The Curious Case of the Novice with a Deadline
I suppose I'm that guy, always jumping into everything sideways. I've already mentioned that I more or less started in magic in a bubble; I had no peers or mentors to turn to other than the books I read and magicians I saw on TV, so I stumbled my way into performing tricks.
Much the same can be said about my professional career. I was a theatre major who started working part-time at a local radio station, which led to a career in broadcasting. I liked doing silly voices, which got me in the production room as a Production/Creative Director. I wrote countless scripts and goofy memos to the rest of the staff about production techniques, and that landed me a monthly columnist gig in a radio trade, which I've now done for nearly 25 years. I could go on, but the bottom line is that everything I've done professionally has not come from going straight after it. I could never say, "THIS is what I'm going to do with my life." I'm more of a, "This sounds interesting... what the hell" kind of guy; one acquired skill bouncing me towards another.
It's been a good life. I've done many different things, worked with some talented, gifted people, and now and again even did what I'd consider solid work. Still, I've been so busy doing everything I didn't intend to do that there wasn't much time left for the things I wanted to do... magic, for instance.
This step back into magic may be one of the most deliberate acts of my life, and it feels weird. I'm not used to moving forward on a linear track, and it's very easy for a guy like me to get distracted if anything starts feeling like disciplined study. In some ways, this blog is one of those distractions. Even though writing about my magic journey is part of the process, it also takes time away from the learning process. It's easy for me to stare at a blank screen, wondering what to write, when I should be practicing.
There are deadlines. Deadlines I didn't set (which always works better for me). Magic and Meaning happens at the end of October in Vegas, and I will be there, this is a fact. Between now and then there are skills I need to gain, weight I need to lose, and funds I need to raise. My scholarship is paying a good sum of my attendance, but there are travel expenses and such. Because my income isn't what it was, I need to make up the difference somehow. Enter, another distraction.
I've always been fascinated by the illustrations in the original version of "The Expert at the Card Table," with the hands demonstrating all the knuckle-busting card sleights. It occurred to me that it would be funny to have an illustration of what my hands look like fumbling with the cards right now; goodness knows every magician could relate, as we all start somewhere. That's when I called on my gifted graphic artist friend, Stacy Wells. She brought my little joke to life, and I decided to make it available on t-shirts and other items, to raise money for the big step in my magic journey come October.
Yes, this is me, all over again, starting down one road and suddenly taking the off-ramp, but this feels different. I'm not becoming an online shopkeeper because it's going to be my next big adventure, I'm doing it to fuel my forward movement in magic. The trick is keeping it all in perspective, taking it all one step at a time and doing what I need to do to progress to the next level. I've never been so uncomfortable yet excited about anything my entire life.
P.S. Here's the pitch. If you'd like to help me in my journey, check out my store here: https://thenoviceatthecardtable.threadless.com/
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