From time to time I grab all my old notebooks and go through them page by page . When I find an idea that I want to work on again or have an additional thought , I copy it into the current notebook . Maybe I ’ m old school or maybe it ’ s just imaginary but working with actual ink and paper just sparks me to be more creative than working on my notebook or phone .
Austin Kleon even recommends to install two desks in your office , one digital and the other one strictly analog . The analog one is where you work with the actual magic props , use paper and pen and where no electronic is allowed .
Words and ideas are just to easily erased on a computer ! Sometimes it ’ s a good thing to keep them visible even they are crossed out …
6 . HAVE MORE THAN JUST ONE PROJECT !
Don ’ t just work on one magic routine , work on several . Then switch back and forth between them to get more creative juice flowing . If you currently have enough of Cards Across why not switch over to work on Card To Wallet for a while . Maybe you discover a move there which can easily be incorporated into your Cards Across handling ?! Austin Kleon calls that “ productive procrastination ”.
Don ’ t have just more than one project , have more than one hobby ! When you get stuck in your creative process , do something completely different . You probably ( and hopefully ) have other hobbies besides magic . Do one of those ! As for me , my biggest interests besides magic are theatre and movies . Watching a play at the theatre always fills my notebooks with new ideas .
Going to the movies or just watching Netflix on the couch ( not just “ Fool Us ” or “ Magic For Humans ”) gives me distraction , distance and I have a completely different view on things afterwards . Maybe you ’ ll even be able to combine your hobbies ? In my case : Magic & Movies . Right now , I ’ m working on variation of Chris Randall ’ s wonderful routine „ Hollywood Squares ”. This routine is tailor-made for movie nerds like me ! It ’ s basically a Magic Square combined with the game “ Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon ”. Brilliant !
There ’ s always a way to incorporate one hobby into the other . That doesn ’ t just make the magic more interesting for yourself but also for your audiences . Audiences want to get to know the performer . Make your performances personal , make them count ! To be continued …
70 VANISH Magazine www . VanishMagazine . com