Why am I stuck in magician Hell?

"What makes you a magician?"

This question was posed on a Penguin Magic forum. Many of the responses were just about how good someone was or how long they do it or if they are a "pro". My response was as thus...

"There is a point here that is being missed methinks. Professional by definition is someone who makes ALL if not most of his living from his job. Now this does not mean you won't GET a real job and do one show every 6 months and still live with yer fambly. No no. You can live on your own doing it.

What does it mean to be a magician? It's not being flawless at your skill. It's not knowing every trick in the book. It's not even being better than other people. (It helps but that is not it.) You use the knowledge you have learned to entertain others and give them an enjoyable experience. You weave many elements together to make something that furthers the art and outlook of what we do."

Now there is a lot missing from this. Tonight me and a magic fiend of mine were discussing this. In today's instant gratification society kids have access to TONS of info none of us EVER had when we started. Even before I started it was even more sparse. No videos, no DVD's or internet. It was a book here and there and you had to follow the teachers around and watch them. They in turn had to watch you to see if you were worthy to teach. Today I will NOT teach someone who is not ready. To apprentice a learned person is hard work. Magic taught me discipline and patience. (Just like martial arts but without all the pretense.)

Today very few have patience nor will they research or try hard to make themselves better. They just go with what they are told or think they know. To quote Billy Barty in Willow: "Forget everything you know, or think you know." Which finger has the power to change the universe. If you can answer this question you are well on the way to being an apprentice yourself. (Of what I don't know.)

To be a magician it takes knowing that you are not one. You are an entertainer. You put together many elements to entertain the masses because JUST being a magician.. is well.. boring. It takes knowing your art and how to use it and how to teach it. A magician is more than putting girls ina box, and producing doves. (I know I know.. how dare I say such things?) Is a dancer someone who JUST dances? Is an artist simply someone who JUST draws? Is a mime.. well a mime is just a mime we'll leave it at that. Is a magician JUST someone that fools people and gets paid to do it? Nay... it is more.

Much, much more.

I'll leave you to figure out the rest.

Bizzaro.