Learn magic

So you want to learn magic

Good choice. Here’s why it’s worth it, three rules to protect the wonder, and a few tricks to start with.

Why learn it

Pure enjoyment
Magic is a fun, rewarding hobby, and it can even become a career.
Connection
You’ll meet all kinds of people, and every trick is an excuse to start a conversation.
A rare skill
Very few people can genuinely amaze a room. You can be one of them.
A way to earn
Good magicians get paid to perform at parties, events, and special occasions.

Practice makes perfect
After you learn a new trick, practice it ten times before you show a stranger. Then show it to a hundred strangers you’ll never see again before you show friends and family. Trust me on this one.
Keep secrets secret
People rarely want to know how it’s done. If they did, they could look it up. Revealing the secret steals the wonder you just created.
One and done
Never do the same trick for the same person twice. The first time is entertainment. The second time, they’re just trying to solve the puzzle.

I’ll be teaching my own tricks soon. Until then, these lessons from other magicians are great places to begin.