Be Realistic!

When I was a kid, bragging was a really looked down at. Today it is different. You need to be aware of you skills! It means that you know where you are good at and where you are not. Knowing that helps to set realistic goals.

But way too many magicians have way too much of an ego to set up realistic goals. Mostly due to a gross misjudgement of ones social, technical or business skills. A good example would be former WMF Steve Wyrick or former WMF Peter Loughran.

Modesty seems to be a thing unheard of by those guys. They can do everything and for everyone. Honestly, I think you are a much better human being if you underestimate, rather than overestimate yourself. Of course knowing your skills would be best.

Where am I heading with this? Well, people with such a boosted ego will fall eventually. I wouldn't cry about it, but they do take a lot of people with them. Most of the time. And they don't deserve to be a victim.

Some magicians actually think they are the Messiahs of magicdom. Some even have a perma-smile and like purple.

I have this magic buddy here in my town, he is 25 now and his performance skill is bad, he still lives with his parents, has no education and no personality. Watching him perform makes you cringe. Yet he has a professional looking website, which says that he revolutionized stage magic at the age of 16. Really? He spends a lot of money on useless junk, surrounds himself with status symbols like an iPhone and wears clothing that would make those queer eyes green with envy. He seems super duper professional. And he will get bookings because of that. But that's it. No repeated bookings, except senior residences. (He seems to click with the aging folk).

I talked to him about setting realistic goals and he listened. But I feel that it has not changed him at all. Now he actually calls his phone number "Event-Management-Bureau." It's the number of his parents home. Sad isn't it.

But I feel, that this young man will fall one day. And I do my best to help those who fell for him and fall with him.

I urge you to do the same, encourage others not to do business with you local nice-kind-of-guy-asshole magician. And help those you fell into those traps.