Advice for Young Magicians: 8 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier

Starting a career in magic at any age can be a daunting task. A lot of advice can be thrown your way, so this is a compilation of the best advice given by top professionals today to kids, but it can apply to anyone starting their magic journey.

1. Lean into your age: When you’re a kid, you have a very unique outlook on life and probably have a lot of things that you love, so why not use your favourite things in magic routines? If you love Legos, build a routine around a self-building Lego house. Don’t make jokes about paying taxes and having a mortgage. Make jokes about going to class each day and how heavily that weighs on you. It’s an easy way to make people like you even more than your adorable little face.
2. Do one more take: Some magicians definitely get a trick in the mail, watch the DVD, do it once for the camera, and then throw it up on Instagram. When you flash on a public video, you might as well give the audience a private lesson. Even if your mistake on camera is minuscule, it can be magnified by the repeat viewings that can be expected by your followers. Even when you think you have the perfect take, do one more just to make sure it’s ready to go online.
3. Restaurant gigs are the perfect starting point: A restaurant is the perfect spot to pass out 15 business cards nightly and get to be a good performer quickly. In a restaurant, you get multiple reps of a trick per night to take advantage of. Maybe try a new joke every time to see if it lands, or add an extra convincer that you weren’t necessarily sure would work. If you mess up, you have another table waiting to try something new.
4. Reach out to the magicians you admire: If you stick with magic, there’s a good chance you’ll meet all your idols. All it takes is a visit to their website and sending a quick email. It’s really that easy. Ultimately, the top professionals want to see as much great magic as they can in the world, and the worst that can happen is they don’t respond.
5. Ask non-magicians for help: Magicians know a lot about magic, but they don’t know everything. There are a multitude of people around you who can help you out in ways you probably don’t even expect. Your math teacher might be able to help you get the dimensions together on a new prop you’re building. The local librarian might know what books in their collection can help you research the size and weight of coins for your new Miser’s Dream routine. The best resources are around you at all times, you just need to ask.
6. Script It Out: Think about your favourite magic routine. There is an incredibly high chance that the routine you’re thinking about was carefully scripted out. The most famous magicians are famous for a reason. They’re great performers because they know exactly what they’re gonna do and say every night, even when it seems like they’re pulling new things out for every show. Whenever you have an idea for a routine, write it out. Whenever you come up with a good comeback in your shows, write it down. It’ll skyrocket the effectiveness of your magic.
7. Make Your Stage: When you first start out performing magic, it can seem like it’s hard to get stage time. In reality, anywhere can be a stage if you treat it like one. You or your extended family’s living room can transform into a stage during holiday events. When you’re waiting in a long line, you can get “on stage” and perform for the people waiting behind you. There are stages all around you, you need to be brave enough to claim them as your own.
8. Keep Doing Good Magic: Everything in your magic journey will become clearer if you keep doing good magic. The more you work your butt off to make sure you’re doing the best magic you could possibly be performing, the more opportunities will present themselves. The better you are, the more people are going to talk about you and reach out. Everything you want to achieve in the magic world is within your grasp, you just need to put in the time to make sure you’re ready when the opportunity comes.

Ultimately your magic journey is completely up to you in how you attack it. This list is not definitive, and you don’t have to take any of this advice. The most important thing is that you do what feels right for you and make your own path because maybe one day, kid magicians will be emailing you for help.