Creative Magic By Adam Wilber(1).pdf

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LEARN TO SPARK YOUR CREATIVITY

ADAM WILBER

Creative Magic Lessons in Creativity

Adam Wilber

with Arvind Jayashankar

Creative Magic Copyright© 2013 by Adam \ ilber

All righ cs reserved.

o part of thi

book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or hy any mean wirhour written permission from the author.

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Dedication This book is dedicated to the two best things that ever came into my life. My beautiful wife Natasha and my perfect little dude Carter Blake.

If you would like to contact me directly please feel free to reach out and say hello with the provided contact information below.

Phone: 802-578-6633 Email: [email protected]

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Contents Foreword .............................................. .. .. ............................ ....... 7 Introduction ............................................. .................................. 11 Pays the Bills ....................................................... ....................... 15 Earbuds ...................................................................................... 17 World's Easiest Coin Bend ............ .... ..................... .... ................ 27 A Lesson in Sleight of Hand ......................... ................... ........... 33 The Backup Plan ........................................................................ 39 Color Coincidence ..................................... .............. .................. 49

19 Down ..... ........... .......................... .................................. .... .... 53 Signature ..... ........... .......... ................. ......... ............................. ... 57 Adan1's Aces ........ ......... ............................. .............. ......... .... ...... 63

Pop 'Iop ..................................................................................... 67 Pop Production ................................................................. ......... 68 Just For Fun ............................................................................... 71 Sealed Surprise ........... ....... ......................................................... 73 Environmentally Unfriendly .... ........ .. ........................ .... · .. ·· ·· ·· .. · 79 Shutterbug ................................................................................. 83 Boxed In .. ....................................... ....... .................... .... ............ 89 Cash Card ...... ... ..... ..... ..... ... .. ...... ....... ... .... ............... .................. 97 Fah-Q ...................................................................................... 101

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Concepts & Thoughts ... .......... .. ................... ... ...... .. ... .............. 105 Adam Wilber ...................................................... ....... .............. 107 Alan Rorri ' On ........................................................................... 115 Arvind Jayashankar. ......... .................................. .................. ... .. 119

Brad Chrisrian ..................................... ............................... .. ... . 123 Dan Harlan ........................................... ................................. .. 125 Daniel Madison .................................................................... .. . 131 David Regal ... ........................................................... .... ........... 135 John Guasraferro ..................................... ................................. 139

Marc pelman n .................................................................. ...... 143 Peter McKinnon .................................................................. .... 149

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Foreword 3 p.m., the Orleans Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. I'm waiting in the lobby by the slots, across from the coffee shop. Adam Wilber is set to arrive any moment.

l had never physically met Adam at this point. We had a few conversations online, a few via Facebook an
for a magic

convention. I was waiting to greet him, help him get his room set up, take him out

for a drink and welcome him

to

the team.

4 p.m. No Adam. 8 p.m. No Adam. I had long since left the lobby. In fact, I think I ended up getting in a cab and heading to a rooftop club called Ghost Bar at the Palms. Little di
Adam booked his flight two months in advance. He even went as far as showing up to the airport with more than two hours

to

spare!

Adam proceeded to the counrer to check in only to flnd out that his airline had overbook d his flight. Joy.

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Adam happened to be the one lucky customer [ha[ got bumped to rhe next flight. Now, that ncx[ flight happened to be a glorious four hours la[er. The problem with raking [his next flight was it would have pur Adam in Chicago and rhen would leave him stranded in the Windy Ciry with no connec[ion w Las Vegas. At [his point, Adam's only additional option was to fork out an extra $400

to

switch to an

entirely different airline that could accommodate his needs.

10 p.m.

o Adam.

After Adam switched airlines, and was pleasantly seated in his new booking with Jet Blue, the airline had problems with the jctway, thus delaying his flight causing him to miss his newly booked connection into JFK,

ew York

ow arriving in JFK with no connection, Adam

had to get on a bus to ew Jersey to hop yet another connection from ewark into las Vegas. 24 hour later, Adam arrived .

Despite this enrire helli h experience, we mer up and carried on about om bu ine s I didn't j· Ad • . · r a ize am experrise or creative insights . unnl I watched him I erform for a large group in the chandelier bar at the Co mopoliran Hore!. One thing you need to know about Adam, that he is ab olurelv 100 percent fearless He w1'll , 1 , · approac 1 any group any per on any parry, any table at any time to perform i

any[hing. And he did ju 8

t

char. After warching him perform for these

pc::ople, and receive a thunderous amount of applause and a slew of c::xpensive, free drinks, it left me feeling one thing: Inspired.

Adam's creativity will shine through the pages of this book and you will really come to understand magic from Adam's point of view. There is nothing in this book that cannot be done for REAL people, in REAL situations. These are the things he feeds his family with. These are the things that keep him alive. When he approaches crowds , gets reactions, gets applause, free drinks, bookings, energy, inspiration - these are the tools he uses. They are now in your hands. I remember the feeling I had when watching Adam finish his set, I can only imagine what you will feel after you close this book. Peter McKinnon Toronto, Canada.

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Introduction Firstly, if you bought this book I'd like to say thank you. Your support makes all the hard work, late nights and long hours worth it.

Today is Janua1y l, 2012. It's the start of a new year and for me, a new adventure. I have been creating my own magic for the last ten years and I have yet to put any of these creations into a book. One of my resolutions for the new-year is to finally pick through my work and put my favorite routines together in fun and easy format. My intension for this book is to present you with my strongest effects, my thoughts on how to be a more likable performer and most importantly how to inspire your own creativity.

John Cleese said about crea ti vi ty "The reason why it is futile for me to

talk about creativity is that it simply cannot be explained." While I see rhe truth in this statement I also know with the right tools in place and dedication to an end outcome, creativity can be practiced and harnessed. Cleese goes on to say: "Creativity is NOT a talent, it is a

wtiy of operating." My hope is that this book will enlighten the reader not only to new ideas and fun effects but also to some tools, rips and tricks that will enable them to become more creative in their own magic and life in general. I have organized this book into 3 sections: Pays the Bills, Just for Fun and Concepts & Thoughts.

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Pays the Bills is a collection of effects that I have used

to

literally pay

my bills for the last 10 years. These arc effects that I have performed hundreds of times for real world paying audiences. ln this section you'll find tricks for all skill levels.

Just for Fun is full of effects and ideas that take a bit of set up and some ans and crafts rime to make. Please don' t overlook these pieces just becau e they rake ome efforr ro create. As magicians and creators we hould nor be scared

to

sit down with some glue, scissors, trinkets

and patience - rather, we hould embrace it. Ir's a great way to spark creativity and an ideal opportunity to be a child again. I know you'll have a much fun with the e little gems a I have.

Concepts cf Thoughts i a ollecrion of ideas and d10ughts on creativity from

ome of rhe mo t creative magicians alive today. As the

manufacturing lu

k:· enough

' project manager of Ellusionist.com, l have been to pend rime with some of the most creative and

ralenred magician on the planet. During my meetings with these arri ts T alway a k them the ame que tion, "How do you get yourself

into a creative mindser?' The diver iry in re ponses I get has always greatly inrriaued m . Thi lat section of the book focuses on the thoughts and in iahr on magicians I know.

reariviry from some of the most talented

I want to thank you again for purchasing rhi book and I truly hope you enjoy reading it a much as I have enjoyed purring it together.

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Donald McKinnon describes che faciliry chac enables a mood of creativity as "The Abiliry to Play". With that said, welcome to my first book: Creative Magic. Now turn the page and lee's play!

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Pays the Bills

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Earbuds Effect: Similar to a card stab premise, a cord, necklace, earphones or

something similar that a spectator is holding between their hands penetrates a signed card. The only way to get the cord out of the card is to tear it out.

Setup: You need to split a card to set this effect up. There are plenty

of good sources to learn card splicting and it's also covered in the Earbuds

download.

(You were provided with

flvc

pre-made

gimmicks. You can also purchase refills on my sire if you don't want to make them yourself.)

A card is made up of three layers: a thin piece of paper with the face design, a slightly thicker cardboard piece for the middle and another thin piece for the back design. You will need to split the card so that the middle layer and face of the card stay together, leaving you with the back design as one thin layer. There are many ways to split cards but I will briefly describe my method.

Take the card at its extreme corner with your first and second finger. Tap the corner on a hard surface a few times to loosen the fibers and weaken the glue. Using your fingernail or a razor blade gently peel away rhc back design layer of the card for about 1/8 of an inch.

~ay

rhc card face up on the table and hold the thin back layer you JUSt

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peeled down with one finger. Car fully peel c:hc face and middle layer rogerher for just under half the length of the card (Pharo 1).

Turn th

ard face down and bend back the middle and face layer

you ju t p led so that it i flat. The face of rhe card should look traight and c:he thin ba k de ign layer should be sticking upwards (Photo 2) . Bend and crease the back layer flat (Photo 3). Lacer on, thi crease will be automatically disguised by rhe earphones, necklace or whatever is u d for the revelation of the card.

Apply ome rubb r cement liberally on both flaps - rhe entire white portion - making ure to

the edg

to

get it in the crease, comers and all the way

(Photo 4). Allow the gimmick to dry.

Once dried , place rhe gimmick face down on top of rhe deck so that the flap is oriented away from you. Pia c an indifferent card face

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down on top of the gimmick. The beaury of the gimmick is that it sticks the two cards together just enough but not permanently.

You wi ll also need some kind of cord or wire which you ca n borrow or have on yourself: such as a pair of headphones, a necklace, etc. Performance

There are many different presentations possible for this effect and a basic one is described here. Be encouraged to come up w ith a good presentation for your style. This is a powerful effect and you need to find out what works best for you to see its true potential. Yo u'll have a true mi racle for years

to

come.

Explain, "This is an old, cltissic card trick, but with a new take on it. The old cltlSsic would be that the magician would have a card picked, signed, shuffled in the deck. Then a knife would be inserted into the deck marking where the card was. I'm not going to walk up to strangers with a knife because that would be quite awkward. We 're just going to use the headphones (or whatever it is that you are using) for this but we'll come back to it in a minute. "

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You arc going to force the top card on your pccrator and it is going to seem like you how the fronr and the back very fairly. Say, '1 want to make sure this is a free choice and you can pick any ccird you like." As you say this, push off the top two cards together as one into your left hand , which is almost automatic and then spread the rest of the deck over the doubl (Photo 5). The double is now riding undernearh the pread.

From the top it looks very fair and you ask the spectator

tO

touch the

back of any card they like. Break the spread at this point so that it's on the bonom of rhe pread in the right hand. They can clearly see the back of the card they selected (Photo 6). ' quare up the spread against rhe rest of rhe deck in the left hand. The double card riding underneath the pread i now on the bottom. When you lift your right hand

to

how them the card, the force card will show.

Rea embl th d k o rhar rhe selection is on che bottom.

A k them

to

ian che face of the card and give the deck a cur at about

the middle. You an xecure a few Hindu shuffles face up using the card abo,·e th gimmi k co give the impression that the card is lost in the deck. Ir i ea r co 'i ually look to know where the gimmick is. Turn the deck ace d own an d r peat a rew c more Hin
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Next you need to prepare the gimmick and this requires a little bit of misdirection. Based on what you will be using for the revelation, you now make a comment about it. If you are going to use their necklace, ask them for permission to use it and to kindly remove it. lf you are going to use headphones, tell them that you need them

to

be

prcpan.:d.

Use this opportunity to find rhe break and lift up on it above the gimmicked card. Your right hand comes from above with the thumb at the back and lifts up at the break. In a continuing action it moves forward, providing cover at the front for what's going to happen next. This is done while gesturing to your spectator asking them to hold the cord out between their fingers like a tightrope. The left thumb goes into the break and slides the flap of the gimmick backwards and towards you (Photo 7). The right hand comes back and places the deck back on top but making sure to keep a big break between the top flap of the gimmick and the middle of the card (Photo 8). You do not want them to come into contact yet, because the rubber cement on both sides will stick together.

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T

0

make the insenion of the cord into the Jeck look like a free ·

-

· g co riffle force rhe break bur from the back. Say,

ci.OJct:, you art: go1n I

'Tm going to have you place this into the deck, kind of like a card stab. Similar to when a magician would have someone stab into the deck and find their own card. }t-tst call out stop where you like." Riffle down the front corner wirh your lefr rhurnb. Because the break you are holding is qu ite large, use your right hand as cover to ensure that it doesn't show at the front.

Go nice and slow so that they call out stop before the break. Once they call our stop , say, "We're going to insert the cord here but we'll

actually do it from the back. " Move both your hands under the cord they are holding and rhen above. A you do this, drop the break at the front and lift up at the break behind (Photo 9). Lower the break

on top of the cord and you will feel when rn stop where the card is split.

quare rhe deck up and in the act of holding the deck, you are

squeezing the card pu hing the adhe ive rogerher between the right fingertips (Phoro 10). A rip h re i to ensure that they are holding rhe cord very still and you move around the cord.

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A few subtleties: Give the deck a little twist from right to left and back and ask them whether chey felt that. They will acknowledge char they foel something with the cord because you are moving che deck. Nobody else around knows what they arc feeling but this is a good cue for the magic to be happening.

Jusr

keep squaring it up and

pushing down. There are many different ways to reveal the selection.

Recap by saying, "Hold on to it tight and think of your card. You've

picked 11 card, signed a card and you inserted the cord somewhere in the deck. Let's see if it worked. " At rhis moment you can let go of the deck with your right hand and give it a little jolt from underneath with your other hand. This will cause the cards to fly a bit before falling down, revealing just one remaining on the cord. Step back and let chem look at it. It will slowly sink in that their signed selection is not taped bur actually threaded through the card itself. After the reactions have settled, explain this to chem and eve1yone else. Once they see that, twist the cord a little bit causing the selection to spin around. They can take everything with them and you can leave the card on there like that. Make sure to go slowly so they have time and space to

feel the magic. A nice added bonus to this is that if they pull the cord out

themselves, they can feel it really being pulled through the card. Ensure that the effect has already set in and people have understood what just happened. Then say, "The only way to get this out is to

actually tear it. And you can pull the cord right out of the card." As you say this, tear one side where the cord enters the card a little bit to start

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,_,

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with and then as rhey pull d1e cord will rip through and come our. This gives a very nice feeling to the spectator of pulling something out from inside their card which they just signed.

Creativity Exercise You'll need ro er aside an hour for rhis exercise. Make sure that during thi hour you will be undisrnrbed by any outside distractions.

To rarr you will need to ask your wife, parent or friend ro name three mall items normally found in a kitchen. If you don ' t have someone to a k, th n use a sponge, a Lwist tic and a butter knife. Take rhe e three items and go inro a guiet space with a notepad and pen.

sing all three items put together an effect. Try and make it as

abstract as po sible. For example, maybe yo u make a knife our of aluminum foil o its natural properties are altered and a sponge is sprayed wirh 3.\1 glue, so instead of being soft and flexible it is ridged and hard. The point is to come up with something that you have never een before. rather rhan developing a new way

to

bend metal or

multiply a sponge.

Take the entire hour - don't stop working on this until 60 minutes have passed. Write down every id ·a and thought that comes into your head.

After an hour you might ha\'e com up wirh a kick-ass effect, or you may have a bun h of jumbled narc wrirren on a piece of paper.

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Eirher way rhis exercise will force your mind to work in ways it's not accustomed ro working, and chat is a great tool to spark uncapped creativity. It's like going ro the gym and working on your mind. The more ways you can exercise your brain in ways it is not used to being exercised, the easier it becomes

to

spark creative moments and ideas. I

ny and do this exercise at least once a month. I keep all chc notes and ideas I come up with in a dedicated notebook and revisit it from rime to time when I need inspiration.

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World's Easiest Coin Bend I came up with the handling of this simple two-phase com bend

while working in a magic shop in New Orleans . l wanred something easy to perform that I could do in the spectator's hands. My requirements were simple: The coins must be signed and I didn't want to use any bending device during the performance. While there is nothing here that will change the world of coin bends, once you try it our for yourself I think you will sec how big a payoff this simple and direct routine can give you.

Effect: A nickel and quarter arc borrowed from a spectator. The nickel is signed by the spectator and placed in their hand with their fists closed around it. You sign the quarter and rub your finger over it causing it to bend right in front of their eyes. You then place the bent quarter on the back of the spcctaror's fist and ask them to focus all their energy onto the coin in their hand. As you remove the quarter and they open their hand, they can see their signed coin is now bent as well . Setup: The requirements for this effect are a pre-bent quarrer with

your initials on the face of it. The direction thc coin is bent is important (Photos 1, 2). You also need a pre-bcn t nickel. Place a Sharpie in your left pants pocket and both pre-bent coins in your right pants pocket.

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To pre-bend che coins, you can use a pair of pliers. Wrap some insulation tape on the ends (Photos 3, 4) to avoid any scratch marks

Performance

Borrow a nickel and a quarter from the audience. try something with one ofthe coins and we'll see

ay, 'Tm going to

ifyou can accomplish the

same effect with the second coin." Take the nickel from them in your

left hand as your right hand goes into your right front pocket (apparently looking for your Sharpie) and continue, "I'd like you to sign this nickel. " Grab th pre-bent nickel and come out with it in a finger palm as you now look roward your lefr pocket (your mental dialog is, "The harpic i. n'r in my right pocket so it must be in my left one").

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Two things will happen at once now. Your right hand precends co pick up che coin from your lefc hand as you bring the right hand's palmed coin into view. In the same action your left hand wrist kills while finger palming the non-bent coin as you go to your left pocket to dump d1e coin and bring out the Sharpie. This is Juan Tamariz's double-crossing the gaze swicch (found in The Five Points in Magic). Note that it is important to hold the bent coin so the small bend is concealed by your thumb and first finger (Photo 5).

At this point ask the spectator

to

sign their initial on the nickel. This

may seem odd to have them sign such a small coin especially while you are holding it but just be casual and it will Ay by without suspicion. Once they have signed the coin ask them to raise their hand palm up and place the coin in their hand (Photo 6). You want to rest the bent part of che coin directly on the end of their palm to make sure they won't feel any bend in it. Gently close their hand and turn it palm down as you say, "We'll get back to that in a minute."

Take the Sharpie in your right hand and the quarter in your left. Sign the quarter with your initials in the same orientation as you signed the pre-bent quarter (Photo 7). Place the Sharpie into your right pocket and come out with the pre-bent quarter finger palmed. Say,

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"I'm going to try and use my brute strength to force this coin to bend, " and pick up the unberu coin from your left hand and toss it back inrn your left hand. Make a fist around ir and squeeze. Repeat this action as you try again to forcefully bend the coin. On rhc third attempt execute the Bobo Switch (found in Modern Coin Magic by

J.B.

Bobo), throwing the bent coi n from your right hand to your left while ar the same time retaining the flat coin in a finger palm in the right hand. As then bent co in hits the p;1lm of yo ur left hand make a fist around it and say, "Let's work together on this."

Instruct your specrarnr(s) co grab yo ur dosed hand and squeeze. As they let go one at a time, open your hand to show that the coin now has a signifi anr bend in it. The Aac coin can be ditched into your pocket as you direct attention

to

the spectator holding the nickel.

Say, "ft took all of us together to get this quarter to bend but J am

confident that you ha11e enough force inside ofyou to bend that nickel on your own. " Conrinue, "Focus all of your energy into your hand." Ask them ro open their hand, r \'Caling they have bem their signed nickel.

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Creativity Exercise For this you will need a voice recorder that you can keep on you at all times for two weeks. The easiest way to do chis is by gerring an app for your cellphone that allows you to quickly record a voice memo and store it for as long as you need. Once you have this set up, bring it with you everywhere for two weeks.

Anytime you think of anything magic related pull our your recorder and speak your mind without hesitation. These can be ideas on presentations, ideas for tricks you want to

to

create, methods that come

mind and inrercsting things you see or hear throughout the day.

The idea is to record as much information as possible and not censor it at all. The more crazy ideas and rhoughrs you come up with, the better. Try and record something first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to bed. Don't cheat yourself on this and really try and fill up your voice memo app with hundreds of entries.

Once you've done this for two weeks and have a bunch of entries, sit down with a pen and pad and go through these one at a time. Listen to each ent1y a couple of times and write down whatever comes to your mind. If the entry doesn't spark an idea then skip it and move to the next. By the end of going rhrough each entry, you will have a bunch of notes that can be turned into effects, presentations for play around with. Keeps

existing effects and possible methods

to

rhese notes and continue

them when you feel you're in

to

go back

to

a creative slump. Having a voice recorder on you at all times is a great

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tool to help capture spur-of-rhe-moment ideas rhar can pay off tenfold if you concinue to use it.

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A Lesson in Sleight of Hand This is probably the trick I do mosr ofren when asked ro "show me something." It's quick an
Effect: A card is selected and lost in the pack. The magician explains that this trick is pure sleight of hand and asks the spectator to watch as closely as possible. The top card is mrned over and shown to nor be the selection, then in the blink of an eye it visually transforms into rhe selection. The magician then ralks about the age-old technique of palming a ca rd. H e demonstrates it by having the selection vanish and reappear mulriple times after which it ends up in the magician's pocket rwo times in a row, in rhe most impossible manner.

Setup: A deck of cards and a pocket. Unfortunately this is one of those effecrs where you DO need ro be clothed to perform.

Performance

Say to your spectator (let's assume it's a woman), "I'd like to give you a lesson in what's called sleight

of hand. To do so, 111 need you to select a

card." Have her select any card and return it to the center of the deck.

Control the selection to the top. Execute a double turnover

to

show

chat her card is not at the top. Keep a break under the double as you turn it face up. One way ro get this break is to outjog the double slightly as it is turned face up. As you square it flush with rhe deck your left first finger pushes on the upper right corner of rhe card as

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1 . ·d and fourth fingers relax the tension. This allows rhe your 1et f t:i.lI double co buckle just enough co catch a break under it as it is squared with the
While you go through these actions, say, "Sleight of hand allows me to

take any card and change it for another. It looks like this. " You' re now going to execute the Paintbrush Chang<:: by Roy Walton (The

Complete Walton Books, Vol. 1). Alrernarively, if you don't do the Paintbrush change you can turn the double face down onto the deck and deal uff a single

to

show that the card has now changed into the

selection. Pause a beat and let the change sink in. Place the selection face up on the deck.

In the action of squari ng the deck, side steal the bottom card into your right palm. When doing the side . tt:al, make sure there is no visiblt: movement of your left hand while it pushes the bottom card into position. A good way ro en ure rhis is by pushing the bottom card over with your left fourth finger instead of the first or second fingers. This will allow rhe acrion

to

be hidden under the deck. As

you execute the side steal say, "Now I'll demonstrate one of the oldest

documented sleight of hand moves in existence called the palm." Bring your right hand over the deck for jusr a moment as you release rhe

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palmed card onto the selection. You want

to

give the appearance that

you are palming off the selection so as soon as the palmed card drops flush onro the deck, keep your right hand in a curled position as you move it away from the deck. This will convince your spectator that you have just palmed their card from the deck. Say, "] use a very

special palm called an invisible palm that can't be seen by the untrained eye. "As you say this, slowly turn your right hand over showing it to be empty. Continue by explaining, "The card now sttiys invisible until

that perfect moment in a card game when I need it. "

Turn your body slightly to the left as you raise the deck in your left hand to a vertical position (Photo 2). Your right hand comes over and grasps rhe deck at the top and bottom short edges (Photo 3). Let go with your left fingers as your right hand rotates the deck 180 degrees clockwise (Photo 4). Re-grip the deck in your left hand . Repeat the rotating action and this time execute a one-handed top palm with

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your right hand. Doing the top palm as the
6 Pause for a beat and then repeat the actions of dropping the palmed card on top of the seleCLion as you act as though you arc palming the selection off. During this acrion, say, "The great thing about the

invisible palm is I can be very natural with my movements while it's palmed. I can sprerzd the cards, cut the deck or even take a drink. "Wh ile explaining this , march your actions

to

your words and spread the

cards but taking care nor to flash the face up selection second from the top. Double undercut the top two cards to the bottom of the deck. This will place rhc face up election on the bottom.

Ar this point you explain , "Sometimes it's best to just Leave the card you

need in a safe place until the time is right." Execute a no th er side steal of the bottom card and palm it int0 your pocket showing that the spectator's selection is now in the afe

36

t

place of all , your pocket.

lf you want an added kicker at the end you can place an indifferent card in your pocket (face towards your body) before the trick starts. Once you reveal the selection has magically jumped into your pocket the first time, you can offer to repeat it. Openly place the selection back in your pocket and switch it with the indifferent card as you say,

"Did you see it go to the pocket?" When you bring the indifferen c card out they will think it's still the selection. Offer co demonstrate again by using the "hardest palm ofall the middle palm out move." Place the indifferent card in the middle of the deck and panromime palming a card out of the middle. Show your hand empty then pull the selected card out of your pocket.

Creativity Exercise Broaden your horizons. Evc1y week or so get yourself two or three magazines char you would never normally read. Juse go to a bookstore and pick up a couple completely random magazines about subjects you don't know anything about. Read through chem and see what new insights and ideas stem from chis. Ir's always good to increase your knowledge base and look into things you aren't familiar with.

T his may seem like an odd way to spark creativity but by learning about new things chat are unfamiliar to you, you open your mind to new ideas and concepts that can help you in creating your magic. For example: I have a friend who uses this exercise regularly. He had been working on a presentation for a mencalism routine for months and couldn't flgure out a way

37

to

make it play

to

his liking. He picked up

one of his wife's gossip magazines and read it cover to cover. As soon as he finished his wifo's "smut mag," as he calls it, he had an idea for a presentation that fir his routine perfectly. He built his presentation

around an article about one of the Kardashian girls and has been using ic with great success even since.

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The Backup Plan Effect: This is a variation of Ed Marlo's classic "Think-Touch-Turn"

where an ace reverses itself several times and finally changes into the selection. My inspiration for this came from Bill Malone's version of this effect from his DVD set "On The Loose."

Setup: Remove the four aces and place them on the table. (This trick

can be used at the end of an ace production.)

Performance Have a card selected and control it to the top using your favorite method. Here's a method I like to use (Bill Malone's On the Loose Vol. 1). Swing cut half the deck into your left hand. Have the card replaced on top of the left-hand packet. The right hand then picks up half of this pile in the left hand at the front short edge with the right middle finger (while still holding its original half). The right ring finger grips the bortom half of the packet in the left hand and keeps them separate. At this point you should be holding diree separate packers in your right hand with rhe spectator's selection on top of the middle packet (Phom 1 shows selection face up).

39

Now it's going co look like you drop all three packets one by one onto your lefr hand. You first drop the lowermost packet into your lefr hand with a large up-and-down motion. In the guise of throwing the middle packet, you are actually going to throw the top packet into your left hand. Use the san-ie large motion, which covers this smaller deception. To finish off, drop rhe original middle packet remaining in your right hand onto the packets in your left hand. This whole.: sequence should be done without any hesitation in three beats. The selected card is now on top. Pick up che aces in your right hand, spread them out an
we 'LL focus on these and do the trick with the aces. Out of the four aces, which ace do you Lilu?" While you speak, establish a pinky break under

the top card of the deck in your left hand. Lay the aces on top of the deck and pick up all five cards once they name an ace. Your lefr hand pulls away, rotates and lays the rest of the deck face up on the table in a natural , continuing acrion. Spread the four face-up aces berween your hands with their selection secretly hidden behind the lowermost ace in your left hand. This is a Paul LePaul spread and you can wiggle the aces with your thumb making sure to keep the double square (Photo 2). Name the aces as you sprea d them. When they name an ace say, "So that's the ace we wilL use.

If I screw the trick up with the ace

of hearts, then I'll go through and find your ctird. " Point

to

the card

showing on the face of the deck and ask them if that is their card. Make sure to always ask them that. It's obviously not their card but this action subtly reinforces that their card is still somewhere in the

40

deck. You can make a little joke out of this and say, "Well, that's not the trick then, "when they reply, "No. "

With rhe four aces spread in your left hand, outjog the card they name and n::move it with your right hand. Say, ''J'm going to try to mcike the ace ofheclrts go .fom face up to face down without you seeing it.

If you

see it, I screwed up and I'll go through the deck and find your

card." Place the ace face up on the botrom. The cards should be spread and displayed (Pharo 3).

In case they name the lowermost ace right above their selection, square the other three aces against the base of your left thumb, bur injogged so the ace is still visible. Use your right middle finger to push and omjog the selected ace as the group of aces aligns with the selected card underneath . Rotate the ace out with your right hand and place it on the botrom of the packet as described above.

PHASE 1: Square the packet, snap and say, ''Just like that, one ace is foce down. "Hold the packer in an overhand biddle grip in your right hand and peel off the top three aces into your left hand leaving you with a facedown double. This makes it look like that ace has gone face down.

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PHASE 2: Say, "That went fast so I'm going to slow it down and show

you exactly what to loo le far. "Take the three ace in your left hand, use your thumb to rotate them face down and place them on top of the faccdown double in your right hand. Square everything up in your left hand. Next, push over the top card into your right hand, push over the next card under the firsr. Push the third card over partially but then downjog the double and place the third card back on top of it (Photo 4). Now you arc in a position with two single facedown cards in your right hand and a single card outjogged on top of a double card in yom left hand. This is a very clean display of supposed ly four facedown cards. Line up the two cards in your right hand under the cards in your left (Photo 5).

You are now in position for a very visual reversal of the selected ace. Point to the third faccdown card from the top and say, "Watch the ace

of hearts." To get ready, pull rhe second card from the top a little bit towards you. This creates a little break on the underside, which allows the left index finger ro singly contact the middle of the short

~dge of the face up ace (Photo G). All this is covered by the top faccdown card of the packet. Pull down the ace a linle with the index Anger and push it towards you, flushing it with the card below it (second from the bottom). , hake your hand gently while doing this

42

ro cover this morion (Photo 7). Pause ro let that sink in with your spectator.

PHASE 3: To continue, grab the double from the edge and pull it out with your right hand and place it on top. You can push over the ace and flick ir. Square everything up and get imo a Biddle grip with your right hand. Say, "You could have picked any ace but you picked the

ace of hearts, "while you peel the face up ace off onto your left hand. Continue peeling off the next two facedown cards onto rhc face up ace bur slightly spread. This leaves you with a double in your right hand. Turn your wrist to show the face of the ace and call our its name. Turn your wrist back and take back a facedown ace from your left hand sidejogged underneath the doub le. Turn your wrist again to show this ace and call out its name. Repeat with the remaining ace. This gives a nice display of the three aces held between your right middle finger and thumb (Photo 8). Repeat, "But you chose the ace of

hearts. "Tum your wrisL facedown , place the face up ace on top of this packet and square everything up. Their selection is now underneath the acc.

You need to get this ace second from the top. Pick the ace up and ask a question while you get a break under the top card, ''Are you right or

left handed?" Turn the ace face down and place it on top of the packer getting a break under two cards. This break is held in an overhand grip with the right thumb at the back. Gesture with your left hand, and ask them

to

hold their hand our. In this action, your right hand

stays stil l, holding the double card at the break. As your left hand

43

moves forward to point, the left thumb peels the top card or the deck along with it (Photo 9). This leaves you holding the original second ca rd singly in your right hand.

You may also execute a top change which i similar to this sequence of actions and leaves you in the same position. Bring your left hand back and place the single card right back on cop. You are now in position to do a double lift showing their card. Show the ace of heartS and say, "This time the ace of hearts is going to turn under your hand. " Turn the double face down and deal off the indifferent card (their selection) onto the table or their hands while asking them to put their other hand on rop of it to cover ir. Make sure they cover it well so they don't peck and ruin the climax of the effecr. You can also ask multiple people to cover the card.

Turn rhe packet in your hand face up and say, "!don't need the other

aces." From Biddle grip, peel off the top rwo aces calling out their names face up onto your left hand and spread sligh dy. Place the double as one on top of rhe orher two aces. quare everything up and put them on the deck which i lying face up to the side. Turn it facedown and riffle the cards towards the spectator's hands as you say,

"One, two, and three. Slowly lift your hands. " Emphasize "slowly" to

44

avoid the card sticking to their hands and turning face up prematurely. You are expecting to see the ace of hearts face up, but act disappointed and say it didn't work but you would now find their card as your promised initially. Play it up in any way you want. Draw attention back to the deck and say, ''I'm going to find your card in a

very cool way." Buckle the bottom card. You are going to pretend to cut the deck but in reality you are just cutting one card from the bottom to the top. Execute a variation of Daryl's Hot Shot Cut.

This is a knacky move but it's described below. Hold the deck in the grip shown (Photo 10) between your left index and middle fingers. Your left thumb reaches across to the bottom right corner lifting up about rwo-thirds of the deck. The middle finger releases pressure as it pivots the packer around the index finger until the corner clears and you reach the position shown (Photo 11).

The packet on rhe left is balanced by the index finger and thumb and the packet on the right is balanced by the other fingers and the pinky. Begin to close your fingers bringing the deck together dropping the right side packet on top of the lefr with your index finger still in place between the packets. Push up and out with your index finger, releasing what was the original bottom card of thc deck. The card will

45

pivo( ou(wards in a clockwise direction agains( (h middle finger. The other fingers close (he

oc ,-our left

deck o

rely. Your

middle finger pushes up and out on the borwm of (he card sricking out (Photo 12) and this will cause it to rotate and shoot outwards. Ca(ch it with your right hand. This is a knacky move and requires some practice. While executing the spinout say, :'Right out of the middle, one card comes flying out. Th
your card. It would be more amazing

11rnazing

if chis

was

if it was ace of hearts. "As you

show the card, let (hat sink in. Continue, "And the card under your hand was the one you selected. "

Creativity Exercise This is more of a lifestyle ra(her than an exercise, but if practiced and done regularly it will have a dramatic impact on your creativity and your lifo in general. Simply put: Learn to meditate. Yep, ma( s ir. Learning how

to

properly meditate and just enjoy being in rhe momem is one of the best things I've done for my magic and my elf. There are some grea( books and DVD's on me ubjcct that will get you practicing mediracion in no (ime. Being able

to

take 20-30

minutes a day for yourself to just be and breathe will help calm your mind and rid you of a lor of rhe fear and anx:ierie that can get in the way and hinder your creativity. \\"hen you are first learning

to

meditate it can be frustracing and may eem like you are doing it

46

wrong, bur just stick with it and before you know it you will be looking fo1ward to your special time away every day. Please don't overlook this one. Take the time ro change your lifo in an amazing way. I didn't mean

to

get all Tony Robbins on you for this exercise

but I really can't stress enough the power of learning to meditate. Here are a few key points of how meditating can help your creativity. l. Meditation he! ps inspire insight, perception an
These are all traits that creative people possess and use when creating. 2. Mediration eases anxiety and allows you to tty things you may not otherwise. 3. Meditation improves concencration and attention; both of which are great traits session.

47

to

have when going through a creative

48

Color Coincidence Effect: You invite the spectator

tO

take part in an experiment

to

demonstrate coincidences. Three card are selected and their mates are found with a surprising twist.

Setup: Remove six cards from a differently backed deck. Suppose you

are using a red deck: Place three blue-backed cards face down on the bottom of the deck and three blue-backed cards face down second from the top in positions 2, 3 and 4.

Performance

, wing cue about 15 cards into your lefr hand. Riffle force to the break and cut back to the top. Second deal the three blue-backed cards face up onto the table in a row.

ecktie the deck while dealing to hide the

backs of rhe cards. Draw out rhe second card at the top right corner with your righr thumb on the back and fingers on the face. Pull the card ourwards and upwards, rotating it face up towards you so that each time you deal, they only see a red back. This further sells the effect.

49

Say, "I'm going to see

if you

can get lucky with some coincidences. As l

dribble down, you're going to call out stop anywhere you like." While you are saying rhis, you mimic the acrions of a riffle force. Break the deck when yo u stop dribbling and push over the top card in the left hand. Take the facedown card wirh your righr hand between your index and middle fingers a you gesture with it to the three face up selections on rhe rable (Photo 1). Conrinue, "You can then decide on

which card I'm going to put chis card on. " Replace rhe card and assemble rhe packers back rog rher

o your

erup is srill on the

bottom .

You are now going w execure the Wichita Slip by Jay Sankey three rimes in a row. This move force the bottom card while hiding the back. In brief: With the de k in mechanics grip, riffle down and ask yo ur specraror to all our · top." Break rhe deck ar rhar poinr and

50

push over the top card of the bottom half over to the right. Ask,

"Which card would you Like to put this on?" · · At the same tune you buckle and push out the bottom card aligning it with rhe top card (Photo 2). Again they only see a red back. Your right hand holds the top packer. in an overhand grip and turns palm upwards. The first two fingers are stretched out and take the buckled card in the left hand packet with the index finger on the face and the middle finger on the back (Photo 3).

Next, three actions happen at once in a continuing motion. The right hand pulls the bottom card out as rhe palm rotates downwards turning the card face up. The left thumb pulls the top card of its packet back square with the deck. Finally the right hand drops the card face up on top of one of the three selections on the table. The indifferent blue back is never seen during this sequence (Photos 4, 5).

T his card will not be a mare of the selecdon they picked on the table so say, "That's close but it didn 't still quite work. We 'll try again." Repeat this rwo more times for rhe orher two selections on the table . • pread rhe deck facedown

to

subrly show chat all rhe cards are red.

ay, "Unfortunately, you didn't have much of a coincidence or Luck on

that. And sometimes when coincidences don't work out, thats when magic comes in. Have you ever done a magic trick before? Go ahead and just touch all three pairs. "

51

Start turning the pairs on the table faced o,,·n co show rhat even though they don't pair ar rhc faces , they selecred the only differently backed cards that match perfectly.

Creativity Exercise For this you will need

to

ra ke an effect that you love and perform

regularly. This can be an effect of your own or someone else's effect that you've put your own pre entation on. Write down yom entire performance script word for wo rd. Walk through the effect in your mind as if you were performing it for someone and write down exactly what yo Lt find yourself saying.

Now go through the script and highlight everywhere you have written the following words: "/ ," "me," "mine" or "my." Now rewrite the same script, but And a way

to

replace these words. In doing so,

you will probably have to come up wirh a completely new approach to the presentation of this effecr.

This one will be a lot harder than it sounds. Take the time and you may be surprised with how it adds a bit of new

to

do it

life into this

cffecr that you know and love. I have done this with multiple effects and have created some of my fa vorite presentations using this exercise. Tty it out and you may surprise yourself with the direction you are forced to go with it.

52

19 Down Effe ct: You are able to rel! just by sight, rhe exact location of a

selected card in a deck and then insrnntly produce it at that spot.

Setup: This effect utilizes a crimp. All you need to do is crimp the

borcorn right corner of rhe top card. The corner is bent upwards (Photo 1) allowing you to cur to the card below ir.

Performance

A

you are discussing and explaining, casually spread the deck

facedow n between your hands. Sight count five cards from the bottom and cut them

to

the rop. Repeat this, bringing the crimp

under the top 10 cards of the deck. Square up and undercut about half the deck and go into an overhand shuffle. Run seven cards and throw the rest on the bottom. The crimp should be clearly visible and is now under 17 cards from the top of the deck. You can set this up beforehand or do it on the fly as described above.

Execute a big block pushover and have any card selected from under the crimp. Retrieve the card and control it to the top of the deck. The flip flop control (described in Backup Plan) is a nice method

53

to

achieve this. To start with, make sure you first swing cut under the crimp (more than 18 cards) into your right hand. Have the selection replaced on top of top of rhis packer. For rhe next cur, once again cut off under rhe crimp. Finish the control like before. The selection is now on top of the Jeck, followed by 17 random cards and 1 crimped card.

Spread freely to show thar there are no breaks. You can also include any false cuts or shuffle th at retain the top stock. Say, "I'm going to

try to find exttctly where y our card is from the top of the deck just by looking. It's somewhere in here and that's all I know." As you' re explaining this, spread the deck casually and square up. Then look directly at the crimp and get a break under it. Continue, "!believe it's

actually 19 cards from the top. " Now you lift up a double in an overhand grip with the thumb at the inner short edge and the index finger on the outer short edge and flash the face. Say, "This is the top

card; I 9 cards below this card is your ct1rd. "This just proves that their card is not on the top .

The deck rests in your hand with the left thu mb across the top card.

Lift up at the break holding the packet between your right fingers at the inner and outer right corners and execute the pop move. The selected card should now be vis ibly ourjogged in the middle of the deck. Finish the effect by counting down the 19 cards selection.

54

to

reach the

Creativity Exercise One of the hardest things about creating a magic trick is coming up with the fl.rst idea or image. Here is a simple exercise that has proven very effective for me.

There are a lot of website out there that can aid you in becoming inspired in ways you may nor have thought of on your own. Kicksrarrer is one of my favorites. What you do is get your notepad and pen and spend 30-60 minutes looking at random projects and designs. I personally look through the technology and design sections of Kicksrarter. Jot down all the ideas and images that pop into your head. If you spend an hour looking around sites like Kickstarter, Gizmodo, RocketHub, etc., and jot down everything that comes co mind, you will develop a long li t of ideas to revisit and pick through. Without a doubt one of these ideas can easily be converted into a hard-hitting effect for you. Don't go into this exercise looking for a specific effect but rather with an open mind and no expectations.Just look through and see what others have created. Use these creations for inspiration and try to figure our how they can be made into some sort of magic effect. This is one of my favorite exercises feel like I'm in a creative slump.

55

to

do when I

56

Signature Effect: In this multiphased effect, a pecraror signs a card on the face with a "magic" marker and you mark it on the back. The marker vanishes and reappears. The signatures vanish and reappear and finally you visually remove and peel your signature off of the card into a little ball of ink, which also vanishes back into rhe marker. Inspiration for the signature pull off came from David Williamson's 51 Cards

to

Pocket.

Setup: There is some preparatory work involved for this effect. Take some dectrical rape and lay it our on some phoropaper. Use a scissors and cur out a long thin line of rape. The hardest pan abour this rourine is to figure our how to write your initials in one continuous line. Stick this thin piece of rape on the back of a card in the shape of your initials. If you need two line then make sure ro stick one line onro the other. For example, the horizontal line in rhc "A" is a separate line bur stuck onro the single main strip. Take the duplicate of this card without any signatures and place it face down on top of the deck. The gimmicked card goes under the top card face down in rhe second position .

Have a Sharpie on you. Smudge a little ink on the rips of your right index and middle fingers.

57

Ir is good to be sranding while performing chis effect, which allows you co make rhe Sharpie disappear and appear easily.

Performance Pick up or gesrure at the Sharpie and say, "Have you ever wondered why they call these things magic marlurs? it's weird. right? What's so magicrJl about it? I'm going to show you. " Cut the deck holding a break and go into a riffle force. When they call out "srop," cut the deck and bring the deck back to order. Execute a double lift and ask your spectator to sign the face while you hold on to card on the deck. They are actually signing the face of the gimmicked card. Turn the double face down and wrice your initials on the back of the card in the same way as you stuck the tape during the initial setup. Let the audience watch as you sign che card, because this really sells the effect. Place the deck aside faced.own and pick up the Sharpie in your right hand.

PHASE I: You are going to make the Sharpie disappear using the f1ipstick vanish. Pick up the Sharpie and say, "The marker does some cool things. ft can disappear. And actually reappear in my pocket. "

Hold the Sharpie between your finger tips of both hands (Photo 1) and move your hands up and down three times. On rhe last time

' your left finger tips let go and right finger tips curl around and pull the pen inwards in an acrion similar ro a Tenkai palm (Phoro 2). Your spectator hould be slightly ro your right ro cover your angles.

58

The pen is hidden from view by the back of your righ r hand. Jmmcdiarely turn boch your hand palm down and par your thighs in the guise of searching for the pen.

how your left hand empty and

move both your hands around w the back. Once behind, your righr hand tosses the pen over to the left hand. As soon as this happens you r right hand comes back forwards ro show chat it is empty. imultaneously, rhe left hand goes into rhe left pocket with rhe Sharpie. After showing your right hand, your left hand comes our of the pocket and produces it. Ir should look like you make rhe Sharpie vanish, show borh hands empry and rhen produce ir from your pocket. In reality, the moves arc a little our of phase because one hand is always dirry, but done ar speed and smoorhly, the larger actions of rhe hand moving always cover the smaller acrions making everything look very fair.

Phase 2: Place the Sharpie aside and pick up rhe deck once more. Say, '1'lf show you what the 1ictuaf ink ofthe marker can do." Execute a doub le turnover to show their signature. You can pick up the double and blow on the face casually displaying the back with yo ur signature as an added convincer. Place the double face up on rhe deck and outjogged for half its length and say, "Focus on just the signature.

59

If I

rub it just right ... " Your right hand comes over and rubs the face of the card three times. On the third time you are going to steal the second card underneath into Tenkai (Photo 3. for more extensive information, you can explore the section on the Miracle Card. Change in Ed Marlo's Revolutionary Card Technique). Once again, the back of your right hand covers the hidden card from the audience, so make sure to watch your angles. Your right hand stays in motion and wave over the outjogged card with the signature.

The next two actions happen simultaneously. The left index finger squares the ourjogged card with the deck. At the same time, your right hand drops its card in palm on top of it. Your right fingers rub against the face slowly revealing the visual vanish of their signatur . Show your fingertips and say, "You can actually see the ink go off

Notice there is no signature on the front but the back still has mine. " When you say this, do a wrist kill as your right hand takes the tap card off the deck to show the back (Photo 4). Hand the card to your spectator to examine. At this moment you arc left with the duplicate

faceup on top of the deck. While they are looking at the card, you have all the misdirection and time in the world to rum the top card facedown and keep a break under it. You can do it openly under cover of your hand or a leg rurnover.

60

Continue to keep the top of the
Phase 3: Give them the marker and say, "But

ifyou take the marlur

and just pretend to toss the ink back on ... " Pick up the double by the opposite corners and execure the swirl change while moving your hands. Continue, "... it'll look like the ink jumps right back. " Stop and allow the effect to ink in. Say, "We've done something with your

signature, now I want to show you something with mine. " Take the top card off the deck while you wrist kill to hide the next card. Place the deck into your pocket and out of play. Show both sides of the cards with the signatures very cleanly. Blow on the back of the card with your signature on iL as you say,

"If I heat it up, I can actually loosen the

ink and peel the signature right off the card." Start to slowly peel off the tape and completely remove your "signature. " Hand them the card with their signature as a souvenir. Roll up the tape into a ball and pick up the Sharpie. Execure the striking vanish to make the ball vanish as you finish, ''For the ink, I'm just going to roll this up a bit and

stick it right back into the pen to save it for later. "

Creativity Exercise For this you'll need to find a magician friend to team up with. To get the most out of this exercise you should tty and meet once a week

61

either in person or via Skype. The idea is simple. Both of you need to come up with an effect you want to see come to life.

For example, at my last meeting l presented my friend with thi effect: I want to borrow a coin and have it signed. Without any switches of any kind I want hand. His problem

to

to

me was

be able to bend the coin with one

to

make an ice cube catch on flre by

itself at his command. While these are both far-fetched ideas, it's this kind of thinking that sparks methods for some of the best magic effects . The key is

to

dream as big as possible and then find a way

make the effect come look up

to

to

to

life. Most of the magicians and creators I

say that when they create something they start and the end

and build around that. Don't think of what is possible. Instead, think how you would make the seemingly impossible, possible.

Have these meetings as often as you can and when you are presented with your problem make sure

to

spend at least 30 unimerrupted

minutes a day working on the solution writing down every though t and idea that comes

to

mind no matter how absurd it seems at the

time. Then during the following weeks meeting discuss all the ideas and concept that you came up with and as a team or group rry and put the pieces together. Of course yo u won't be able to work om a method for eve1y trick that's brought up, but just getting the ideas on the table is the firsr step ro creating some amazing magic.

62

Adam's Aces Effect: This is another fun and visual production of the four aces.

Setup: Four aces on top of the deck. You can have these palmed out

and then load them in after allowing a spectator to shuffle.

Performance

Start by saying, "A lot of magicians are actually rated on their skill level

by how quickly they can locate the four aces from a shuffled deck of cards. It's like

tl

rite ofpassage." Execute a few false shuffles and cuts which

retain rhe top srock. Use a pinky count

to

get a break under the rop

fo ur cards. Continue, "Sometimes l get lucky and l can cut an ace to the top. Let me show you. '' Do a block push off and turn over all four

cards to reveal the first acc. Next you will do a spin move. Pick up the four cards as one with the right middle finger on the outer left corner and the thumb on the inner right corner. Place the rest of the deck a ide. Use the right index finger to pull up on the bottom left corner and give the card one complete spin, keeping the card in motion to conceal the thickness. At the end, flick the packet ensuring they stay square and grab them in your left hand in a deeper grip to cover any edges from the front.

Say, "I can actually peel the ace and split it into two." Your right index finger comes to the right long edge to feel for two cards similar to a strike double lift. Hold on to the double with your right thumb on top and fingers underneath as your left hand comes away, flicking the

63

card and revealing rhe second ace. Cradle the double in your right hand between rhc lcfr fingertips (Photo 1), which allows you

to

regrip. Take the card back in an overhand grip with your right hand. The double is held by the right thumb on the inner short edge and the ring finger on rhe outer shorr edge. The card is then shown vertical with the right thumb riding down the back of rhe card (similar ro a Smart Gordon double turnover) to the position as shown in Photo 2. This is a further convincer to rhe card's singularity.

Place this card flat and injogged for half its length on top of th double card in your left hand. Regrip the cards holding the injogged double between the right finger tips at the middle of the right long edge and rhe other double between the left finger tips at the left long edge (Photo 3). Say, "To get aces 3 and 4, all I need to do is give it a

little shake. "Move your hands aparr separating the two doubles and simultaneously spread them both revealing rhe four aces (Photo 4).

64

Creativity Exercise -------~~~~~~

One thing I hear over and over about creativity is that it can be summed up as putting your mind in a play, or childlike, mode. As we grow older it becomes harder and harder to bring our minds back to that childlike place where anything and eve1ything is possible.

For this exercise you will need to get a few children's toys such as Lego bricks, Play-Doh, Lincoln Logs, etc. Pick up two or three different types that you like and then spend 30-45 minutes playing with chem. Let your imagination run wild and see what cool things yo u can build and create. This is a nice exercise to do once or twice a week. It's a relaxing break from the normal and it will help you put yo ur mind in a healthy state of play - something a lot of people need more of in their lives! A lot of large marketing firms use this technique when nying to develop an ad campaign. They will leave a bunch of toys around the meeting room rabies and let the marketing team play with them as they bounce ideas back and forth. Ir's a nice simple way to bring our a playful and childlike mindset.

65

66

Pop Top This move allows you to reveal rhe top card from the middle of the deck in a flashy and convincing way. I'm sure this is just a reinvention of the wheel type of effect but through the research I have done I couldn'r locate it in print or video .

T he card you wish ro produce should be on rop of rhe deck. Start by showing a double and turning it face down. Lift up a group of cards holding the packet berween your right fingers at the inner and outer right corners (Photo 1). Slide the pack forwards for abour half its length and sideways to the right while the left thumb holds on to the top card (similar ro a slip cut). A rhe left long side of the packet clears the top card, the right hand moves upwards slightly, flipping the rop card over, rotating it over the left thumb as it turns face up (Photo 2) . As the card lands, the left thumb moves out of the way and rhe top packet is snapped back on the deck. This whole sequence is done quickly an
(top) card should now be visible outjogged in the middle of the deck (Photo 3).

67

Pop Production This is a flashy production of the four aces utilizing the pop top move described previously. Setup: Place an ace face down on top of the deck followed by another

ace face up second from the top. The last two aces go face up on the bottom of the
to

reveal the third ace.

For the last ace, the palmed card is revealed by simply inserting the thumb between the face of the card and the palm and popping it our. This ace is inserted into the deck to complete the display (Photo 2).

Creativity Exercise As magicians we have all bought a trick we saw a beautiful ad for. We may have seen it in a magazine, on a website or at the front counter of a local magic shop. What is it about char ad char convinced you

to

buy the trick? Was it the graphics, the effect itself or the video demo?

For this exercise, you will be tasked with developing your own killer marketing campaign for an imaginary cffecL Make up an effect, as the spectator would see it. Don't wony about the mcrhod, just focus on what selling points would be used to marker it. For example you could be selling a new toothbrush trick. The magician pulls out a toothbrush and with just slight shake toothpaste appears on the end of the brush. How does the packaging look, what docs the trailer look like, what arc the main selling points. Mock rhis up on paper and jot down all the points you can come up wirh to sell this effect.

I like ro do this from time ro time and then go through all the notes I have for all these imagina1y effects. It's a fun exercise that can really get you thinking in ways you never have before.

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70

Just For Fun

71

72

......... Sealed Surprise Effect: A borrowed quarrer uan pose from an empry shoe glass into a sealed and freely selected soda bottle. The empry sho t glass is then found

to

be filled wi th the soda from the bottle which was selected.

Setup: You will require che following items. •

A shot glass loaded wich Coke hidden behind rhe cable on a holdout device, or on a smaller cable where you can easily grab it ro execute a switch.

•

An empty shoe glass.

•

Three unopened and drastically different colored sodas in clear, plastic, 20-ouncc bottles , such as Coke, Sprite and Mountain Dew.

•

Two duplicate Stace quarters with che same dare on chem. Load one of these into rhe Coke bottle as described below.

•

Napkins on the table.

The Coke bottle has one of the two quarters loaded in it. To do this and still make it look like che boctlc is in a factory sealed condicion, there is some construction required . Cut off the top section of an unopened Coke bottle at the neck (Photo 1) so the seal is still there and attached

to

the cap. Place chis section into some boiling water in

a bowl for a few seconds. Carefully remove the section from the water wich some tongs (because it will be hot). Use a screwdriver to gently ease out the cap along with the seal below it as one piece (Photo 2).

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Open another Coke bottle normally and use scissors

to

cur off and

remove r.he seal from the mourh. Use a pair of pliers with insulation rape wrapped on the ends (as described in rhe World's Easiest Coin Bend)

to

squeeze the mouth of the bottle to an oval shape just

enough to drop one of rhe rwo quarters into the bottle. Squeeze the mouth of the bottle back to its original circular shape. Place the cap with rhe seal which you pried off from the first bottle over the second bottle filled with Coke and flt ir in place. This is the beauty of this effect: You can load anything you want inro that re-sealed bottle.

1

2

The arrangement on the table is the rhree soda bottles in a line from left to right in front of you. The empty shor glass is placed closer to you on the left. Have rhc second quarter in a left hand tlnger palm.

Performance Borrow a quarter from a pecraror and rake ir from them before they look at it too closely.

rarr by explaining rhar you are going to tiy a

very unique experiment. Execute a

hurrle pass

· retaming the borrowed coin in a right hand finger palm and simultaneously

74

bringing out and

state is on it? And remember the dare as well. " This eliminates the need to sign the quarter. H old our the em pty hot glass in your lefr hand and ask them to drop the coin into it.

hake it around a little bit to

generate some sound, which rein fo rces that everything is fair. Set the hot glass on the table ro the left.

ext you are going to force the Coke bottle. This is done using the magician's choice equivoque, but with an interesting presentation. ay, "We have three soda bottles - a Mountain Dew, a Coke and a

Sprite. They're all kind offizzy. I want you to imagine when you crack open a soda, you get that hiss of the fizz that comes out ofit. That also lets you know that it's brand new and no one's ttimpered with it. " Pantomime these with actions to crack open the borrlc and move your hands up to indicate the fizz and bubbles rising up.

ay, "] want you to imagine these three sodas here. Name any one of

them up and imagine the fizz just coming out as you crack it open with the bubbles rising up. Which one do you want to do that with? Imagine the bubbles rising up." Use simple gestures to pantomime and follow your words.

If rhcy pick rhe Mountain Dew or the Sprite, allow them to pick the bottle up and break the seal open allowing it to fizz up. Say, ''Perfect.

You've cracked it open and tts you can see, it fizzes away, " and place the bottle ro the side.

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Now we have two left. Say, "Go ahead tmd pick one of the bottles up."

Tf they pick up the bottle which is not the Coke, pantomime opening the bottle once again and dirc::ct them to do the same. The Coke bottle is left, which is the position you wanr

to

be in.

If they instead pick up the Coke on the second attempt, say, "Excellent. Hold on to that but don't open it just yet. just imcigine that cracking sound and then the fizz kind of goes away. " You can pick up the rc::maining bottle on the table and play out the words you just said, opening up the second bottle. They are left holding the Cok bottle.

Place the other sodas off to the side and out of play so all that remains is the Coke bottle, which they apparenrly freely picked. You've forced the Coke borde on them. If they initially select the Coke bottle, that is a pcrfc::ct situation and you can co ntinue straight from here.

Pick the bottle up and slowly move it over the empty shot glass, touching ir gently for a sc::cond and then set it down directly in from of the speccaror. Say, "Jn that moment, it didn't look like much, but

check out what happened. Place your hand on top of the bottle. Make sure the cap is on and that it's sealed."

Introduce the napkin and go into Lennan Green's vc1y visual drink production staning with the empty hot glass (Lennart Green's Master

File, Vol. 1). ay "You picked a Coke and )'Ott selected a <state> quarter

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that had the date XXXX on it. I u•am you to watch this carefully. This is where it gets really cool." Jingle the coin one last time and then

complete the change.

ow you've got the hot glass with the Coke in

it. Set it down and point

to

the oda.

Continue.:, "Where the coin once was, is what you picked - the Co!u. it only makes sense

if where the Coke was,

the coin now is. Do me tl favor.

Crack open that Coke bottle. Make sure it is sealed. " Give them a large

glass and ask them to dump the Coke our.

They will dump all the soda imo the large glass and then they'll sec that there's a coin inside of it. Set the soda as ide and let them examine everything. Allow them

tO

verify that iL is the same coin with

the same dates as well as state name on it. Hand them the shot glass and allow them to have a drink while you pick up the large glass have a taste. Say, "Cheers, and thank you very much."

77

to

78

Environmentally Unfriendly Effect: You demon trare how a barrery work. A dead battery from a

remote conrrol is opened up and it

onrenr are poured our into a

glass. The barrery is then recharg d in a v ry visual and strange way, placed back into the remore control and shown ro work.

Setup: You will need a special barre1y chat i used for hiding small

objects such as jewels or pills. These are available for sale on my website, or you can find them online by searching for "stash battery. " Look for one of the popular brands such as Duracell or Energizer.

Once you have the battery you need to fill it with a glowing radioactive-looking fluid. The safest way

to

accomplish this is to buy

glow necklaces found at most dollar stores. Cracking the necklace wi ll

79

activate; the chemicals rhar make it glow. The liquid is safe to touch , but avoid getting it in your eyes (or attcmpting to drink it). Cut off one end of the necklace and pour the liquid into the stash battery. Screw rhe cap back onto the battery and when the time is right, swap it with a regular batte1y from a remote control when nobody is looking. Keep the real barrery in an easily accessible and hidden place, such as your lap if you are sitting at a table, or in a pocket - in position to bring it our finger palmed later on. Place the remote control back on the table.

If the battery you switch out is the same brand as your stash battery, that is the perfect situation and the switch you execute in the end will work. If the battery you switch out is a different brand, you can still proceed with the effoct but you cannot do the switch at the end.

Performance Wait for someone to t1y

to

use the remote control and notice that it

doesn't work. Alternativdy, you can initiate it yourself by ttying to change the channel and bringing ro arrenrion rhat it doesn't work. Pick up the remote conuol and open the battery compartment. Say,

"The batteries must be dead. Have you ever wondered why batteries work? Or how they work? They're filled with something and they produce energy. Some of them we can even refill or when we 're done with it, we throw them away. It 's strange - have you ever wondered what's inside of them? Let me show you an interesting experiment."

80

Ask for a shor glass or use any similar conrainer lying around. Remove the fake bat te ry from the remote conrrol and display ir. Place rhe remote comrol back on the table but wirh the compartment face up, showing clearly that one barrery is out of it. (If your stash battery doesn' r march the barrcry already in rhere, rhen just set it facedown.)

Continue panering about batteries and in the action of holding and moving it around in your hands, srart unscrewing the cap. Don'r make it look obvious and continue talking and act like you're playing with it. When you're at the very end and it's almost completely off, say, "Checle it out. You can actually... break it open cmd see what's

inside of these things, " as you open rhe cap and separare the battery into two pieces.

Pour the liquid into the shot glass while you say, "There's a cool way to

recharge them ifyou give the liquid a Little air and a mix. But you need to be careful, since this stuff is pretty radioactive. "This is a rea lly visual moment. As a little joke you can take your finger and give the liquid a mix. Pick up the shot glass (or whatever container you used) and pour the liquid back into the stash battery as carefully as you can. Put the lid back on and give prerend to give it a few shakes and rubs , while actually screwing the cap back on. Get ready and bring the real battery you are hiding in to a finger palm.

Say, "That should just about do it. I bet it's recharged. Let's see

if it

works." Exccure a simple false hand to hand transfer to swap the stash batte1y back for rhe real one. Use the hand now hiding rhe stash 81

bartery in flngcr palm to pick rhc remote control up from the table and replace the real battery into rhe comparrrnenr. The remote control hides the stash battery completely. Hand your spectator rhe remote or demonstrate that it works now. You can now get rid of rhe stash battery anytime, because all rhe heat is off you.

If rhe battery you swapped our is a different brand, then you just screw the lid back on and place it hack into the remote control. This docs leave you a bit diny. As an alternative, you can carry around two real Duracell or Energizer batteries and one stash battery. When you have a private moment, switch both their batrerics our. Put in one real batte1y and one stash batte1y. Have rhe second real battery in your pocket or lap ready co switch out in the end. Generally no one is going to remember or realize rhar you've switched our. their barreries for a different brand.

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Shutterbug This trick came from a late night conversation with one of my closest friends, Peter M cKinnon. We were jamming abour ideas for this book and in a joking manner Peter said, ''Make up a trick dedicated to me and name it Shutterbug. " We both laughed and I insrnndy had rhe idea for this simple bur powerful effect. This is a great example of how sometimes the simplest of ideas can be mrned into strong commercial magic. For those of you who don't know Peter, he is one of the most talented photographers and cinematographers around. This guy makes real magic from behind the lens of a camera. This was the inspiration for Shutterbug.

Effect: By combining your love for magic with your passion for

photography you have come up with a unique solution to a common problem of forgetting your camera. You show a card box and with the flick of your finger it transforms into a makeshift camera. To demonsrrate how the card box camera works you introduce a blank piece of "photo paper." The spectator signs the back of the paper and it is insened imo tht: card box camera. They are then asked to select an image (in this case a playing card will suffice) to be photographed. You snap a picture of the selected card and pause a moment to let the film develop. Then you open the camera card box to show that the signed piece of photo paper has now developed into an image of the freely selected card. The spectator can be left with this image as a souvenir.

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Setup: You will require the following items. •

A blank faced card

• •

Camera box gimmick Front of box gimmick (you'll need a second card box for this)

• •

Deck of cards Thumb tip flasher (optional)

•

Duplicate card

To make the camera box gimmick, take a card box and draw a camera on the side that doesn't have the half moon cut out (Photo 1) . Cut one of the flaps to make a "flash" (Photo 2).

1

Take the second card box and cur the front panel off. Disregard th rest of the box. Glue an indifferent card to the back of this panel with the back design outward (Photo 3, front , back).

84

Place one of th duplicate cards (for example, the jack of clubs) face down on top of che deck. The black faced card goes face down in the sccond position followed by the second duplicate card and the rest of rhe pack.

Put the deck in the box with the backs facing the drawing of the camera. The front of chc box gimmick should be on the face of the box covering the camera drawing and you are ready to perform.

Performance Start with the
T h is sets you up to execute the Cardini color change. As your right hand approaches the box you pull down on the gimmick with your left pinky levering it on the side of the box (Photo 4. Camera is not drawn and right hand is removed for clarity). At the same time your

85

right hand flicks the box and then flattens out to cover the gimmick (Photo 5). This allows for a visual appearance of the:: camera.

In a continuing action your right hand grasps the box from the ends as your left hand pulls the gimmick to the back of the box and lines it up flush as you display the camera (Photos 6 , 7). Now you can open the box and pull out the cards as you slide the gimmick out with them. Set the box on the table camera side facing up and spread the deck showing all the card backs. The back design you glued onto the gimmick hi
Place the deck on the table and pick up the camera box. You are now going to load the duplicate inro the box (which they think is the:: blank photo paper). Hold the amera box in your right hand so the camera is facing your audien e with your left hand pick up the

86

signed top card an
into a camera. Don't rush rhis. Explain that you need something to photograph. Pick the deck up from the rablc as you place rhe camera box aside for a moment. You arc going to force rhe duplicate jack of clubs, which is second from rhe top. The pread cull force described in Earbuds is a fair way

to

force rhe sdection, but you can use any force you are comfortable with. Have rh e spectator hold the card facing you as you pretend to rake a picture with the camera box. Open the box and pull rhe card out about half its length as you mention it's not a grear shot because you forgot the flash . Push the card back in and re-close the box. Pull the flash flap out as yo u tell your audience that you are going to tty again. Your left index finger holds the flash flap uprighr (Photo 2). If you have a thumb rip flasher, this is when you' ll use it. When you pretend to take a picture for the second time use the TTF to create a bright flash of light. Open the box again an
87

w

88

Boxed In Effect: A ring i borrowed from a spccrator and placed in a box or a purse. A card i

leered and signed. Through the routine, the card

jumps around from different locations in the deck and your pocket. And for rhe big kicker, it transposes with the ring in the box. The signed selection end

up in the box where the ring was originally

placed. The ring is found to be inside the deck, which seems

transformed it

• • •

have

f ', o a ox.

Setup: You wi ll re

• •

to

illI

h following iLems.

Boxed In g m i Rattle box (or attached to ir on

a\'ailable on my website) ...ir e) with a card folded (or sewn) and e :n ide

A blank faced car \\1th "Gently shake rhe box" written on the face. Two indifferent random ·ards Borrowed ring or small object

The order from top of the deck fac down is an indifferent can.I, the blank card, indifferent card and rhe facedown Boxed In deck gimmick.

Gimmick Construction: You will require the following items.

• •

X-Acto knife or any paper cutting blade

•

Gluc

•

89

four small round magnets Hole puncher

Cut out a rectangle from the center of about 50 cards carefully with the X-Acto knife as shown (Photo 1). If you are using Bicycle cards, then the inner rectangle just outside the two circles is a good reference of where you should be curdng.

Depending on the thickness and size of your magnets, punch out the opposite corners of a couple of these cards (Photo 2). Take half of the remaining cards which arc nor punched and glue them all together, one by one. Glue the group of cards with punched our magnet holes rogerher and then glue thi group on rap of the set of non-punched cards. Place rwo magnets in rhe holes and glue them in place. Place a single card without only the center cur our on top of this to cover the magnets.

Repeat this with the other half of the deck. En ure that the pole orientation of the maanet ar -orr r and char they attract (and not

90

repel) each other from the two different halves. One half should be face up and the other hould be face down so that when they are put together the impres ion is of a standard deck of cards. Glue a single card on the top and bottom of the deck to close the holes, creating a little chamber (Photo 3).

You may opcionallr line rhe corners of this chamber wirh felr to mask any sounds coming fro m the ring jostling around later during the performance.

The gimmick is complete and you have a little "box" of cards made of two halves that are held together. There is a compartment inside that can hold a small object. Close the card box, follow the setup described earlier and yo u are ready to perform.

Performance Borrow a ring from an audience member. In the act of placing the ring into the box, you are going to secretly retrieve it anJ hold it finger palmed in your left hand. The rattle box design shown in (Photos 4, 5, 6) has a liding lid that allows you to ve1y convincingly drop the ring into the box. By just tilting the box backwards the ring will roll out onto your palm from behind (Photo 7). If you are using

91

a purse, you can foke throw the ring into it while holding it open and instead the ring falls into your hands. A French drop or any similar move will also work. Make sure not to flash the folded card inside. Give the box a shake audibly indicating that the ring is inside and place it aside on the table.

Pick the deck up and give it a false overhand shuffle with the coin finger palmed. Run the top three cards one by one with your lefr thumb into your hand and rhrow the rest of the deck (gimmick on top). Pick up the whole deck and go into another overhand shuffle. This time pull the gimmick as a block into your left hand and then run the three card

ingly on rop of ir. The deck is back

to

its original

order and this shuffling equence is a convincer that eve1ything is normal.

92

Force the top card by asking the spectator to call out "stop" during the shuffling sequence just de cribed, and time it appropriately. It's very simple to


beca use

there are only three

real

cards.

Alternatively, you can hand them the top card while saying that it doesn't matter, because you are going to see it anyway.

Have the card signed. \\'h ile thc..:y are doing this, you arc.; going to

hid the ring into the ch:un ber inside the deck. Bring the ring to your lefL fingertips. With your right hand, open the deck slightly like a book at the right long ide Photo 8). Your fingers c..:nrer the opening, drop the ring inLO the m iddl of the
o that it remains at one corner and

doesn't roll around creating any ou nds.

Use the Marlo tilt to replace the election third from the top of the deck. Go into a short ambitious card sequence starting with a triple lifr to show that it has jump d from the middle back on top. Cantin ue, '7 can go even farther this time and place it on the bottom of

the deck. " Turn the.: triple facedown and place the top card on the bottom. Execute a double turnover to show that it is once again on t he

93

rop. ,Say, "'To 1 • make it more imrt>ossible, I willplace your card in

. ,.

m11

pocket." Turn rhe double facedown and chis time place the top (indifferent) card into your pocket. Make a gesmre and mrn over rhe top card

to

reveal the selection once again.

Hand rhc card to them and ask them to verify rhat everything is normal. While they do rhis , sidesteal or cur rhc blank face card at the bottom to the top. Retrieve the card and place it face up on top of the deck. Say, "I will try one Last feat with your card but this time it won't

be jumping from pockets or to the top of the deck. it 's going to vanish

from the deck. "

Pick up a double and execute the Shapeshifter

change. This transforms the selection into the blank faced card with the message written on the face. Replace the double on top of the deck. Thumb off the blank faced card and hand ir strnighc to the spectator.

Point to the box and ask them to gently give it a shake. Manage your audience and ensure that the box i · not opened prematurely. While they do this, turn the deck face up and execute the Mercury card fo ld on the bottom card which is their selection . Sql1eeze the folded card against one of the corner of the deck and nor in the middle since that is a weak spot with ju t a single card covering the hole under it (Photo 10). Retain th folded card in your left hand in a fmger palm

94

as you set the deck down. Take the box back and open it slightly. Tilt it towards them and ask, "What do you see?" The folded card inside will show. Say, "No ring and not just any folded card But y our card

with your signature on it." Mim droppi ng the card out of the box inco your hand as the hidden folded selection is brought into view. Unfold and displ ay it.

Say,

"ifyour signed card zs here u here the ring was, it only makes sense

that where y our card zl'as, the ring is." Pick up rhe deck and give it a lirrle shake so they an hear the wi n rattle inside. Gently open the gimmick and display the ring.

95

96

Cash Card Wri[[en by J o hua Jay

Changing a playing card inro a dollar bill has been done before, but this is as good as I have ever een ir look. Ir's a problematic effect from a method standpoint becau e the rigidity of the playing card limits your options. But Adam has onsrructed a gaff that I believe provides an elegant solution. And he frames the trick as a transposition , which allow you rn end clean.

Effect: The magician has a card selected and isolates it in his hands. Tn an instant, the card changes inro a dollar bill. "But

if a dolltir is

here, I wonder what's in my wallet where the bill is supposed to be." Inside his wallet i the chosen card.

Setup: The one-rime set up for this effect is extensive, but it resets almost instantly.

You'll need two dollar bills and two force cards, as well as some glue. Place one of the for e ards in your wallet. Thar' rhe easy part.

Glue a dollar bill

to

rhe back of the other force card so that the ends

align (Photo 1). Flip the unit over and orient the gaff so that the card end of the bill is at your right. The left side of the bill is exposed and uncovered by the card. Apply glue

97

to

this left side of the bill and then

glue rhe second bill on top, with the edges aligned, oriented the same way (Photo 2). When the glue dries, trim the sides of the bill to the card, since the width of a bill is fractionally larger than a playing card .

1 'bis is your gaff.

Between each performance, you must ser up your gaff as follows. Fold the end of the money rhar prorrudes beyond the card back, behind the face of rhe card (Photo 3). There are two "ends" of the bill that must be dealt with. The thicker one is folded flush against the bill, a quarter of an inch lower than rhe edge of the card (Photo 4). The single-layer end of the bill is accordion folded back, then fo1ward, as shown in Photos 4 and 5. Place this card on the face of the deck.

Performance Use your favorite method to force the bottom card of the deck. Adam uses a riffle force, first cutting the cards and holding a break, and then

98

riffling to the break. The force card i cut

tO

the bottom of the pack,

and rhen the deck is rurned face up. Carefully slide the gaffed card in to your righ r hand, then table or pocket the deck, keeping the face of the selection toward the pecraror.

"My mom always asked me how I u·oidd make money with card tricks. "

So saying, you effect the hange a ollow . T he change is carried out entirely one-handed

u ing only \'our riaht hand. The cleanup,

however, requires both hand .

First, the change:

imp y gra p the double-layer bill with your right

thumb and allm\· che

r ro flo p downward, which opens the length

of the bill (Pharo 6). From the fronr, the change is instantaneous

(Pharo 7).

99

Now for the cleanup: With your right thumb , contact both "ends" of the bill behind the card and push them upward . This opens a small "tunnel" into which you can insert your left thumb. As you stroke the bill with your left hand, run your thumb down the back of the gaff (Photo 8) , which extends the portion of the bill that covers the card. You can show both sides of the bill by carefully turning it over in your hand.

The gaff looks a little stiff, so don't move it too much. Instead, call attention to your wallet, and propose the idea that if your money appeared in your hand, then perhaps a card appeared in your waller. Fold the bill in your hand, which will help you conceal the thickness, and retrieve your waller. Put the gaff away and then retrieve the card.

If anyone asks to see the bill, pull out a regular bill.

100

Fah-Q A variation ofPeter McKinnon sBlackpool Prediction The spectator is asked

to

think of ANY card (let's say it's the Jack of

Clubs). You rel! the pecrator that you KNEW rhey would think that! To prove it, you wrote it on the inside of the box before you even srarted. The box has been in plain view the entire time. Ve1y slowly, you open the box, pull back the flaps and reveal what's inside. To the surprise and poss ible disappointment of the spectator, there is absolutely nothi ng written inside.

"Really? There is nothing written? How about now?" With a quick upward motion, the famous bold words of the Blackpool Prediction immediately appear written on the bottom of the box.

Setup & Requirements: Scissors, two card boxes, glue stick, Sharpie,

a sharp blade & some good wine. Music is optional. I recommend it.

Cut the long side of a card box and put ir aside (Photo 1).

101

Open the box from the botcom and write the Blackpool Predictio n words on the inside of the bottom flap. At the same time, you are going to cut off one of the glue tabs (Photo 2).

After cutting off one of the glue tabs, re-seal the box with double stick tape or glue stick. You now have a small slit in the bottom along with the Blackpool Prediction's text. (Photo 3)

You are now ready to trim your extra "side flap"

to

size and insert iL

into your new cur slit at the bouom of the deck. Pumped yet?

Slide the extra side piece from your other box into rhe slit at the bottom of your newly prepared box. This slide will act as a false bottom. When you show the "empty" box to your spectators, d1 y will sec the side flap- not the real bottom of the box (Photo 4).

Make sure to trim off all that excess side flap so only the tab and a small portion remain sticking out of the box - the less, the bett r. You will have this flap sticking out during performance. It will go unnoticed if you do not call attention to it during your routine.

102

Once ready to perform, remove the cards from the box. Ser rhe box aside with rhe back of the box (dirty end) facing you. Have the cards shuffled. and mixed by your spectator. Invi te thcm to name any card. After the card is named , pick up your box holding the tab at the sides with both hands (Photo 5).

4 Show the.: box as empry to your spectators as in (Photo 5). With a quick jerk morion, remove the tab from the slit pulling it up against the right side of the tuck box. It will be covered with the design as it is the same flap rhat already exists. Again, this should go unnoticc.:d.

Everyone will be looking at the new visible message at the bottom of the hox, versus what you are holding and covering to the side of the box. You can even hand it out and drop your right hand casually

to

the side, ditching the extra flap in your back pocket.

The most important thing to remember is the larger action covers the smaller action. The larger action is your upward and downward jerk

of the box and the smaller motion is the rab being removed. Kill it!

103

Endnote: The presemation of this effect as it is written here will nor be for everyone. It uses some profane language but in cum packs a hell of a punch and allows for some great humor in the right situation. Keep in mind that you do not have to use the gimmick as it is used in this write up. The gimmick basically allows you to visually produce any word(s) that you would like on the bottom of a card box that was just seen to be empty. I've used it to magically and visually produce a prediction as well as to change one word into another. There are many applications this gimmick can accomplish. So please don't overlook it if you're nor a fan of rhe presentation described. Play around with it and have fun.

104

Concepts

& Thoughts

105

106

Adam Wilber On Approaching People The following are answer I gave co] oe Hadsall, of Ellusionist.com, who asked about my performance ryle and attitude for an interview.

In some cases, showing a trick to someone is a no-brainer, like the guy at the BevMo! who was asking what you did. But in others, you just spotted a group ofpeople and approached them. How do you pick people to show magic? What do you look for? First and foremost I look

or people who look like they have plenty of

money to tip me. AU jokin a ide. when I am looking for a group or person to perform for. I don ·r reall~- chink much about it. Ir's more of a gut feeling and common en

thing. I believe the most important

thing to remember i you houldn't be walking up to a group with the sole intention of fooling chem, impressing chem or getting something from ch m (that is more of your ego performing instead of your personality). When performing magic for a stranger, you have to

are giving them a genuine piec..e of yo urself. If you approach people with the mind set of being asual and having fun it makes it very hard for them to not be recep ti\'e owever there are c rcain

to

your magic. ue

that will indicate when NOT co

approach. If it look lik a seriou conversation is going on, you certainly don't want

107

to

int rrupt them

to

show them magic. This is

just a common sense thing. If it looks like the group is having a good time, approach them an
Are you always on the hunt for a peifonnance opportunity? Have you always been this way, or did it change when you made the decision to go pro? I have always had the passion to perform. Ever since I fooled my father with a silk vanish at age 6, I was hooked on showing magic to people. l think what changed over the years is the auimde I have when approaching a gro up. I used to just focus on fooling them and making sure 1 didn't get caught doing a sleight. After a lot of trial and error I came to realize it is inflnitely more impressive and entertaining to

people when you perform casually and light heartedly rather th an

like a robot which is programmed

to

execute every move perfectly.

T hat doesn't mean you should perform bad sleights, but rather you should know these moves so well that you don't have to think about them while performing. Your performance needs to be unique to each and every person yoLL perform for. They should feel like this performance was created speciflcally for them, like it's the fosc time you've ever anempted this little miracle.

Nowadays I look for any and every opportunity I can to share my magic with people. It still amazes me the feeling you get when you give a com plete stranger a memory they will keep for a lifetime. Not

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many people or artists can say they have that ability, bur as magicians it's som ething I think a lot o f us rake for aranted.

I like to think that I seize plenty of opport1lnities to perform for people, but y ou put me to shame.

e all love magic, we all love

performing, but y ou are at a higher level You perform fo r ANYBODY. D id y ou ever think ofyour. elf as being at that higher level, or do you think everyone houU perfonn like you do? T don't see myself at a ''h,g

: an_- mean . I have always had

an outgoing attitude an

c o n. I love people and I

love social interactions.

hould force themselves

to perform as m u

h as

(h uoal rhey ser for

themselves. It go

he mo r you perform for

strangers, the more

o m·o a "' •·ou

om

at it and in turn the

better performer you become.

Is there any one you 0 \ " T perfonn for? ITTJat kind of red flags do you lookforf Or is there ever a time when ou 'r just not feeling it? I have never and will never perform fo r anyone w aring kin ny jeans or blue baseball hats. In all seriousness there is nobody I won' t perform for. Thcre are certain situations I wo n' t walk into like I mentioned above.

If a group looks ve1y eriou and or busy in what

they are doing I will avoid rhem.

If I am doing tabl e hoping or

restaurant work I won' t approach anyone who is eating unless they have specifically asked to see me. Just like anybody I have good and

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bad days. I usually won't perform if T'm just having a bad
If you are having fun performing your good mood will rub off on your audience. Just like if you see someone yawn your body forces you

to

yawn as well, if you see someone having a great time

instinctively your mind forces you to join in on this good time. It's always best to perform when you're in a happy and upbeat mood.

This question is just to make sure I remembered (a peeformance given to diners at) the Slanted Door right: You heard the group of women laughing, thought they'd be perfect for a performance, but noticed that there was also a table for the men, and chose to peiform for them first. Rightf I remember hearing a lot of laughter and an all-around good vibe coming from the table. As I approached I noticed it was about 15 people, the woman at one end and the men at the other end. I will generally always perform for the men first. There are a couple reasons for this. Firstly, 1 have found with my personality it's better to win the men over first. A lot of men are very protective of their woman and when they see some guy covered in tattoos walk over and start entertaining their woman they can get very defensive and protective. That's not a good emotion

to

inflict on people. If you can win the

men over and have them be the center of attention, che rest of the performance is a lot easier to handle.

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Secondly, in my experience it's almost always the men who will reach into their pockets for a tip. In the case of rhe slanted door ar rhe end of my performance three of the men a kcd if they could rip me. I declincd rhe tip but they ended up buying me a drink.

I'm guessing the number of times you've done magic for random people is in the thousands. lnat's one or two of the most important lessons you've learned from your approaches? I think the most importanL thing I have learned is

to

always

remember that the magic is not about me or my ego. The magic MUST be all about my audience and providing them with an entertaining interaction that allows them

to

think like a child again

and forget abouL the worries of world around them, even if only for a moment. It sounds corny I know, but once you learn

to

approach

people with this mindset your performances wi ll go from mediocre ro inspiring and meaningful. You will also see the reaction of your aw.lknc.:<:: c.:hange and bccorne more sincere.

Another good rule to live by is to make cvc1y moment counr. Every trick you do or interaction you have should have 100 percent of your energy and focus. You never know when it could change your life forever.

As a professional, your time is valuable. You do kids shows, corporate shows, adult parties and more, and get paid well. Some pros say that magicians shouldn't give away what they get paid to

111

do. What are your thoughts about doing random tricks and how they affect your business overall? To any person who says a magician shouldn't perform for random strangers because they feel it's giving away what we get paid

to

do, I

would say you are in this business for all the wrong reasons. I perform for strangers because I love rhe feeling it gives me and the emotion and memory it leaves them with. I have gotten hundreds of paid gigs because of random performances I gave to complete strangers. You can argue that you should never do a free show because it only leads ro more free shows, you can argue that you shouldn't offer a free night of magic to a restaurant because it rakes away the value of our work but these are personal business decisions for each performer to make on their own. There is no right or wrong here. You should do what works for you and gets you bookings.

What would you tell someone who fights their own case of stage fright? How can they get over any jitters they have and get busy perfonning? The most important thing is to know your material so well char you don't have to think about the moves, actions or presentation as you're performing. A lot of nerves come from the uncertainty of your material. Secondly approach your spectators as a genuinely nice person and a friend first and as a magician second. Introduce yourself and ask them about themselves before performing anything. Be friendly and sincere in your conversation and tty to truly get to know this person or group. Then use your nervousness

112

to

your advamage

while performing. Tty and take that energy and turn it into a positive.

I used to be very honest with people and tell them straight out that I was a bit nervous. This would help me in the performance because it let them know I was human and they were experiencing something new and unrested so ifI made a mi rake it was OK. I still ger nervous when approaching a stranger but I have learned to take those nerves and use them as a po itive energy tha t beners my performance. The more you perform the b ner you will become at overcoming nerves and using them to pre ent your audience with a heartfelt and entertaining experien e that they will remember for the rest of their life.

There are a few imple ui ks uch as raking a fow deep breaths before walking up

co a group or mentally running through your

performance carr co fini h before you approach. But at rhe end of the day I believe 1c om

down to just being yourself and approaching

du.: "'"'"'i<..n1 wich an easygoing arriruJ1.:. Wt:

are n1agicians because

we like to perform, entertain and enlighten. So practice your material, put on a smile and get out there and perform!

113

11 4

Alan Rorrison How did y ou get into what you do creatively? I never really set out to be creative in the art. I mean , it was not a conscious thing. I wa

happy enough learning what others had

created. Trying ro perform chem and ttying to do it well. But the shift for me came when I got busted using a gimmick during a routine. At a young ag chat i. the end of the world for you. Later in years you find that it's no big deal and usually leads to some awesome comedy byplay. Bur at ch rime it was soul destroying. So I set out to make up a method for rhe routine that used no gimmicks.

The routine was Gary Freed'

NFW and I still use my un-

gimmicked/gaffcd method co this day. But I think that just gave me rhe spark ro ny and make everything as good as it possibly could be.

TF ir needed a gimmick become rhe masrcr of rhar

gi 111111 ick or :is

close as you can get. If it can be done without a gimmick and look just as good, then do it. Just do nor create because you think it's going

to

ger you famous. That's when bad effects hit the markct.

Create to make your own magic better. Then a few years down the line, if you think its releasable, then try and do so.

Do you think that you would be able to teach what you do? To say no would be rather arrogant. What I would say is this. I can't comment on myself but l know a few people who are jusr stupidly creative. Ir is just the way their brain is wired. lf they werc into painting instead of magic, they would be a stupidly creative paintcr or

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if they were into music, rhey would be a stunning musician. Some people are just creative and I still have nor found a way

to

pass this

spark on to someone else. That's not to say it won't or will never happen. I hope it does. The more creative people we have the better place this world will be. 'l he kids today just need

to

understand it's a

process you can't rush. Learn rhe history. Respect those who came before you and if it won't further the art., don't do it!

What inspires you? A lot of things inspire me. T like to sketch and I'm a musician too. So I think doing dther of those insp ires me. Or seeing someone else who is rea ll y good at either of those do what they do pushes me more and more and really inspires me. In saying that, I am a massive geek. I like to learn anything I can about eve1yrhing. It is astounding how many

things outside of magic will inspire an idea or thought inside of magic for me. Wbat do you do to get into your creative zoner Sometimes it just happens. I'll just want to be ab le to do something and I suspect that's how it happens for a lot of people. Besides that, music inspires me a lot. I love my music and there will seldom be a time when I do not have headphones on. This always helps to get rhe creativity flowing for some reason.

W1'at is your favorite accomplishment? 1 do not know. Thar's kind of like asking a father of three who his

favorite child is. Aside from magic it would be still being alive. 116

Cancer should ha\e claimed me la r yc:ir bur all we can do i fight on. Thankfully I'm winnincr and for me thar a big rhing. \X'irhin magic I guess it would just be being known or r -p

rc:d. I cry to pur our

only good stuff and do the right thing. and tha - Uy mo r p ople notice thar. You will alway ger hater or p ·ople "ho wanr to cur you down to push themselves up, bur if you keep moving forward and rry to progress rhe art as best you can people will norice.

If you mean effect-wise, it would have ro be mok . Ir ha been someth ing I've been working on for too long and

rill am. Ir's

something rhat many have tried to rip oft~ lie about. real. ere. Thar's when I figured out I had a winner. If someone i willing ro lie and chea t to try and rake it from you, ir musr be wonh it. Ju r document everything folks. It's what saved me!

Do you ever create hidden meanings or messages in your work? All the time. Music is a big thing for me and I scatter that through everything I do in magic. My effects will be named after songs that rnspired me during rhc rime. for example, Bodies in Flight or eve n band names lik<:: Thrice. I also have a Few other things I'm in volved in that creep into magic from time to time. J usr look at my logo!

Do you enjoy sharing your work with others or do you prefer to go unnoticed? Why? I used

to

enjoy sharing my wo rk. It was nice seei ng something I had

created being useful to someo ne else. Kind of like a farher when their kid docs well and you foel kind of proud. Recently however, I have

117

been sitting on more and more of my work. Sadly, times arc changing and people don't respect rhe hard work that goes inro something any more. Everything comes roo easy for them, which means they are willing

to

let it go too easy as well. So I would rather keep somerhing

for myself and perform it rather than have it stolen, ripped off or orherwise. It's a changing time and I can see more and more good creators doing the same. Nor that l am saying I am any good. More and more bad effects an: hitting rhe market ro try and flll the gap. Sad times bm they caused it themselves.

Do you pay attention to others' strong reactions to your work? Does that affect what you crea te? Of course I notice if I get a strong reaction

to

what I do but 1

wouldn't say thar affects whac I create. Anything I create will always be a means to an ends for me effect-wise. IF I ger a good, strong reaction for it, I have just done that job right. So I wouldn't say it affocts what I create. I'd say it affects how I create. Like, keep pushing and make it the best you can. At the end of the day lam just happy if I get a reaction at all.

Who do y ou define as a visionary? Visiona1y, without a doubt: Wayne Dobson. He underswod magic and what it was to be a performer. Also, Roy Walton. If I had never met these men, I would nor be the performer I am today.

Ifyour creative work were ed ible, what would it taste like? C h icken curry. It's a little spicy but to the point and hits hard, baby.

118

Arvind Jayashankar I am less of an inventor and more of a p norm

r.

Wh n I fosr rarred

magic, T surrounded myself with nurnerou

boo · . lecture nore ,

magazines, DVDs and more. I srudied whacever I ould lay mr hands on. I've never considered myself suprem Ir

ream·e but

r

think

crearivity is somerhing that can be practiced and hon d. for example, f ve been playing the violin for manr year litde kid. In rhe beginning, everything wa

Sin

e f was a

n w to m . The

rechnique, reading nores, finger placements, under randing "·hac resulted in a good sound and what didn't, and also musi in aeneral. We were taught simple exercises co practi ce bowing

po rure,

fingering and more. As we progressed , rhis moved on ro

ale and

implc melodies. Next came the songs and compositions. All of the foundations gave me a very good overview on whar rhe insrrurnenr and l were capable of. The same song can be played in numerou different ways. You can play it using long bows, short and quick bows, high tempo, low tempo, playing each note twice, changing scales, and much more. There are also different ways ro achieve the ame effect. Sooner or later you come to know what sounds good and what doesn't.

And then, the more you srudy and the more you listen, rhc more ideas build up inside you. You are ab le to put rogerher different techniques and slowly start creating something unique. However, this

119

takes time. Unless you arc some kind of prodigy, normally this isn'r something you develop overnighr.

But then how does rhis relate ro creativity in magic? Being crearive in one field doesn't mean you are only capable of being creative in that field alone. The ideas and ways of thinking you develop can be applied in whatever you do. If you are a very good web designer, you probably understand colors and layouts. You can tell by watching a trick whether it's clumsy looking or smooth. If you're skilled at cooking, you know the importance of timing and the sequence of whar you do. If you're a good writer, you know what it takes to get your point across with clarity and style. If you' re good at marketing, you know how

to

draw in the attention of people watching or

observing.

The point is, always look around you. Be observant of your surroundings. The world is a ve1y creative place. Surround yourself with creativity and absorb whatever you can. Always keep looking for ways you can apply your different passions or whatever you do imo other areas. I think one of the best things about my magical journey so far is that I've always been working aroLmd so many creative people. Think about what's better - being on a little island and trying to come up with unique designs and ideas to build a skyscraper, or

wandering around a ciry like New York or Hong Kong and simply observing eve1ything around?

120

This comes back to my point of pracrice and honing. Be pas ionare abour different rhings a ide from magic. Look for way you can injecr what inrerests you into your performance . As long as you have a good base and are consrandy learning new rhings, you will automatically start to srep beyond rhe boundaries and srarr exploring and creating somethin g new.

121

122

Brad Christian To me, creaciviry seem

to be an e.· r

ton o - lerring )'Our

imaginarion flow. Ger rid of rh boxe. around omcching. gee rid of '- 'your rhoughts about the way it "has ro" be or hould b . Try sev ral differenr avenues for the sam e china exp rimem.

· e a lac of "what

if" scenarios: Trick your mind imo !erring go of ic

narural

boundaries.

If you can, try to mock up the thing you are thinking of o rou an see it, feel it, play with it. Even doing thac may take you into a different approach than the one you srarced wich.

Mostly, don 't be afraid to fail. Counreract the fear of fail ure by celling yourself how many times the grears failed before they ame up \ ith che ve1y th ing char made them great. Failing is a part of the ucce process. You have

to

put a certain number of failures into che m ix in

order to ensure success. They' re like stairs. Every rime you fail it creates anorher stair char you step on that gees you higher roward your goal.

Lastly, remember that often creation involves a process of simply letting go. You ny and ny and ny and get all wound up in a ball. Your head is tight and knotted up. LET. GO. Go do something different. It could be chat the tightness of nying so hard is keeping the idea from coming through. Some of the best ideas come when

123

you are on a walk by yourself. Movement allows flow. Don't be bothered if you look hard for an idea and it just isn't there. Tr can come in a second. That empty space can flll up in a bare moment. Just wait. The idea is already sitting there; YOU just have to arrive at it.

124

Dan Harlan How did you choose your creative outlet? Do you mean "magic," or "arr," or "writing, " or "cooking," or "acting," or... I didn' t consciously choose any of my creative endeavors. I simply love to do many creative things.

What inspires you? Inspiration can come from anywhen; and anything at any time. Really, l can't force it, predict it or define it. Early on, a lot of my inspiration came from recreational mathematics because that's what I was reading at the time. Then, I got into design and syrnbology, and physics and psychology. There are so many fascinating aspects of our wo rld that can inspire us when we allow them to.

How do you define creativity? Creativity is our innate ability to play.

Do you believe that each person has the capacity to be creative?

Why? Yes, as I mentioned in my definition, it is an innate ability. As children, we engage in creative thought as we encounter everything for the first time. Eventually, the rules of society constrain our thinking by replacing our need for creativity with an ordered system. However, our desire for play remains intact and it the role of creative arrists

to

provide us with new and interesting optio ns for expressing

this desire. 125

How did you find your creative niche? I followed my own desire for interesting expressions.

Mo or what experiences have inspired your work? Everyone and everything. Sounds glib, perhaps, but it is the truth.

Have you always wanted to do what you are doing?

If not,

what

made you decide to start? I have been quite fortunate that I have been able to do what I love. There have been ve1y few times when I was required

to

temporarily

squelch my spirit and conform, but given the choice I always chose the path less traveled.

Does spirituality and culture play a role in your creativity? Explain. Yes. As I mentioned, everything influences my process. In my work, you will flnd references to life, death, love, happiness, sadness, loneliness, family, etc. Typically, 1 prefer these universal themes

to

remain subtle, but occasionally I'll write a piece that overtly deals with an issue.

How important is education to your creative process? Unfortunately, standard educational models encourage a rote memorization and regurgitation of facts. My education involved hours of research outside school investigating concepts, theories, and experiments which would give the facts some much needed context,

126

as well as opening up parhways of explorarion rhar would reveal unexpected connecrions. In other words, play.

r highly

recommend

supplemen tal, individual srudies to anyone wishing to have a rhorough education.

How do you deal with creativity blocks? l dig in my "BrainBox" - it's an index card file in which I've wrirren down and categorized every fleeting idea rhar I feel mighr have a fu ture, so rhat later (like when I'm stuck) I can take the time ro develop the ideas. It's the most basic tool that any creative per on hould employ: "Wri te it down ." I also have plastic bags filled wirh prototypes that I work on from ti me to rime.

What part ofyou do you share in your creative endeavors? W hichever part fits fo r rh e rask at hand.

Have you had to overcome obstacles (physical finan cial, social, etc.) in your creative world? Explain. I am of average imelligence, from an average family wirh average fi nancial means an d social starus. Yes, I've overcome obstacles by making the most of wharever I have. l don'r rhink I've ever rriumphcd over adversity, nor have l been given a free ride. Whar I have, I have earned . I co nsider myself for runate.

127

Do you believe that it is important to be accepted by others as being creative or is just doing what you love to do enough to justify your work? Explain. For me, the accc..:ptance of others is such an important gauge of the quality of my work chat I can't imagine being without it. Pc..:rhaps if I lived isolated on a tiny island, relying on my ingenuity for my survival, 1 wouldn't care what anyone else thought, as long as I lived. However, since T offc..:r my creations as viable solutions for a group of discerning individuals, I believe it is my responsibility to listen to their feedback. Now, that doesn't mean that I will base what I do on isolated commenta1y. Not even close. I still have my own opinion (based on a wealth of knowledge and experience) to guide me, but it is important

to

me that my success can be measured by the

satisfaction of others.

128

The following is an excerpt from ''More Than Meets the Eye" by Dan Harlan: Creativity resists stru ture · Ir need

openne

m d room ro

mo~

freely from concept w concept. It is chaoti md unpredictable. If you arrive at a foregone conclusion, ending up where you decided to go, then you are not being creative. Creacivicy is a journey with

110

map,

no destination, no agenda, no schedule, and no expectations. Jusr hop in your car and go. Beerer yet, walk, or ride a horse, or a mororcycle, or a bicycle, or fly a plane, or hot air balloon.

The balloon is probably besr since you have chc:: lc::asc conrrol and you just have to rake the scene1y as it comes. Your mind is now open and di rectionless, filled with unrelated ideas with no structure. This i grear! This is inspirational! This is a big waste of time!

T here is a problem with pure creativity.

othing ever gets done. You

ca n create in your unlimited imagination forever, bur what then? If yo u tty to present an audience with your wand ring mental processes, what will they think? It will make:: no sense. You must rake che resulrs from your journey (snapshots, if you will) and put them in a structured order into your scrapbook, so it all makes en e. Throw our rhe boring ones, or the bluny ones, or the poorly developed ones. Keep only those images that upporr your central theme. The reason most vacation pictures arc boring is be ause there is no interesting rheme, except "Look how much fun we had while you were here working your butt off."

129

Enrertainment comes in various forms to suit a variety of tastes and interests. Treat your performance as a piece of music, or a painting, or a sporting event, or a book, or a meal. Some people prefer pork, or poetry, or pole vaulting, or Picasso, or punk rock. Some don't. No matrer what though, everything has its own style and an audience which values it. Do you have your own style? Everyone does, but is it the one you want your audience to see? The best way to develop your style is through your script. The words , actions, emotions, and expressions you use comprise your script, whether you have written it down or not.

This is a performance, after all. It is theater. You are acting. You have an audience. Even if you are doing a pocket trick for a friend, you have the same opponunities and responsibilities as the performer in a Grand Srage Musical Spectacular Extravaganza televised

to

millions.

You both can succeed or fail based on your interpretation of your script. I suggest that you study what you can about the theater and how plays, movies, or television shows are put together. I prefer to study live theater since that is mainly what we do and it is the basis of all other performances. Ir has a long and fascinating history. You may choose to read about its history, or study a few scripts from the libra1y to see how they are written, or better yet, you may join an amateur theatrical group for some firsthand experience. There are many capacities in which to work, both on stage and off, but you will learn more than you ever thought possible no matter whether you're in front of the lights or behind them.

130

Daniel Madison .Fishing/or Creativit;1

I believe that although creativity is in us all

ome of u have easier

access to it. For the lt:sser creative amongst u , it is nor rhat it i uneasy to access; ir is more thar ir is uneasy ro undersrand how to do so. I believe that anybody can decide at any momenr ro be creative without it being forced, but this relies on rhe individual knowing how creativity works, and the key poim is rhar one doe nor have to force or at rimes barely <::ven rry.

I can't think of many things more unsatisfying rhan fishing bur nonetheless I will use it as an analogy. A man does nor jump imo the water and swim afrer rhe fish , he doe

nor try ro catch the fl h.

Instead, he uses a technique that means the

fi h will come ro him. All

he has to do is relax and wait for th e bite. Without the line h is just a man by water. W e can always be that man by rhe water as we re always a second away from creativity - we ju t have to under rand how ro drop that line in

to

initiate the session.

There is a fine line between fishing and sirring by rhe water like an idiot. Certain places will evoke yo ur creativity more than other . The more comfortable and settled you are in one area, rh e more closed your mind will be, as it does nor need to register or even be aware of the known surroundings, therefore it becomes more closed. Being in

131

new places oucside of your comfort zone forces your mind to open up more and rake everything in. Putting yourself in situations like this means that you can cake advantage of the way your mind is working, so when you begin rn think of new plors or effects, you have a secure line into a potentially solid creative flow; your mind is open, more aware than usual and ve1y susceptible to new things.

T don't think it's fair or right to suggest that there is a format or a

model co creativity - chere are no rules an
It's not an easy lesson for me to tell you how to create, or even offer advice. You won't think the same as l do and I don't think the same way that you do. Nobody can tell you how you work best. It is something that you will discover through trials and experimentation and it is one of the greatest things about what we do. I stay away from magic books and DVDs and barely spend time with magicians, as I do what I can to protecc or manipulate the way that I am influenced. It is the outside world and the spectators that dictate how

132

powerful my ideas are. I don 'r wanr rhar ro be rhe main poinr of these words, so I will end horr on one point rhar T always live by.

Magic is dead. It is for you ro convince your audience orhenvi e, no

matter how big of an idea you wanr co find. Don 'r hum. Go fishing. I)

133

134

David Regal W1.Jen and how did you discover that y ou were a creative personi' I think we arc all creative, as I think ic i part of our nature a~ human beings. However, in some it may be nurtured or valued more, or rhere might exist a greater or lesser compul ion to express oneself. From a ve1y young age I've wanted to express myself in a way rhat stimulates happiness and laughrer, possibly as a reacrion to rhe disharmony wiLhin my fumily.

How do y ou get your inspirations? Inspirarion is a lovely thing, and we have all been inspired at various times and in various ways. A professional doe

nor wait for

inspirarion , however, as it generally is not a luxury - he is proficient in a craft, and when inspiration hits, it's a god end. Thar aid, very often seeing a great performance will inspire me ro rea h and do berrer. Conversely, I might see a performance that feels incomplet in some way and I'll try to understand what I sense is lacking, and then go about seeing ifl can take things in another dirccrion.

W'hy did you choose this medium (magic) for expressing your creativity? I have always loved magic, perhaps because, done well, it is a remarkably cfflcienc way of delivering a peculiar cype of delight, one that I associate with the purity of a baby on its back having its feer tickled. It goes past any inte!lectualization , which is rare. In a very pracrical way, roo, magic has accepted me. In other areas of work l

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deal wich caprice and rejeccion as part of my regular routine (as do many), so the gratification I receive from magic becomes a great balm.

Does your creative work come easily or do you struggle with your ideasf What obstacles (if any) do you experience when you are creatingf

If you

do face obstacles, how do you get past them?

"Struggle" is an odd word, as it is something that often occurs but it has a negative connotation, which is simply wrong. The "struggle" is simply part of che process, and , co me, often rhe most enjoyable part. Yes , ic's a good feeling if and when the struggle bears fruit, and that feeling is one I seek, but the truth of the matter is the end of the process simply makes me want to begin another process. I find it's helpful

to

have more than one idea at hand, so if l feel stuck on one

thing I can work on something else for a while. In some odd way the brain keeps working even when we tell it to stop, and, at a moment of relaxation - perhaps in the shower - it taps us on the shoulder (if a brain can indeed do chat) and says "Here."

Please describe how you feel when you are creating something. Useful.

Do you always like the end result ofyour t:reative process? The urge to like the result of my labor is strong, so I find I need to wait many days in order to have greater objectivity. Some things end up being simply not good enough, and that's fine . The danger is in losing perspective - if that is lost all is lost.

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ls there a creative work of another person that i.s your favorite? If there is, please describe it. W1ry is it your favorite? I am a fan of so many! 1 cerrainly do nor have a favorite effect, in rhe same way I do nor have a favorite song. Why should l have one? I love rhe music of Gershwin and Lennon/McCartney equally. One can appreciate different things about different effe r . I love the classic method for Card ro Waller because of the dichotomy between the down-to-earth logistics and the resulting astonishment; I love the method for Hiroshi Kondo 's Zig Zag Cigarette for its elegant brilliance. Similarly, different performers of magic - just like good singers - bring completely different qualities to their work.

What person (living or dead) would you like to spend a day with? W1.Jyf I'd like to meet Al Baker, as the breadth of hi magic was so ' ide, and his magic, through a lucky fluke, wa some of che fir. r I wa exposed

to

when I starred seriously reading magic book . For rhar

reason, he's something of a magical hero to me.

W1.lat would you most like to be remembered for? lr would be nice ifI was remembered as a conrriburor ro magic.

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John Guastaferro The Discipline of Creativity I can'r remember a rime I've ever sar down and aid, "Okay, today I'm

going to be creative." Ir's something that come

about, often at

unexpected momenrs, spawned by ourside triggers and bur ts of insighc. I agree wirh Jay Sankey's commcnr that "crea tivity 1s something that happens more than somethin g we actually do."

So, can we force creativity?

or cxacrly, but I believe we can make

ourselves more attuned to opportunities rhat expand our thinking. By definition, creativity is aligned with fostering ideas thar are new and different. Yer, one of the strongest ways

to

get there is

to

study old

ideas and be as knowledgeable as possible with the idea of others. Use the insight gained from reading books and sessioning with ocher magicians as a launching pa
to

learning opportunities that occur every day

in the world around us. T make it a point ro write down something new I've learned every day. It co uld he something I hear in a conversation, see on a billboard, read on a Twitter feed or discover in

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any number of orher sources. Try ir. Download an app that allows daily cnrries and make the commitment ro write down ar least one new thing you've learned each day. Be a sponge

to

ideas that occur both inside and outside your interest

in magic. This helps provide fenile ground to discover new ideas. By rhe way, these new ideas need not be as grandiose as medical breakduoughs or archaeological finds. New ideas can come from combining concepts in different ways, applying an unlikely premise to

a classic effect, or maximizing the inherent qualities of an everyday

item. Often rimes, a simple shift in thinking can lead

to

massive

impact, an approach I talk abour in my book One Degree. Lee's rake a look ar some examples.

Take my effect Lost & Found (from One Degree) , where a card vanishes and reappears inside a clear plastic sleeve. The effect was born out of previous knowledge of Roy Walton's effect Jefferson's Jest (and related effects by Steve Hamilton and Peter Duffie). All these effects focused on vanishing a card from a clear sleeve, and 1 set our to discover a way to make the card reappear back inside. Using the natural friction of the plastic sleeve next

to

a playing card made

this illusion possible. My effect Truth In Advertising (also from One Degree) evolved by adding a small change to my previous eHect Optical Opener. The simple addition of an odd-backed card not only elevated the magic, it led ro the advertising hook.

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I suppose another per onal example of crearivicy can be found in one of my recem effccrs Mulri-Memal (from Discoveries & Deceptions). Armed wirh years of exploring and performing an array of mulriple selecrion-type rourines, I became inspired ro add newness nor in the producrions themselves, but in rhe premise - in rhis case, one of mindreading.

In one final example, my use of wine glas es in Vino Aces (from One

Degree) came about by trying

to

solve a problem; in this case, trying

ro make MacDonald's Aces more visible to a wider audience. While rhe idea of using a wine gabler with playing cards dates back many years, it's applicarion with MacDonald's Ace was new.

This also led

to the crearive parter focused on rhe magic of roasting/clinking glasses, etc.

Crearivity evolves out of the discipline of researching, que rioning, seeking

opportuniries,

solving

a

problem,

applying

pre\'ious

knowledge or striving to make your magic more per anal . Thi i a great start for anyone wanting

to

be more creative. Do you always

srrike gold? Hardly not. Bur the process of explorarion is worrh it.

Finally, don ' t ler Jong periods of crearive block dercr you. Take enjoymenr in jorring down new learning every day

pecially rhing

that come from so urces outside of magic. I think you'll find your magic becoming srronger in unexpected ways.

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Marc Spelmann I have always been classified a a crearor and perfor b . . mer Y my peers w1th111 the magic industry. I srarred our c · . . penormmg a an enrhu la! nc kid, always fascinated wirh special FX and magi' . . 1 c pnnc1p c . I was al~ays dreaming up ways of creating ghostly apparitions , moving objects and oddities that would baffie the adult aro

d 1 un me. was an unconvenrional child and am now an unconvenrional adult.

I had a built-in brain for magic as a child, I was not well read, in rhar I didn't own any magic books or have anyone in m y family with an association ro show biz, lcr alone magic. Yer I was always baffled ar the reactions of my family when a magician was on television. For whatever reason I simply knew how things worked, what rhe magician was doing and in most cases could replicate the close-up pieces. I vividly remember watching David Copperfield's Vanishing Srarue of Liberty and knowing the exact method. The same with hi Death Saw illusion, Timothy Wcnk's Misled (pencil through bank note) and countless other illusions and close-up demonstra tions. I ay that with the upmost respect of those outstanding, beauriful piece of magic, which have inspired me greatly. I don' t really know why or how, but I just knew what was happening. I think in some ways you need to think outside of the box and have a topological brain.

The reason I am writing this , is to emphasize a imple facr:

or all

brains work the same. If they did, we would all play the piano and be

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scholars. The fact is we all see things diFferently, are inspired by different things and, to be more specific in relation to our topic, our creativiry will be born from different things. I can only relay what works for me and the process diat I go through to create. For ease of reading and reference I will categorize them below. You may flnd some of these works for you or you do them already. They arc not rocket science but jusL the various ways I get creative.

Your environment

Creativity can come at any time, you could be sitting on the beach, stuck in traffic or in the gym pushing weights and an idea just pops in your head. For me this is how most of my creative ideas happen. Something just clicks and an idea is born; sometimes leading to a fullfledged effect I use, or other times ending up as an idea that is written in my notebooks. But what about when we have to be creative, we have a show that needs that great ending, rhe quick dynamic opener, a script for that PK effect or our close up set needs something new? Eve1yone will be different as stated before but my personal preference is a good coffee shop, comfy sofa, my iPad or a notebook with some inspirational, lifting music. I am essentially taking myself away from regular distractions in my life. I'm away from my office with just some music to take me somewhere and my mind. Whatever you need to do to feel comfortable and prepared, do it. You wouldn't go to the gym in boots and a fur coat, you prepare yourself and the same should apply to creating. Get in the zone in whatever way you m:cd - music,

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solirud ' rnavbe daydreaming o r re1axmg . , , Ill the rnb with some inspiracional mu i -. Ir doe n'r matter wl1ar h ow or where. ] u t give yourself some pace to go inwards.

Just write something This is something I learnt from a dear friend many, ,year ago . Rath er than stare at a blank page it is beuer co write everything down, even if it is something you know will he crapped. Just write it down. I do this with everything - scripts, routines, method , pro edure , ere. l just write and write; inevitably most of it will be changed, rewritten or scrapped bur sometime the hardest thing

to

do with anything is

co

actually start. Don't worry if it doesn't make sense, seems ourlandish , unachievable or silly. Just write it down and it may inspire and lead to something else or at the very wor t just be erased. When I created Transmission from Chapter One of my DVD set (The Chapters of Marc Spefmann by Alakazam Magic) , it came to life by my wanting a

drawing duplication set that was totally impromptu, no devices , gimmicks, ere. I wanted something I could do anywhere at any time as long as there were papc;r and pens. I listed my requirements and then wem through every method in my mind. It rook a while, but once I hit on the method I was so inspired.

J love chat routine and so have many ochers including my friend Banachek, who put it in Psychological Subtleties Three.

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Write and walk away Somerimc.:s when we get sm ck, we come to what marathon runners cal l "rhe wall.'' Ir is quire literally the most frustrating rhing. My advice is walk away, go to the gym, go to the cinema and just get away from what you are nying

to

do. Frustration leads to anger,

anger clouds the mind and forcing ideas is not enjoyable and often a waste of time. It is far berrer ro take a breather, have some fun and come back after a day or two.

I have a newspaper prediction which had to be solo operational, in thar I couldn't use assistants. It had to be straight forward and direct. I read everything I could, including old manuscripts, books and

notes, but it just wouldn't click. I walked away and literally forgot about it for six months and then one day it just fell into place. The effect was born in 2002; it then lead onto my Prize Draw routine.

Which comes first? I always hear this debate from colleagues and associates: "Do you think

of the routines first and then decide on the method or do you have a method that then Leads onto a routine?"

This is a very good question, but it has no answer as both apply in equal measure. Most of rhe time I dream up a routine or effect that I'd like to be able ro achieve. I rhen continue into finding a suitable method or methods , but I can at rimes discover a method or technique rhat is amazing. With the latter scc.:nario I find myself searching for a place to use this method, applying it to a romine. This

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is no bad thing, as to be honest, how we.; get to the finishing post is unimportant as long as we get there. If it's a routine then method or method turning inro a routine, who care ? ometimes a method will spark creativiry, thought and po ibilirie , which will onl y assist in helping us develop more individually.

If it ain't broke don'tfix it. I think this is by far the most ridiculous statement ever made - most likely by some lazy person who had no vision. If we didn ' t develop , advance and progress, we'd srill be . itting in candlelight and cooking on a log fire. Always analyze everything you do and by all means fix, even if the old version works. Sometimes we need to move forward, try a new approach, method or device. Anything that gets our brain ticking is a good thing. Sure it won't always be relevant or required with certain effects bur to be honest, T cannot think of a routine that I haven't fixed or adjusted. Even when it was getting the reactions I wan red.

Those are a few paragraphs that may help with creativity and development. It may just be a section you skipped, which means you won' t have read this bit either. Regardless, I wi h you the very be r with whatever you do, create, invent or develop.

Marc Spelrnann London March 8 h 2013, 1.41 a.m. 1

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Peter McKinnon Creativity:

Are we born wirh it~. I s It. a g1"fr~. I s It. something rhar we

can be taughr, learn to harness and comroP Or i ir h" . . · omer mg emirely different? Perhaps crearivity is a s am Ma b · ' · 1· · · y e 1r s JU t a me used in adverrising or marketing of products, something to help sell someone or an objecr. "From rhe crearive mind of... " "A creative collaboration berween ... "

"I love you" comes

to mind. Those are word

rhat are widely and

loosely, in my opinion, used. Creativity, being a word used to describe an individual or proces , I feel, is a word thar is also used on a loose basis. I rhink being creative and being clever are rwo entirely different things. Somerimes, things can be misinterpreted or targeted as being creative, when in fact they are merely clever.

"It's clever how you managed to hide that playing card." '1t's clever how you thought about using a double backer instead of a double facer. " Creativity is a process. Creativity is the vehicle you ride to get you to the destination of an end result. I foel like in this day and age, the term is so loosely thrown about to help boost one's image. Where that may ve1y well apply in some cases, it most certainly does nor apply to all.

I am originally a photographer. I used

to shoot a lot of portraits

weddings, stock, corporate, fashion, you name it. I learned a lot about

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whar is clever and what is creative when taking and post-processing my photos. I think when I look back at some of my photos, the entire process of how the scene was lit, shot, dreamed, etc., was creative. Where in some instances I look back and think, "That was a clever use

of that light stand." Ironically enough, I just did an interview segment for a local TV station on my photography endeavours and I was asked rhis very same question: "How do you take creative portraits?" My answer applies to that of the magical realm as well, which we will touch base on shordy.

I am blessed with being friends with many of the industry's leading minds, performers and thinkers today. I've spent countless nights fighting exhaustion sining with Michael Weber in a bar in Blackpool, England; jamming out fresh concepts in Las Vegas with Calen Morrelli on how to make rhe most insane gaff deck of cards; spending rime with underground anists such as a gentleman by rhe name of SHADE, witnessing concepts and ideas come to life from absolutely nothing. These things happen to us when we are nor forcing them. Thar is my honest opinion. I think there are physical things humans can practice and, with repetition, they enhance and improve. I think creativity is a gift that with rime, comes

to

you in

many different forms, some more than others.

"Think outside the box." I HATE this line, and I love it at the same time. Thinking outside the box is great, we NEED to do it. Breaking patterns, wandering astray from the daily normalities, breaking the rules - these things help us rake chances. When we do this and 150

explore, we are mad wirne s to new possibilities and paths we would have never been able to see or experience otherwise. However, where creativity interjects for me, i when you take that statement and turn ir on itself. Think I

lDE the box, because everyone is too busy

nying to think OUT IDE of ir. I like to see what way people are going, and go the opposite. I do chis in almo t everything I do. I think it's when you decide ro be different and original , and rake chances, creativity comes over you naturally. Ir is all about realizing that moment of potential when it is upon you, and what you do with it when it's there. So do I think creativity can b practiced? Yes and no. Do I think people arc naturall y creative? Yes, they can be. Can creativity be taught? I think you can guide someone in the direction of thinking differently.

p:m

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