Hope what I'm about to write will give motivations to people out there.
Alright, I'm going to write out my journey in becoming a magician. This is not intended to show off, or to boast myself (there is nothing to show off btw), but to share my experience and hopefully it could inspire or motivate other people.
I don't exactly remember when I started magic, but I am interested in magic since I was a kid. I still remember waking up in the morning to watch a magic show on TV, and record them for future playback. And in December 2004, I went to Singapore and this hotel, they were celebrating New Year, and this is the first ever time I met a real magician. It was cool, although I saw how he did most of the tricks... Haha.
Then I don't know how I got involved into magic, but in December 2006, I know few simple sleights, and tried to show my friend (btw, take note on this friend, there's something about it later on). I couldn't manage to execute any of them, (no practice at all) and I just managed to do one!
Well, soon after that, I couldn't recall when I started practising and all. But if I'm not mistaken, it's around after April. And I began my constant practice (as in, playing with cards, 24/7) around June onwards. There was my friend's birthday party, and I did "Do As I Do" (Penguin Magic trick) to one of my friend... Well, she was kinda puzzled although she watched the explanation video. Haha.
And I forgot in which month, my friend had an open house, and before that my another friend had this gathering where my new friend who does magic were there. I went there and met him, discussed and showed each other tricks. During that time, my hands will shake when I try to execute DL. But since he's a magician so I wasn't worried of being exposed. So I gained confidence there by doing some self-working tricks.
After that I went to my friend's open house. I took out my cards, and I wasn't really wanting to show (I wasn't really prepared). And then when I was playing, I did the card spring and it caught their attention. Haha... so later I did few self-working tricks and a DL trick. Oh it was cool, the reaction were great, my hands shaked but not so noticeable. That was my first performance... but not as a magician. Haha.
Then I began to look forward for more events. Wasn't really much events later on.
During that period, I play with my cards almost 24/7... sometimes even slept with the cards (haha, no joke!). And I brought cards along with me, whereever I go, and friends all said that I was crazy. Well, I'm sure everyone has go through that moment.
And at the same time I was into flourishing as well. Couldn't execute those cuts by pro-flourishers such as Dan and Dave and the rest. So I just play with one-handed cuts, and play with my cards, freestyle cutting.
I wasn't really sure I was into flourishing/XCM first or close-up magic. What I know is I saw Penguin Magic and I was like "Yes, this is what I want!" (doing card magic). And when I laid my hands on playing cards, first thing I wanted to get good in is one-handed cuts/shuffles. haha, they're just so cool.
I performed to my family members at first. But I can't really perform even to them. My hands will shake, and I don't have patter. My dad were being a hecker and my tricks were spoiled. Long story shorten, after months of practices, I think it was by the time, October/November 2007, I brought cards to school and perform to friends (it was after end-year exam) and I could amaze them with self-working tricks. But my hands were shaking REALLY BAD that time. They were all commenting "Why is your hands shaking?" Well, I said to them, of course la, nervous. By that time, my friends started knowing me as someone who does magic.
And then by December 2007, I actually improved a lot. But no chance to go out and perform. January 2008, I performed to my parents again, and this time I managed to do all my tricks (after a long break from performing to them) and my dad, being a heckler, is puzzled trick over trick. Haha. I still can't do to my bro till this day though, I don't know why but when I face him I can't do a thing. There was once I did an ACR trick to my mum and finally the card transferred from the red deck to another blue deck. My bro was watching my performing that and that is the only time I made him amazed. haha.
Early this year I brought cards almost every day to school, and did to friends and when school's over, I'll try to perform to some schoolmates that I don't know while waiting for parents. Friends were all amazed, and I do get comment "Haha, macam David Blaine jer". Well. Honestly speaking, at that time I wasn't really good yet. My hands still shake, although very minor (at least it didn't affect my controls on cards) and I do get busted, exposed a lot of times. I learned from my experience and improve on myself.
Then my mum asked me to perform to relatives during CNY. Well I did. Although the tricks I did were amazing, but they were not really giving attention fully to me. Well I know that because I wasn't really doing a magic performance. I wasn't being a magician that time. I'm just someone who knows magic.
During that period, I started to get to know people (such as Brendan) and to get recognised. And I started really improving on my magic tricks, and yea, so far so good. It was the time where I actually comes up with my own magic ideas, while before that I was complaining "not much of tricks to do". And whenever I come out with some concept, it was actually being thought by some magic legend few decades ago. Haha, I don't know but I felt like... "what the... it exists..."
Now back to the friend I mentioned earlier. At one time, I went out with him and other friends, and I showed him my true skills. And he was all amazed this time, and I told him "A year ago you saw all my moves, but now, hahaha"
Yea he was amazed. And recently, I appeared as magician (although not asked to) for a BBQ event.
Read the story hereNow, after all these months of CONSTANT practice, I can finally declare myself as a magician. Why I don't consider I'm a magician before this? Because before this I was just someone, a friend of them, who knows magic and knows how to do tricks with card.
Though people called me magician all this time. Haha. And today was great. I was walking down to my school canteen, and on the way, this boy I could not recognised, greeted me "Hey Magician!" Before that when I come to school, my classmate at times greet me "Morning, Magician".. but today, this is someone I do not recognise, perhaps I did a few tricks to him and he recognise me. Haha
I was just maitaining my coolness... (hehe...). In my heart, I was happy for that. Haha.
It wasn't easy. Becoming a magician wasn't easy. You gotta go through those moments such as being called crazy for carrying cards all around, playing with cards all around, shaky hands, sweaty hands, being busted, getting cold responses, and the rest of them.
Yes, everyone go through that, and DO NOT give up when you face those situations! I know at times, you were practising this move, and you asked in the forum, "My DL sucks", "I can't do a ____ ", "Need help on ____" and etc... and usually the response you'll get is (I don't know about you guys, but that is what I got, and from reading other people's forum)
"Practice, practice and practice"
Yup. It's true. Do no complain. Once you practice enough, you'll realise it when you could suddenly nail the move. From then on, you just have to refine it. Keep doing that, and when you have mastered it, you'll know it wasn't your hands being too small, it wasn't the cards fault, etc.
Last but not least... I hope you guys out there, do not be shameful, try become more proactive. Failures are nothing. Get over it, learn from them.
I've just went through a lot of failures, only I'm able to achieve what I wanted, that is...
Becoming a magician and able to leave good memories in those whom I met.