Reigniting the spark
I’m sure I’m not the only one who occasionally feels like they’ve lost the spark or passion for mentalism?
You see the books on the shelf, the cards in your drawer, and your favourite dil DON’T YOU DARE!
Sorry about that, I almost went off piste!
Where was I? Oh yea, that’s it; Your favourite props look like they’re judging you from the vast realm of Oddsockiness!
You see a clip on social media of somebody performing and think “Wow, that looks like more fun than Turkish oil wrestling!”
Then 5 minutes later, the thought of practising anything feels more like applying to HMRC for a tax rebate.
If that sounds familiar, you’ve not lost your gift, but you might have lost your spark for magic and mentalism.
Don’t worry though, a dip in enthusiasm is pretty normal.
Life gets busy with work, family, health, money and the general nonsense of being a human. Sometimes the hobby itself becomes another job: another routine to perfect, another purchase to justify, another online argument with the stereotypical pot bellied, fuzzy faced, odorous know it all.
It’s no wonder your brain quietly leaves through the nearest exit. I recently had a VERY long slump, mainly due to having multiple shoulder replacement surgeries. But I recently went to Hullusion, met up with some old friends, made some new ones, laughed at inappropriate jokes and somehow being in the presence of a bunch of oddballs just like me, this managed to reignite that spark, so here I am sat at the laptop chomping on marmite, whilst shamelessly wearing socks and flip flops.
I know right?
By the way if you haven’t been to Hullusion before, you really might want to visit this LINK to find out more about it. It’s one of the friendliest little gatherings this side of the Milky Way.
Watch out for Kerry though, she’s well dodgy!
Anyway given my sudden blast of magical emanation, I thought I’d write something with the aim of reigniting the spark in some of you that may be in a similar slump to me.
The first thing to do is to not treat your slump as a character flaw. Passion doesn’t stay at full volume forever and that’s ok, in fact it’s perfectly normal.
Passion is like a flame: Sometimes it needs fresh air, fuel and a bit of space. So be honest with yourself about what’s changed.
Did you get bored with the material?
Are you comparing yourself with performers who have spent years polishing one piece?
Have you attached so much pressure to performing that the fun has gone AWOL?
Identifying the problem is useful and I’m going to share some simple tips with you that have helped me in the past.
First of all do not announce a 90 day transformation, buy 6 new books and promise to memorise a whole deck of cards by Thursday!
Pick up one object. Handle a deck for 5-10 minutes.
Revisit a routine you used to love and don’t demand that it becomes show ready.
Mentalism practise should be playful, not a performance review!
It also helps to mix it up a bit, if you’ve done close up magic for years, go and watch a stage mentalist.
If you mainly read mentalism books, go and watch a comedy show, a magic club night or even a local variety performance.
Enjoy the entertainment without taking notes.
Sometimes the spark returns when you remember what it feels like to be fooled, moved or surprised.
Another reset is to create something with no commercial value and no audience in mind. Combine two ideas that should not go together, create a bizarre presentation for an old card trick, build a tiny experiment around a memory, or a name. Make it fun and strange enough to amuse you.
Connections matters too. Magic and mentalism can be lonely hobbies, especially when the people around you have heard the same story about your impossible prediction 12 times.
Talk to one performer, ask what they are excited by.
Share a rough idea with someone whose opinion you value.
Visit a club, watch a lecture or have a proper conversation that isn’t just a debate about the best methods.
A bit of encouragement can help, but so can having a laugh.
Not everything has to be so serious!
You might be reading this thinking “Yea, but my spark’s gone because I’m exhausted.” That’s fine the answer may be to just rest.
I don’t think anybody gets a trophy for turning a hobby into a second shift. Put the cards away for a week, go and watch a film NOT THAT TYPE OF FILM!
Take a walk, let your imagination refill itself.
Rest isn’t quitting, it’s part of returning with enough attention to enjoy the work again. Getting your passion back doesn’t mean becoming the performer you think you should be by now.
It means finding the next reason to pick something up. Start there 10 minutes is enough. The spark rarely announces itself with a marching band, sometimes it is just a “Ooh, what if?” and a deck of cards.
So it is written, so it is weird!
Stay Weird
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief
Founder of The Temple of Mentis
Summoner of The Oddsock Oracle™