As a magician my job is to entertain people by sharing something that has no logical explanation.
However, being a magical performer in the 21st Century can be challenging. Now more than ever people have the desire to know how everything works. Of course this is due to the ease of picking up your smartphone and performing a Google search. Even today's technology would be considered magic before we became familiar with how it works.
Forty years ago if you were the only one with a smartphone, you would've blown everybody's mind with the "powers" you possessed!
And yet, no matter how much we or technology evolve; as humans we are still attracted to the unexplained. "I mean, who doesn't enjoy the feeling of wonder?" That's why I have one of the greatest jobs in the world! For a brief moment I get to make people feel like a kid again! To make them forget about all their real world problems.
As children we believe anything is possible. As you get older you begin to understand the limits of your surroundings. Which isn't all bad, if you didn't, you'd probably still be jumping off your bed trying to fly in the air!
So why do grown adults still want to believe in the impossible? Because it reminds us of our innocence. When we were young, life was full of the unexplained. As an adult sometimes we need that feeling of wonder. It allows you to escape from reality, even for just a moment.
This is why magicians don't reveal their secrets. Once you know how a trick works, the wonder is lost.
It's like watching a movie for the first time. If you sat there thinking about where the green screen was, and how they make it look like Harry Potter is flying on a broomstick, you'd miss out on the opportunity to escape reality and return to your childhood.
Albert Einstein once said, "On the mysterious: It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle."
So the next time you see a magician perform and you start to wonder, "how did they do that"? Remember, it's okay to not have the answer for everything. It doesn't mean you're unintelligent, foolish, or crazy. It means that no matter how old you get, you still have the opportunity to experience innocence.
AND THAT'S THE REAL MAGIC!
