I have been a Hobbyist in Magic for a while and I am content with this. I have done shows in the past and do have performing experince in the real world.

I have done weddings and Resturant Magic on a Weekly basis in the past but I still class myself has a hobbyist and I am happy with that.

This is related to what happened at my Magic society:

There was a new member who is a working professional I greeted him and spoke to him and was friendly and corteous.

However it was not until later in the evening when I was praticing a strke double and this person walked up to me and asked if I knew how to get a break?

I don't know if he was being helpful or condescending or I have just taken it personally.

But during the evening is advice stemmmed on basics and it felt like he was treating me like somebody that's brand new to magic.


I have never experienced the looking down on a Hobbyist before and when I got home I felt like s**t.

It could be me reading more into this than I should and he was genuinely trying to be helpful but I did not feel like it was

Just wonder if anybody has experienced this before and how it made you feel. Also any advice to deal with something like this.

Or I may just be blowing it out of proportion.

Perhaps he did not know how to do a strike double!

You'd be surprised to learn how many "professionals" are not nearly as knowledgeable or skilled as their brother "amateurs" who perform for the love of the craft...

Julie

Thanks Julie I did mention I was practicing a strike double I must admit my strike double is not that great at the moment.

But that's what practice is for.

It was just that what I felt was the know it all demeanor of it. I don't mind feedback has I always listen to feedback and sometimes it's valid.

But it was also the way I was talking to members of the society and he would come up and take over.

I know a lot of other people in the magic community and have for nearly 20 years and never come across this looking down on someone that's a hobbyist and does it for the love of the craft and not the money.

It's not nice when it happens.

Maybe I should concentrate on the majority and not the minority.

You have not said if the advice he was giving was helpful or if you were just offended. Was he actually trying to help, and you simply did not like the manner in which he was doing so? This is not bad on either part. You may have just mistaken his manner.

The problem is in society all folks are free to be who they are. It sounds as if this fellow might just be "that guy" and you being an armature had little to do with it. Don't take offense and CERTAINLY don't go home and let him rule your mood! Forget it. You don't click with his personality for whatever reason let it go. You are not on this earth to live up to his expectations, and in all fairness nor he to yours.

Let it go. Continue to have your hobby and enjoy it! Don't let this tarnish it no matter HOW many of these folks you run into. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he was nervous because all the hobby guys had better chops and maybe he was just a jerk. If you see him again give him a chance to not be a jerk and if he is you know for sure. But either way DO NOT let it affect you and your love of the craft.

(By the way I have done magic for no other reason in my life for the past 30 plus years than to make money. It is not a hobby for me. It is a job. It is my only job. While I would not indulge discussions of minutia and such, I would also NEVER treat you as "lesser" in some way. Just sayin.)

Live the way you want to. It is that simple.

Hey Danny

I appreciate your comment and it has made me feel better.

The thing was I was the first person to meet this person.

Like I said I was friendly cortueous and asked about the person by asking questions related to this wonderful hooby of ours.

I did say I was a Hobbyist.

I do think he was genuinley trying to help but it was the manner of it.

Especially when he said "Do you know how to get a break" This is something I learnt a long time ago.

I know how to get a little finger break, third finger break,greek break and a Thumb break. and felt he was teaching me to suck eggs

This I did not mention to the person. (maybe I should have ) I just let him explain it to me so was slightly offended by it.

Like you say I should not let it affect me.

I have met professional working magicians before and never experienced the looking down and their advice is been brilliant constructive and helpful as an example:

I performed Paul Gordons trick Diminishing not likely to the person himself. The Feedback/advice he gave me regarding the effect was great this was a long time ago. so doubt the person will remember.

Its just the first time I have come across the looking down. and I just wanted this Magic Café to vent my frustration/Annoyance and to get it off my chest.

I can see why you would be frustrated. First time it happened to me when I was 19 and I was lucky. No internet at the time but Don Alan then sat with me for 45 minutes right after it happened.

Here is the truth and it is sad. Many guys will treat you like that and it sucks. Many MORE won't and it is great. Ignore those who do and stick to those who don't and never become one who does! An art form that keeps secrets and a sort of idiotic "measuring contest" that nerds have based on that is bound to attract some folks as you describe.

But to be fair their is another side to this coin. A working magician maybe does not know as much as you, but indeed he is working. (Heck I can't get any of the breaks you just mentioned LOL.) I have seen hobbyists doing card tricks in the lobby of Ricky Jay's show. I have seen them walk into restaurants where a magician is working and start doing tricks for the table and other tables. Terribly in appropriate things just because they are "in the brotherhood". We all need to know decorum and how to act when in each other's presence. You shouldn't automatically get tickets to any magic show on the planet just because you know how to get a pinky break. You don't get to automatically come backstage. You don't get to discuss the show and the finer points of directing just because you can do a strike second. (None of this is directed at you when I say "you" keep in mind please. The larger "you" of all magicdome is who I am referring to.)

Every one of these and more are real world examples of things hobbyists have done and do regularly. I have seen OTHER PROFESSIONALS do these things as well and they should know better so it is actually WORSE when they do it in my view.

Don't sweat the looking down, because sadly it will happen. Don't let it get in your grill. Don't let the things I mention creep in on your end, and then you know 100% guys have NO REASON to act that way. It is then for certain a "them" problem. Just enjoy the hobby!!!

I know what you are talking about regarding the other side of the coin. My friends know I do Magic and they are not in the brotherhood at all. We have been to events together where there was a working magician.

I keep quiet and let the Magician work. I don't mention I do Magic as well. and I try to have a quiet word wth my friends who are laypeople not to mention anything. and usually they don't, but they also whisper in my ear "You do that", You Know how he/she did that" I don't say anything to them and try to keep them quiet has feel it's unfair has I would not like that when I perform.

I feel its disprectful and not professional at all.

I have had it at the end of the night The working magican come up to me and say "You did not seem to have the same reaction as everybody else" or something of that ilk. If the working magican does that "I will say I do Magic as well" but only if they ask. usually then ask me to show them something. and I was always ask "If you want me to" I have met some good friends in the community this way and got good constructive feedback from the effects. Also this is how I learned Crazy Man's Handcuffs.

And you are right I am a hobbyist and I will never do tricks where a working magican is working no matter what unless the scenario I mentioned above presents itself.

Recently went with my father to a Magic Night at a local venue. I left my pack of cards at home and enjoyed the night and learnt some new ways of presentation and how to deal with hecklers not one of the acts knew I did magic and that is the way it should be. Well apart from the compere but he's a friend I met in the magic community.

But if there is a working magician working at the venue. I always follow these rules.

Be Respectful and Enjoy the Presentation/Show also you may learn something.

In reality you even learned something from the guy at the club. Everyone can be learned from, even if they serve as a bad example! Now you know how you don't want to be. This can be quite valuable.

^^ amen. Great advice.

I'm no one in magic, know only a tiny handful of magicians, and my last three magic conventions were all 9 years apart. I have barely one toe in the magic community pool.

I recently returned home from my first magic convention in 9 years. For many years I've been wanting to attend a FISM, and I finally get to say that I did. (FISM Quebec 2022.)

Like anything else, there are good people and not-so-good people. I met some of the nicest people at FISM, both famous and not-so-famous. It was thrilling and touching to meet these folks. I also had my fair share of snubs. One in particular was especially hurtful. I'm trying to not let it bother me, but it does.

I know that there are two sides to the coin. We fan boys and girls can get annoying and demanding. We can't demand attention and expect respect. We know you're busy. We sometimes get so caught up in the thrill of meeting you that we can't read the room and realize we are unfairly monopolizing your time. On the other hand, a tiny bit of grace goes a long way.

One of my favorite memories at FISM was eating at a local restaurant with my wife before the first day's events started, when Greg Frewin and a couple of his friends walked in and sat a few tables away. Greg must have seen my bright orange FISM lanyard from afar and just gave me a long, big smile. I smiled back and... left him alone to be with his friends. My wife urged me to go over and take a photo with him, but I resisted the temptation.

Great message thread. Thank you to all that contributed to it thus far. You have no idea how much this has helped me. My (non-magician) wife told me essentially the same message that is contained in this thread. But it means a lot to hear it from magicians.

Thanks.

Sounds like a loss for anyone that snubbed you. Don’t lose any sleep over it.

Water off of a duck's back my friend, water off of a duck's back...

Just let it roll off you.

The big thing to remember is staying an interest does not necessarily equate to them being a person you may want to hang with. The real problem is often magic attracts the people who are socially awkward or have something to prove by knowing secrets and lording them over those who don’t. Avoid those guys lol.

I've met hundreds of magicians both online and in the real world and less than a dozen I'd ever want to hang out with ????

Just surfing the web- came across the info on the "Houdini" Movie (out 1953 ) - seen many times - realized - possible coincidence or prophetic - 1951 in Jr. High, age 14 (in magic since I was 10), in English class we were to read a book and cast it into a Movie- Reading HOUDINI, I cast Tony & Janet as Harry and Bess Houdini. Have an autographed Photo of Tony Curtis on my Magic Dens wall - received just a few years ago - MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - I'm Now simi-retired at 85, 75 years in Magic. Ralph ROUSSEAU (Russo)

Lol… can we just start by stipulating that some people in every profession are jerks and some are nice. That being said, a professional doesn’t mean that person is “better” at magic, just more consistent. They have probably spent decades working on subtleties and nuances to get their act to deliver every time and those yers have value. I personally love teaching and helping people I any way I can. I’ve been constantly surprised at talking to some well known younger magicians that have told me that they came to see one of my shows and I took them backstage, showed them around and talked to them about their magic and how to be better. To me, that’s just our job as professionals to encourage others and pay it forward as was so often done to us. I also believe that magicians frequently openly share ideas with their peers. It’s good to remember that you’re not untitled to something just you are also “a magician”. I always remember people coming up to life long performers t the Castle saying, “Hey, so how did you do that card thing at the end of your act? It’s ok, you can tell me… I’m a magician” too. I always remember that those year that separate us have value. I try to help everyone in some way, but I usually try to help people differently that aren’t lazy and have earned my respect through their hard work. Always look at it from the other’s perspective as to expectations.