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Originally Posted by piiit30
Thanks both of you it's just I started doing magic for like 3 months ago, and i'm a little terrified because I don't know if i'm going any further in my skills. I don't know if I are staying in the 'level' im in. How do i make progress how do I know if I trained enough in a trick and i can start showing people that trick and start with a new one?
P.S. thank you for such a warm wellcome :D
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Sorry, I forgot to welcome you to the forums before. :)
We all experience this some time or another. We feel that we aren't progressing at all. I think that we progress so little that it seems like we aren't moving, similar to taking a picture of yourself every day. Compare two consecutive pictures and they will look almost exactly the same, but compare two picture a year apart and they will look very different. Because of this, it is easy to get discouraged. The only advice I can give is just keep pushing on, and it will be all good in the end.
Along those lines, after some thought I've developed more or less a theory that uncertainty is discouraging. If we knew exactly what we have to do to achieve something, it would be much easier for us to do it. If I knew I had to do 563 passes to do it perfectly from then on, or if I had practice for 20 minutes a day for 53 days to master a book, it gives me something to work toward. Knowing what to work needs to be done exactly is encouraging.
Since we don't know how long something will take to accomplish, and we can't see much improvement, there are a few solutions I propose. First, take a "picture" of what you can do every few months. Maybe make a video. This will show you how much you have progressed. Second, put some goals out there so you have something to work towards. Third, keep reminding yourself why you do and practice magic- the best way to "push" yourself into practice is to have a reason for it.
I'll answer your questions that you posted below individually.
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I don't know if I are staying in the 'level' im in.
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Again, don't look at magic in "levels". The field of magic is so diverse that levels have little meaning, they are just assigned to people for simplification. If you want to look at it in a quantitative way, look at it as "how many books have I mastered" or "how many tricks can I perform". This being said, keep in mind that constant evaluation isn't necessarily.. necessary (hehe).
Simply put, practice a bunch, and master material that you have. One thing to keep in mind, that we as magicians often forget, is that performing actually counts as practice. You develop audience management skills as you perform more and more.
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How do I know if I trained enough in a trick and i can start showing people that trick and start with a new one?
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You've "mastered" a trick once you can do it flawlessly every time. I'd say if you can flawlessly perform it 20 times or more, you're good. I also must add that you can be practicing more than one trick/sleight at once, and it is in fact a good idea to do so. Practicing only one trick/sleight can burn you out very fast. I'm working on 3 sleights at the moment (Cull, Palm, Overhand false shuffle(s))
Hopefully this post has been of some help. If I am wrong in any part of my advice, please say so. Also, I''m interested in what others have to say about what I've been talking about, so post if you wish.
Take care.
~Var
