Mental health, pass times, creativity, oh my!

Well this one could go anywhere. I’m a bit stream of consciousness with these.

I’ve never gotten much satisfaction in regular employment. Plenty of dissatisfaction but never any real sense of accomplishment, not one that means much to me anyway.

I get my satisfactions and sense of accomplishment outside work, for things I don’t get paid for.

One of my primary outlets is improv. I started about 3-4 years ago. It was a time of much groundhoggery. Work, study, sleep, repeat. It really was becoming a rut so I signed onto an improv 101 at a local theatre.

As terrifying as it was I have made fewer better decisions in my time. Getting onto a stage and making people laugh is an indescribable tonic.

Of course I’ve developed from that 101 taster. I’ve gone to various classes and workshops to develop long form and short to medium forms. I’m as into the craft of Improv as much as I love Titting about and making folk giggle.

The latest thing to grab me is magic. I’m awful and not putting in nearly enough practise.

So far my favourite magicians are Penn and Teller. I love the irreverence (which I think underpins the best magic. You’re paying to be conned for an hour after all)

Ricky Jay was a master though. His verbal dexterity matched his legerdemain and he was a pleasure to watch.

This is a pretty deck. Designed to look like a cigarette box

It’s another from the King’s Wild project

They aren’t yer standard issue prints.

Nice wee biblical passage if you’re into that.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that nothing worthwhile comes quickly or easily. It always takes time and effort and therefore patience.

This is borne from my own personal experience. I am the dictionary definition of impatient, especially when it comes to me. Being blessed (or cursed) with being described as “very bright” as a youngling I soon concluded that if I wasn’t immediately good at something it wasn’t worth it.

Soon it became apparent that just winging it wasn’t enough. I didn’t study for my GCSE’s and had to resit two of them, English and Maths, to get the generally accepted as standard 5 at C. For some reason I thought my laissez-faire approach would work with A-Levels and it kind of did with one of them. I did A level political science in a year and got a B. However I got a D and an E in the other two.

Roll on through the years from 20 – 30, quite rudderless and aimless, merely gathering debt and weight a friend suggested Jujitsu. How I laughed. I went, though.

8 years later I was a black belt and a fully insured sensei.

This planted a seed. Slow and steady wins the race. Kinda.

Mid way through my jujitsu journey I decided to take up studying again. Around this time I was unemployed. I signed up for a module with the Open University

8 years later (and after manys a hissy fit i graduated with a 2:1 honours degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies

So I really need to be more patient with myself with the magic thing. It’s a performance, like improv in many ways.

I’m not close to ready to going on stage with it. I’m not even sure that’s in the plan but learning new things is always good. Learning how to mess with cause and effect gives conclusions one isn’t initially looking for.

Derren Brown has made the transition from illusion to mentalism. He is one of my favourite magicians although I’m not sure how hot I am about mentalism.

There is a certain type of magician, at least there was, who seemed to take delight in belittling and embarrassing audience members. I kinda think these guys went the same way as their 70s comedy counterparts. Thankfully. If I hear one more sarky magician give the “take them out of the box first!!” line in the invisible deck routine I’ll spoil the trick.

Now, the likes of Penn and Teller and Derren pride themselves in never patronising or condescending to the audience. They respect their audience.

Mr. Brown has also dipped his toe into self-help, although I very much doubt he’d like the term. He rips new age woo woo a new one in the opening chapters of “happy”.

Haven’t started this one yet but I imagine it’ll be every bit as illuminating.

I am not affiliated with Marvin’s Magic in any way. I just help with his rent.

Few things in life bring me as much joy as a cheap box of tricks. I picked this one up a while back.

Those wee packet tricks can be carried around anywhere.

The deck itself has a few extra things about it that I won’t spoil *but* maybe use another tuck case that doesn’t immediately project shenanigans.

Full disclosure. I’ve been evangelising about magic, how it pretty much got me through the Pandemic and my love for it.

I haven’t been putting in the practise which is why I only know *maybe*half a dozen tricks well enough to show.

Last night I attended a *wonderful* show in the Black Box. Four magicians went around table to table showing us lovely lovely coin and card tricks.

Reader, I was like a 5 year old on the best Xmas morning ever.

The upshot is that I’m in contact with a Northern Irish magician to chat magic over coffee and consider tutoring/mentoring/practise.

I’m. So. Happy. About. This.

Magic. Like all art forms (you watch Ricky Jays cups and balls and tell me it’s not art) require a lot of time and effort. Gladwell says 10, 000 hours.

Like all art forms it can be incredibly frustrating. You get impatient, you get cross, you think about chucking in the towel.

I’ve been merely toying. I do what I normally do when a new interest strikes me. I hyper fixate, buy a lot of gear and books and hope that it’ll get into my head and fingers by, I dunno, osmosis?

There is no substitute for doing the work. None. In any endeavour.

My goal is to get a decent cups and balls routine down. French dropping, sleight of hand, direction (the word misdirection feels wrong. I’m directing you), and patter.

I’ll get it.

Another random mystery deck from Merchant of Magic

Awk these are nice. A lovely nod to retro notions of what the future looks like. If only they knew. I mean, where are the flying cars? Where’s my hover board? Why are we working harder than ever amidst all the work saving technology? Sorry folks. Would a 2 year global pandemic and the threat of world war 3 do instead?