Magical Reflections #19 · 02/07
Could you still be doing it in ten years’ time?
There’s a question I ask myself every time I learn a new effect.
It’s not whether it’s a trick.
Nor whether it’s difficult.
Nor even whether people like it.
It’s this:
‘Could I still do this in ten years’ time?’
Because there are tricks that amaze people in the first week.
And others that are still part of your repertoire a decade later.
The difference almost never lies in the method.
It lies in how well they stand the test of time.
The classics didn’t become classics by chance.
They did so because thousands of magicians used them before us and discovered something important: they work.
With different audiences.
In different places.
And in different eras.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try new things.
On the contrary.
But I always try to ask myself the same question:
‘In ten years’ time, would I still want to perform this effect?’
When the answer is yes, I tend to pay it much more attention.
This week, one has arrived in the shop which, for one reason or another, has made me ask myself precisely that question.
👉 [One of those effects that deserves a second look]
That’s all.
Just that little thought, which reminds me that, sometimes, the best way to choose a trick isn’t to ask whether it’s trendy.
But whether it will still deserve a place in your case many years from now.
Best wishes,
Dario Huet-a
La Varita Mágica
Magical reflections #20