I will take the right to write a few random words on my blog. I chose the word ‘enthymemata’, which is Latin and sort of translates into: thoughts, point of view, reflections. Cool word and a fitting one to describe what you will read on this starting page from time to time …
These days I read the newest edition of the Genii Magazine and one advertising stood out to me. I can only say: WOW! Take a look:
This small advertisement alone is about over 80 different online lectures! And it is not the only publisher offering this kind of service to us. Without a question these are high class performers and top creators and the material offered in these lectures is high-class and seducing. If we calculate in watching time, then this alone would be probably around 200 hours of magical instruction! 200 hours! Chew that! If we had a complete eight hours working day (and no breaks in there) at our disposal, then we would have to spend about 25 days (!) watching magic videos. If I estimate an average of about 7 to 8 tricks on each lecture, then we arrive at over 500 tricks and techniques.
To be honest, I start getting seriously intimidated by their sheer amount of material and by the thought of never being able to catch up with it in my lifetime.
The magic industry in these days is out of bounds. For me, the questions are: who is able to absorb all this and who actually needs such a lot of information? From my experience, the average to magician ‘needs’ about 20 tricks for the majority of his performances. Maybe some of you came to that conclusion as well …
Okay, it is always good to search for new material, new twists, ideas and subtleties and so on. Of course, the question is: what is really new? Chess World Champion Mikhail Tal once said: “Concerning the opening theory, all that has been forgotten is new.”
But then still the problem is how to record these and how to organise ones own magical library and archive. Forgetting things is very easy, especially if you think how deep the digital ocean on your computer, tablet or smart phone is.
Maybe you will find some help in this blog concerning these matters, despite the fact that my blog adds even more information to the mess. In my mini-article-series about ‘cracking magic’ you will find a couple of suggestions and ideas for the organisation, filtration and structuring of suitable material.
I hope this will be of help for you in keeping track of the overwhelming amount of new material coming upon us in these days. Go here to read the articles, sort your funky stuff out and enjoy my blog!
Alexander