Breaking the Box

This month, I thought it would be fun to do a creativity exercise. I want you to report on your experience, so make sure you leave a comment. Go to your collection of  Books, VHS’s and DVDs. Ignore any one trick DVDs and packet tricks, etc. Now have a non-magi friend randomly pick one of those items (a book, video or DVD).

Next have them randomly name a number between 1 and however many tricks are in the book, video or DVD. Your job is to spend this month learning that trick. Now if it’s one you already do . . . have your friend pick another number or book, etc.

Keep in mind I will be doing this with you. The trick I ended up with is Frank Garcia’s Anytime 4 Aces. I haven’t even read the effect yet. I just know that the one that the fates chose for me. You may end up on something extremely difficult or something super easy. The goal isn’t to totally master the trick by the end of the month. Rather, the plan is to work really hard on it. Get through as many of the following steps as possible:

  1. Learn the mechanics
  2. Master the mechanics
  3. Create a script/presentation
  4. Master the script/presentation
  5. Master the entire performance, presentation and mechanics in practice
  6. Perform it for real people as much as possible

Read The March 2009 Roots and Branches article, Theory to Practice to learn more about my thinking on learning new effects.

Now if you end up with some crazy effect where the basic move takes a lifetime to master, that’s cool . . . just work on it as much as you can. Then report here. I recently was trying again to learn the Erdnase Diagonal Palm Shift . . . a move that I totally cannot do. Then suddenly in one session, I had a breakthrough, and suddenly I’ve leaped ahead light years from where I was. So please take the time to do this experiment.

I’ll be posting some commentary over the next few days to let you know how it’s going with my effect.

Just to sweeten the pot a little, everyone who participates will be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of the Stone Frixion Fire DVD that will be coming out this spring, so let’s have it folks. Tell me how it goes.

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