Softness

I’m always excited when I see earlier examples of a concept I came to on my own. It makes me feel like I’m on the right path.

Here is Andy Nyman, in the instructions for his trick The Moment, discussing one of the basic tenets of the Carefree Magic philosophy.

Your audience—consciously or subconsciously—will key into what you are focusing on when you perform.

If you’re thinking about the moves you need to do, they’ll be looking out for moves.

If you’re worried about them getting a look at some prop or gimmick, they will want to look at that prop or gimmick.

If you’re focused on using the exact right words, they will be wondering why you sound awkward.

Conversely, if your focus is on the interaction and this interesting thing in front of you, that’s where they will focus.

That’s why everything needs to be well within your abilities. The only points you’ll get for doing knuckle-busting sleight is with the losers at some magic convention. There’s nothing noble about spending 200 hours learning a difficult sleight. And even once you think you’ve mastered it, you still probably look weird doing it. You look tense and overly-focused at a moment you’re supposedly not doing anything. The truth is, I’ve seen almost no magicians in my life who can smoothly do truly difficult magic. I don’t think it’s a worthwhile goal, because I don’t think it’s achievable. And even if it is, I don’t think it adds that much to the spectator’s experience beyond what you can accomplish with methodologies that are well within your reach.

Seek softness. Seek casualness. Seek a carefree, laid-back style of interaction. This will fool people more than any center-deal ever did.