Creativity in Magic - Robert Ruse

With every new trick that comes out it seems harder and harder to come up with original material. Is it worth it?

When you create your own trick, you get the satisfaction of being able to start from nothing, and work it into an amazing routine. There are a few ways to start creating a trick, backwards, or forwards. Backwards is when you come up with an effect, and work backwards to come up with the method. Forwards is when you find a method, and create an effect around it. For example, say you want a trick where two cards trade places; you would then want to work backwards to find out how you can achieve each step of the effect. Or, say you found a unique double lift, and you find that it leaves you in a good position to perform another move, moving forward to think about the next step in the effect, eventually coming up with an effect.

Each way takes time to hone the effect, and remove any unnecessary parts. We can eliminate unnecessary parts by coming up with conditions. These are self-imposed to limit us in our creative path. You want the effect of two cards trading places, but we want some conditions. So, for example, we want the cards switching signed, and we want it to happen in the spectator’s hands. Also, we want it to be done surrounded, and no sleights at the end.  Identify what your main conditions are, as you might have to sacrifice some of the lesser ones. Try hard to focus on these, and you will create the ideal effect you had in mind. Often, you will have an effect in your mind, but the method seems impossible. Don’t give up.

If you study magic a lot, you will be exposed to a lot of information, and something you learn after you have an idea may be perfect for the effect you have in mind. Also, reading books you may find a similar effect. The effect in the book may not match your idea, but it will help you learn what other people have done with similar ideas. For this reason books are much more helpful than DVDs due to the mass of content.

So, you’ve come up with an effect, now what?  Like every good trick, practice it. When you feel ready, perform the trick for real people sandwich it between two strong tricks. Despite the hours of work you put into it, the effect in your mind may not quite connect with an audience. Don’t give up! You may just need to change your presentation, or a few parts of the trick.

Things aren’t perfect the first time around. Keep the elements the audience liked, and rework the parts that didn’t go over well. Another tip would be to go back to the similar trick found in the book, and practice that, and perform it for an audience, this may show what parts of the effect went over with the audience, and see how you can adapt your effect to the other one. Keep at it. Every performer goes through countless revisions on their original idea before if becomes their final effect and as you make these revisions new ideas for other effects might form in your mind. I recommend recording EVER idea you have, no matter how silly if may seem at the time, the more ideas you have to work from the more creative you’ll be.

Now, you’ve created an effect, and it plays really well with audiences. What do you do? You may feel the rush to publish it, come out with a DVD explaining the trick. Before doing this, show your effects to a few magicians, ones you know are trustworthy, and see their thoughts on it. Brainstorming with other magicians may help come up with something you missed.

Remember, an effect is never finished; there is always something that can make it better. Creating an effect will give you a great sense of enjoyment and a feeling of wonder when something you created makes an audience applaud. If it becomes a main part of your act, you will have a unique piece that no one else performs, and can become your signature effect.

Now, isn’t that much better than buying an off the rack trick?