment to make the leap to performing art, there has to be something with a bit more depth: a message with meaning, or something that makes people think or feel, or simply something with real "heart and soul".

It needn't be complicated or even blatantly obvious. Red Skelton comes to mind for me. He played the clown, but in everything he did, his humble sincerity shone forth like a beacon of compassion. He touched people.

In magic, it's easy to be "lazy" and just go for the "I fooled you" effect. But what about creating a deeper experience? What about putting something of yourself into your magic, so that you can create a common experience for your audience? Doesn't matter if it's an experience of wonder or joy or something else entirely, so long as it has some real depth. Sincerity, honesty, something real.

Perhaps when and if we do this, it will become easier to sell what we do in the relevant markets in which we work. Entertainment can have more true value to people, value that makes a difference in their lives. We just have to create it that way.

And speaking of the value in what we do, here's a really interesting story from this week's CBS Sunday Morning program on how sleight of hand effects the brain, and how it may even be useful in helping to diagnose autism. Here it is.

Come See Me Perform Live!

2009-04-14T11:43:00.003-06:00

If you're in or near the Peoria, Illinois area and would like to see my ART of Magic show, which is my own approach to performing magic that's more artistic, here's an opportunity to do so.

On May 31, I'll be appearing at the Apollo Theatre in downtown Peoria in Magic, Music, Art, and Harriet, which features both my ART of Magic show and Edith Barnard's one woman portrayal of author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Read about it or order tickets HERE.

Hope to see you there!

The Importance of Art in Life

2009-03-20T10:20:00.002-06:00

Here's a fun little video that a friend from a local arts organization just sent me the link to. It's on the importance of art and sharing your expression.

Enjoy!

Arts Conference

2009-03-03T09:01:00.003-06:00

Couldn't remember if I'd mentioned it here yet, but I'm currently involved in a project in the arts community in the Peoria area. This June, Peoria is hosting the Illinois "One State - Together in the Arts" conference. It's a biennual statewide conference that draws artists, arts educators, and others interested in the business of the arts from all over Illinois.

I'm serving on the local planning committee for the event. This is the first time the conference has been held outside of Chicago or Champaign, and it's a pretty big deal for Peoria and the Central Illinois community. We're planning a variety of arts related entertainment and activities during the conference for the attendees to enjoy.

This is a great collaboration of artists and arts enthusiasts, and a great opportunity for the Central Illinois arts community as well. And as a performing artist and entertainer, aside from the thrill of being part of something so inspiring, it's also a great networking and PR opportunity too. You get by giving. (I already booked one show through someone I met at one of our planning sessions.)

As an artist, are you contributing to the arts in your area? Networking and collaborating with other artists from other artistic disciplines can be a great way to broaden your expression of magic, and move your career forward, if you do it professionally. And in general, I think that the more we promote the arts, the more opportunities there are for what we do as performing artists and entertainers.

I highly recommend giving it your consideration. There may be a wealth of opportunities in the arts community in your area.

Human Slinky

2009-02-11T08:22:00.003-06:00

Here's something really fun I just stumbled across. It's a "human slinky" act. What kinds of ideas for magic could this inspire? I'm especially interested in movement, choreography, and how those things also apply to magic.

Enjoy!

New Year Inspiration

2009-01-06T10:46:00.003-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope the New Year finds you filled with inspiration, wonder, and joy. In these trying economic times, inspiration is essential, in my view.

I was doing strolling magic at a gig on New Year's Eve, and in between tables, I was realizing what a blast I was having. And a big part of it for me was the sheer joy and wonder that people were responding to my magic with. I love that! How fortunate are we, to be able to do something that inspires those kinds of feelings for others? It just makes me feel blessed!

And I think that whenever we experience that kind of inspiration, it's always wise to express thanks for it. An attitude of real gratitude keeps the channels open and allows for the flow of inspiration to continue.

And here are a couple tidbits that I found inspiring and thought I'd share.

HERE is a talk by Magician Eric Mead on the link between magic and nature. I enjoyed it a great deal... his approach, while quite different than my own, is nonetheless right up my alley. I think you'll like it too.

And THIS is a link that my good friend Johnny Ace Palmer sent me recently. It's an inspiring and "magical" animation based on a new technology. It may take a few minutes to load, but once it does, a playing card will appear on the screen. Scroll down to the slider below and move it gradually to the right and stop and watch what takes place, then move it a little more to the right and stop and another show will take place and keep doing this till you are to the end.

Enjoy! And stay inspired!