When Does One Become a Magician?

[Corey]

man
you have the definition of the word magician right in your signature
it seems you people are making this out to be much more than it is
'magician' is not a title that you get crescent with
a magician is somebody who performs magic
you become a magician when you start performing magic
end of topic
why must we wax poetics for pages?
this is so simple

My signature is pure dictionary definition, the only reason I have it is to show how little a dictionary can tell you about the world of magic.

I feel that magician, magic, whatever, is whatever you purely describe it as, what you feel it is. Not what a dictionary tells you it is. Magic is more than a definition to me. To be a magician, I feel you have to have compassion for the art, and you strike me as if you don't.

I have nothing against putting your opinion out there, and you shouldn't either, because you do it regularly. If this is what people think, then let them think it, don't get mad at them for it. I have nothing wrong with your opinions, only the negativity you present them in.

 

[Chase]

For a long time I was a guy who knew a bunch of magic tricks.
I was a professional performer, doing magic for a living. But in my heart of hearts I was a guy who studied magic and learned tricks then performed them.
Then, one day I did the $100 bill switch for a guy. And something changed. I had done this switch probably 5-10 times a day for 10 years. But this time I wasn't doing a trick. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DOING REAL MAGIC.
The $100 bill switch has become a part of me. It's no longer a trick that I do, it is a part of what I am. And that isn't semantics, AOS. It is connected to me intimately. Somewhere on some level I have ABSORBED the bill switch into me. It's as natural as taking a drink of water.
That day I became a magician. Maybe not to other people, but to myself.

 

[I_KnowMagic]

I believe a magician is more than just some guy performing tricks. I believe you must be able to preforms, mystify, and wonder anybody, anywhere to be a magician. I also believe that one who just buys tricks is also not a magician but a copier. Most people could do the the majority tricks here or on any other magic store without any prior knowledge of magic. A real magician can mystify others through their own tricks, that they created, not off of a site. Now I am not saying buying tricks is wrong but you need to be able to mystify people by yourself in order to be a magician.

 

[Aos]

I believe a magician is more than just some guy performing tricks. I believe you must be able to preforms, mystify, and wonder anybody, anywhere to be a magician. I also believe that one who just buys tricks is also not a magician but a copier. Most people could do the the majority tricks here or on any other magic store without any prior knowledge of magic. A real magician can mystify others through their own tricks, that they created, not off of a site. Now I am not saying buying tricks is wrong but you need to be able to mystify people by yourself in order to be a magician.

you cant argue english
theyre all magicians
what you are describing is the difference between a good magician and not so good magician

 

[Sergey]

Wow that's deep.

 

[I_KnowMagic]

But if a magician is not so good are they really a magician? For example:



Is this painting from an atist? I would not say so.



Then why would this bad attempt at a double lift be considered work done by a magician? (I know it is not a perfect picture but just replace that with a card with half an inch of another card peaking out the side in attempts at a double lift)

 

[RichmanMatthew]

"When Does One Become a Magician?"
Simple. When one desires to become a magician.

When does one become a magician?


You just said it all...


Check out whendoesonebecomeamagician.com on Monday, midnight, Eastern Standard Time to find out more.

You forgot the "www". Anyway, that was one of the funnier things I have read on this forum.

 

[Aos]

It's no longer a trick that I do, it is a part of what I am. And that isn't semantics, AOS. It is connected to me intimately. Somewhere on some level I have ABSORBED the bill switch into me. It's as natural as taking a drink of water.
That day I became a magician. Maybe not to other people, but to myself.

i dont even know how to answer to this
for a second there i thought i was talking to a rational person

 

[ninja]

For a long time I was a guy who knew a bunch of magic tricks.
I was a professional performer, doing magic for a living. But in my heart of hearts I was a guy who studied magic and learned tricks then performed them.
Then, one day I did the $100 bill switch for a guy. And something changed. I had done this switch probably 5-10 times a day for 10 years. But this time I wasn't doing a trick. IT FELT LIKE I WAS DOING REAL MAGIC.
The $100 bill switch has become a part of me. It's no longer a trick that I do, it is a part of what I am. And that isn't semantics, AOS. It is connected to me intimately. Somewhere on some level I have ABSORBED the bill switch into me. It's as natural as taking a drink of water.
That day I became a magician. Maybe not to other people, but to myself.

sheesh that is deep, i bet your great with the ladies

 

[Chase]

I am far far far from rational.
I can't even google-map rational.
I am so far from rational that the light from rational takes 100,000 years to reach me.

I am deep however. Too deep to get under.

I am also wide.
And sleepy.
And jonesing for an orange sherbet push up. Mmmmmm. Ice cream novelties.
That's the real sign of a true magician. He/She loves ice cream novelties. Push Ups. Bombers. Klondike Bars. Those chocolate chip cookies with ice cream in the middle.

 

[Deleted member 2755]

Like the title said.

When does one become a magician?

I've been reading the threads in the forum, and I see a number of people discussing people not being "real magicians" or something along those lines.

What makes a magician a magician? Is it his desire to bring, as Paul Harris says, the Art of Astonishment to others? Is it related to how other people view him? Is it about how he obtains his material? Is it as simple as whether he's taken the Magician's Oath? Or is it simply his skill level?

I cannot find a way to satisfactorily define a magician. Basing it purely on skill level seems particularly superficial, but skill is needed to succeed as a magician. I would find it difficult to classify a failed magician as a magician at all, I think. Then again, I'd need to define "failed".

Obtaining material from pirated sources is definitely against the ethics of magic. But what if the performer adheres in every other way, or ceases to pirate magic? Having done a disservice to the art, can he still be seen as part of it?

Mindset? There, I think we will find it somewhat easier to agree upon. A performer with the mindset of a magician has great potential to become one. But this mindset will probably constrain him from performing to others until he is skillful, which once again brings us back to the point of whether skill is the decisive factor. Till then, is he considered a magician? Or just a wannabe?

I hope I can have a few different opinions here. My current idea of the situation is that anybody that develops the appropriate mindset is a magician. But what about everyone else? Hopefully some of the more experienced people can chip in?

This is a question I really would like to see answered. I'm still starting out in magic, though I'm not new at all to flourishing, so I do not know what to refer to myself as. When people ask if I'm a magician, I do not know what to say at all. I wish not to say I am a magician, for fear of hypocrisy or inflating my own opinion of myself, but yet I want to give myself the respect that I deserve. Thanks in advance.

In my opinion, I would not consider 95% of the "magicians" on this site a magician. Myself included. I believe to earn the title of magician, it really takes a lot of work. For example, I don't believe that the 12 year olds who buy all of the Ellusionist DVDs and can do some tricks with a pre set up deck are magicians. I don't believe that people who perform more for their web cam than for people are magicians. I also don't think the 15 year olds who make a trick and want to release them in an E-book are magicians. A magician in my opinion is one who has worked for years in the art of magic and does magic for several people. One must have performed in many situations for experience to be considered a magician. It is also a combination of skill and presentation that makes a magician. One who performs bad, but has a great presentation may be better than one who has a terrible presentation, but a good performance. A magician also must be dedicated to his/her art. Once we get past the self working material, we soon learn that we must do something called "practice". This is when most people drop out of the art because they give up. Dedication, practice, and maturity are needed to be the best you can be. As for piracy... I'll save that for a different essay. Most of us WANT to be magicians. We WANT to have the experience, skill, and tools necessary. However, you are not a magician in my eyes unless you have been in the art for a few years. Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. I'm not re reading it because I'm tired and I'm going to bed now. Good night.

-Doug

 

[iq92]

Agreed with what Sinful said. I know I do magic tricks and people like it. They tell me I'm good at it and they always want to see more of my "magic". Personally, even though many see me as a magician, I still don't think I can go around and call me such.

If someone knew a single magic trick, would you say he's a magician? I know for a fact that a lot of people know a magic trick, even just the thumb trick, would you then call them magicians? If so, then the line between magician and laymen is pretty vague isn't it? Magicians would then have no unique distinction from other people.

I once believed that I knew enough, but after a while and after exploring a little more about magic, I found out that I was still a beginner compared to others out there. I may or may not be qualified to be a "magician" but the way I see it, it's a lot more about knowing just a trick or two. You have to be unique and different and you have to be able to bring people what they see as "magic".

And contrary to what other people on the forums are saying, I think this topic has some relevance to it. Sure it may seem shallow to some, but others find some useful insight in these threads.

 

[Spock]

Very thought provoking post! I think that someone is a magician when they are able to effectively give the illusion of magic skillfully and artfully. I consider myself a novice magician, but when my friends introduce me to people, they always state that I'm a MAGICIAN! and could I show them all a trick.

 

[Angathorion]

I do find insight in what other people say in response to this question. Even the answers that Aos supplies, for they tell me other things, if not about the main topic itself.

It isn't as simple as the dictionary definition. Things go far deeper than that. If you think a single dictionary definition suffices to describe yourself in entirety as a magician, then I feel that you need to check what other things you might be missing. If the opinion is that I asked the question to appear to be deep and of an inquiring mind, then you are wrong.

I'm glad that most have attempted to be helpful in their posts instead of dropping plenty of negativity all over, and I appreciate that.

 

[magique]

perhaps the answer to your question is a well known phrase, 'in the eyes of the beholder' if you perform a trick and succeed in amazing somebody, then perhaps to them you are a magician. i believe that too many of the responses to this question were thought of only as how you see yourself. or by how other performers would define you. to me, the title of 'magician' is not something you can give yourself, or obtain completely on your own. i have never referred to myself as a magician. however, people i have performed have. I think thats step 1 then there is skill, diversity and originality... these three things play a role in how popular of a magician you become.

 

[WilliamMckeehan]

"When Does One Become a Magician?"
Simple. When one desires to become a magician.

this sounds about right.

 

[Deleted member 2755]

this sounds about right.

I have to disagree. As someone said above.... Just because you know one effect and you want to be a magician does not make you one in my opinion. It means you simply like to do it as a hobby. In my opinion you have to work hard for the title of "magician". I don't really consider myself one. I feel that it takes years of practice, hard work, and experience to be considered one. However, that's just my opinion and people can of course have different views.

-Doug

 

[Dylan P.]

Being a magician isn't knowing a trick or two faitly well. It is knowing at leat one trik inside out.

Being a magician is expecting the unexpected

being magician is sworn to secracy

being a magician is practicing something untill you've perfected it then practicing more.

being a magician is being ready to perform at a moments notice

being a magician is being able to react to anything and everthing

being a magician is to understand people

being a magician is to make people laugh

being a magician is to bring happiness to an elderly persons day

being a magician is to bring happiness,wonder, and amazement to the world...


And one becomes a magician when one has been able to do all these things flawlessly and outstandingly. But even then there is still room for improvement...

 

[Aos]

no
stop arguing against the english definition of "magician"
you cant

 

[Deleted member 2755]

no
stop arguing against the english definition of "magician"
you cant

We aren't arguing against the definition. However, we have opinions. We are simply saying our own personal opinions as to when we recognize someone as a magician or not.

Let's use another instance... Let's say I wanted to become an ice skater. I put on my skates and can barely stand on the ice, but I can move a few feet and then I have to grab onto the wall.

Well according to dictionary.com they define skater as "a person who skates". So I'm a skater because I just learned how stand on the ice and move a few feet before having to grab onto the wall. Yay me.

So no, we aren't arguing with the definitions. We are just saying when someone becomes a magician in OUR eyes.

-Doug