Russian Attack...

So I was reading a review for the X-men First Class film and came across this bit of text:

"Having been in the writing game for a decade now, I can tell: you can indeed produce something good in a rushed fashion, if the deadline demands it and you have the focus; however, something great absolutely requires time for a creator to be able to step back, assess his/her work, and decide what improvements should be made. Revision is the key to brilliance. You take away that time from any creative artist, and the art is ultimately going to be diminished. First Class was no exception."

It reminded me of much of the magic released today. It is given very little time to sit and stew in the minds of the creators. "Hey it works on video and it fooled my mom. I think I will sell it on teh interwebs". The only difference between the above scenario and magic is that there is NO deadline for creativity in magic products other than the one you place upon yourself... which seems to be a few days in some cases.

So I put this challenge to anyone who is thinking of releasing an effect for sale only a few days after creating it. Give yourself a deadline. One that prevents you from releasing something before a certain date. Give it ample time to be played with, researched, and tested in front of real people.

Let's call this deadline "Shower Time". Decide how many showers it will be before you release the trick into the wild. This way it gives you time to think about the effect without props in hand. Let your mind solve the problems or ideas in a secure and relaxing place. Only then can you put out your latest "master" piece.

Just don't get shampoo in your eyes...