We made a breakthrough! It might help you breakthrough too (this isnât a exaggeration).
When we describe ourselves we tend to share our labels âIâm a Magician, introverted extrovert, who loves battenberg and dabbles with Youtubeâ, this all may be true, but in telling this story I also affirm this identity to myself. This is problematic, if we stick to the same list for long enough we can subliminally stunt our own capacity for growth and self belief.
I didnât always have those labels, I don't know where I got them from but they were either given to me by others or I gave them to myself, which begs the question âhow fixed are these labels, really?â - Itâs about realising I can change these whenever I like, everything is learnable.
The Breakthrough Moment
âStay afraid, but do it anyway. Whatâs important is the action. You donât have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.â
- Carrie Fisher
In a recent session with a student of mine (subtle plug lol) I felt it was time for them to give birth to a new space in their awareness, I wanted to create a safe space where they could explore the tools they already possess and apply them to a new context - delivering their magic.
The task I set was simple; take one paragraph from your script and repeat it 37 times. The catch? Each time you have to repeat it with a different scenario in mind. For example;
âI want you to deliver it thoughtfully, as if you were really pondering what you were saying in the moment, next I want you to tell me this as if itâs the best thing you have ever heard and just HAVE to share it with me! Next imagine youâre slightly drunk and retelling it as if it were a story, etcâŠâ
I played the role of the caller and gave the scenarios, their job was to play the role of actor and go with whatever came naturally in that moment, it was quick fire leaving no time to think, only take action. The difference between the first performance and the last was massive, their voice and body loosened and the delivery overall was more engaging, it was night and day!
After reflecting on this session I realised this game did a few things;
Increased Self-belief
The pressure of being quickfire forced the brain engage in a more intuitive part of itself, as a result this bred confidence in their ability to use their intuition without thinking about being âperfectâ or âright, in this game there are no wrong answers, the only goal is to get through all 37.
Loosened the body and voice
This game shifts the spotlight on playing out the scenario, thus preventing the brain from overthinking the what the voice and body are âsupposedâ to be doing, they are just doing what they would naturally do in the scenario given.
More authentic delivery
This game pushed their internal beliefs and gave birth a wider awareness, giving them more room to play with and helping them find their natural delivery of the script. Their tool box just got bigger, BINGO! That was the goal.
I encourage you to give it a go at your next magic club meeting, rehearsal session, or even with a friend or trusted family member. Youâll be incrementally better by the end, a 1% improvement every day for a year will have you grow by 365% in just one year!
If enough people email mesaying they are interested Iâll put together a worksheet filled with prompts for scenarios along with the âinstructionsâ for the game so you can get the most out of it.
Share the accountability - reply to this email with what are you working on, I'd love to hear what's keeping you and your magic dreams ticking right now.
đ If you know someone who might benefit from this newsletter it would be cool if you shared it with them, it would really help me out!
đȘđ» Workout Plan:
Work through a paragraph of your script while a friend calls out different scenarios the goal is to hit 37 takes, I encourage you to have fun with it and be silly, you can only learn from it.
đ Magic Diet
Talking of having fun and being silly, check out Preston Nymans mazel magazine. Itâs short, punchy and is a welcomed piece of magic writing that doesn't take itself too seriously.
If you have been to Blackpool magic convention youâll already know by now most magicians stink. Why not smell your best while doing your bit for the environment. I genuinely use Wild deodorants everyday, they smell great and last all day! My personal favorite is the Cotton & Sea Salt.
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