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Dougini Inner circle The Beautiful State Of Maine 7130 Posts |
I understand your plight as well, and won't repeat the advise given previously about living with your parents...been there, and, "done did that" already...
It's hard. I remember too well. I'm almost 49, and can still hear my Dad's voice telling me how I was "wasting" my money...even after Al Flosso himself told him to encourage me...so? What did I do? Stop spending my money on magic? NFW! I just stopped showing them what I bought. Christmas time would come around, relatives would have me do a trick or two, and my dad would say, "Wow, I didn't know he had THAT..." Oh, if they only knew... Basically it works if you just don't talk about it, or show them things you buy...hey, at least you're not buying a lot worse! Do your magic in secret! Don't show ANYONE until you can do it backwards and forwards with your eyes closed! Then break it out much later...believe me, they'll wonder where you got it, but it's your money... Don't do the doves at home. That would be a mistake. my $.02 Doug |
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
If they're good parents, they WILL know.
In this day and age, one has to keep their eyes on their kids much more than when I was young. All we had to worry about was the occasional raid by the other neanderthals and a once in a while run-in with a rabid wooly mammoth. If the Columbine kid's parents had kept a bit better eye on what their kids had in their rooms, then a large tragedy might have been averted. Lee "curmudgeon" Darrow, C.Ht. http://www.leedarrow.com
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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Allan Elite user 405 Posts |
I was you when I was young. In addition to my parents, my teachers were giving me the same hastle. They all used to say " STOP WITH THE MAGIC! WHAT DO YOU THINK, THAT SOMEDAY PEOPLE WILL PAY TO SEE YOUR MAGIC" and then they would laugh. Well guess what, people do pay & pay a high number to see my magic. I stayed with it & make a really nice living doing something I have loved my whole life.
Now, as for you. Stay in school, don't buy the doves as it is still your parents home & they do get to decide if you can have doves in their home. As time goes by & you get better at your magic, you will be able to make more money than any part time job after school & weekends could possibly pay. You will earn enough from magic to more than pay for any prop you want. Your parents will come around but they need time. Most important, stay in school & get your education. If for any reason you can't make a living at magic, you will have the degree to fall back on & help you make a living. |
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Kathryn Novak Special user PA 574 Posts |
I'm surprised nobody mentioned this about doves. If you don't keep them extremely well trained, they forget what they are supposed to do and you waste more time training them to re-learn what they were supposed to know. On top of that, they're noisy, they cost an awful lot of money to keep and keep healthy, they're messy, you need to worry about where you can perform with them and where you can't, not to mention getting them to and from place to place. Don't get doves until you have a place of your own (preferably one with a landlord that doesn't mind pets). Keep practicing and rehearsing your magic. Get friends who actually enjoy watching you perform it, and can possibly suggest ideas for improvement. Find a place where other magicians meet in your area, and introduce yourself. Get into competitions, if you can find any and know you're ready. Find a source of encouragement, someone you can talk to face-to-face (if there's a magic shop in your area, the owner might be a good place to start.) But stay away from the doves, they're a lot more trouble than they're worth to you right now.
Also, I know from experience that parents can sometimes be a little fanatical about having things go a particular way for their kids. Instead of complaining about their attitude, ask them why they are so opposed to you doing magic, and if there's any way you can change their minds about it. The answer may surprise you, and you might be able to work out a beneficial solution to your problem- and to theirs. I say this because the money factor may not be the only thing they are afraid of. If it turns out that it is the only thing, don't spend all of it on magic. Set some of it aside for something they would like you to set it aside for. If it turns out there is more than one problem, try to talk it through with them. Keep in mind that some people are REALLY stubborn, so it might take some time. But they will come around. Mine did.
If anyone sees my sanity, please return it to
me. |
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Matt Graves Special user Huntsville, Alabama (USA) 504 Posts |
It's really sad that some parents seem to want their kids not to succeed. I have the opposite problem... my parents believe in me, but I don't. Believe me, that's much worse. You seem to be a strong-willed sort of person; you'll probably succeed with your magic no matter how much discouragement you get. You don't have to have expensive props or livestock, though. If you want to save money, you could concentrate on some sleight of hand stuff in the meantime. It is much cheaper but requires just as much skill and can be just as mystifying. You could be at least working on your reputation with other folks who might think more highly of your talent...
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George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Okay, there's been a lot of good advice here so far. Now here's a funny story...
I went thru the same thing when I was in my late teens many years ago: I wanted to go pro, I bought doves, and I put together a cards-and-doves act. My parents were always telling me there was no money in magic, blah blah blah... One Summer, when I was 19, I was hired as magic consultant on a major promotion for a shopping center, and part of the job that I created for myself was to produce a magic show. There's a long story here, but I'll cut to the chase. My fee for the gig was $400, and this was 'way back in 1971, when $400 was a healthy chunk of change. When I went to the bank to cash my check, I asked for the whole thing in $20 bills -- a nice little stack. I went home and invited my parent to my room. I looked at them nicely and smiled and said, "You're always telling me there's no money in magic. Well, watch..." and I tossed the stack of bills up in the air and watched it shower down in a beautiful cascade. They didn't say anything for a moment, but then they caught the humor of it. And they NEVER told me there's no money in magic again.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
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Luke Sherratt Loyal user The Isle Of Wight, England 246 Posts |
Hi Magician81,
My parents would not let me entertain the idea of having doves at first but I made sure I researched about them enough to know what I am doing. I convinced them that it would be OK for me to have them and in the end they had no choice but to listen. I am their son whatever effects me effects them. So if I know that I know enough to look after them, then I will one time or another be the same. About the magic thing well my parents are really supportive mainly because I have a relative who wanted to be a pro magician. He gave up because he parents said he had to live his life their way. He always did regret not following his dream. You do not want to end up like that. If you want to be a Pro magician then be a pro magician. I mean come on actors have stylists what they can't even dress themselves. That is a pointless job being a magician is out of the norm you are like a super hero in a way. You have abilities that normal people don't you have, the ability to amaze. Don't think of yourself as a struggling teenage magician. Think of yourself as a Super hero refining his powers. I came out of school when I was 14 it is not a big deal I am working as a magician. Now I am not saying drop out of school, just talk to your parents and tell them that your not going to stop magic but that you won't let it ruin your schooling. You will work them both side by side your parents cannot control you forever. Follow your dreams do not lose sight of them or you will end up the drunk old guy in the pub who always talks about what he could have been. Regards, Luke
We're 106 miles from Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses
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