I've been asked (as I'm sure many of you have)for what seems like forever, by business associates to reveal some of my hidden secrets but I simply have never done so. It was put to me some months ago by a very well known media person that it would be profitable to do a 1 or 2 day seminar (workshop) for businessmen interested in learning the magical arts.
I was reading the Luke Jermay thread in here and saw he's charging $1,200 dollars for his seminar and I simply thought to myself: Well, maybe it's time. I mean it's simple enough, for any half decent mentalist it would be a walk in the park, so why not?
I'm initially concerned for the obvious reason that my mentalism is rooted in magic and we never reveal our secrets. But in today's world it seems that if you charge a hell of a lot it seems to be ok. Am I correct? Am I getting the picture right? Some might think I'm being sarcastic here, but I'm genuinely not, honest. Is it time to pick up the bucks?

bobser
ps: obviously I'll be offering places to Café Members first so..... pm me

Actually seriously I was offered At least early talks about it with a well known seminar leader.

but thought it was wrong

From our ego we have the tag team of power and greed are our biggest challenges.

Thankyou carmean, although I'm not that intelligent therefore didn't really understand what you meant. Albeit I was watching 'sponge bob square pants' only this morning and yes, I liked it a lot.
MP I think we should work together. With your contacts and my talents I feel we would do very well.
bobser.
ps: I expected more feed back from this particular post. Either it's of little interest, which in itself tells me all I need to know, or perhaps I've made a few feel uncomfortable in some way.

I think that when the 'secrets' are revealed, you will be very disappointed in the reactions. At the moment, you are a hero, as soon as they know what you are doing they will be be "Less Impressed" and you and your act will be diminished in their eyes. This is one of the first 'rules' (sorry for the continued use of quotes) of magic and the reason for it. Yes you will get paid but there will be a downturn in interest afterwards.

You've said you were not being sarcastic, so I believe you. No, I do. I haven't read the Luke Jermay thread as it seemed just the same old stuff doing its rounds.
For a $1,200 dollars investment you could buy knowledge of a comprehensive range of methods and madness. Couldn't you always? The alternative is that there would be only apprenticed, "initiates" here, on pain-of-death (and a good thing too). Or they could just google it, pinch it, and brag about it to their mates before casting it away.
You could provide a smattering of magic/mentalism and helpings of new-age, pseudo-psychological, or psychological filler and clean up. Nothing new about that either.

Option3: none of the above?
MindT.

Bobser,

Some of the more amazing stuff in mentalism is so simple in technique (P**K the information... F**ce the information, etc) but what makes them so amazing is you the performer. The moment you tip that it was "merely" a "Billet S****" etc they will a)not believe that people get away with it (even though you just did), and b)As David said, you'll end up looking like a tricksters and not the amazing hero.

Whenever someone asks me how it's done, I always tell them, "You don't wanna know." I mean it sincerely. Once they know they lose that feeling of astonishment. That sucks more for them than it does for me the magician.

Other than the obvious make some cash, what would be the point of the seminar? Would it be just to teach mentalism or would it be to teach them to use mentalism principles to apply to business, etc?

My thinking would be that I would do a legitimate (?) show. Then at the end teach some Self-talk, self-hypnosis, Power of Positive Thinking, Napoleon Hill/Dale Carnegie stuff.

That's how I'd do it... That way you're still teaching them some very valuable skills, yet you're staying true to our art, and you're making some coin too.

I think this is a rather practical, as opposed to ethical, matter.

Some people create because they like creating.
Some people create because they want to fill a need (a no-hands, no-peek ect.)
Some people create to sell their creations.

What is your motivation?

One other thing to think about: I had a pet trick that I sat on for a while. Elements of it appeared in many people's works (Doug Dyment and Mick Ayres are two recent examples), but never put together and never the way I used it. I toyed with letting people check it out to see what they thought but never did. Then Vigil released his "Sympathetic Cards" ebook and I just about died. Here was about 90% of the same effect (I still like my other 10% better, but that is just me). I am NOT saying that he ripped me off or anything even remotely like that, I just felt, right or wrong, that when I do this effect that I am now doing something that has been published by somebody else.

In the end, it's what you want to get out of life. I feel better about the whole scenario above because I am happy performing for people. I don't need name recognition or any of that. If somebody happens to see me perform my effect and simply thinks I am using Paul's version, so be it, their opinion, as so many are, is based on ignorance. Some people can't handle that. Some people don't even like when other performers enter the same genre ("What?! You do a coin bend, you can't do that because somebody else..."). I really wish I was making that up.

In the end, ignore what other people are doing and just ask what will make you happy. Money from a seminar? Being a teacher/mentor? Performing your own material that nobody else performs? These are all different things and I don't see what anything anybody else does changes about how you feel.

But that is just me.

As usual Lem, Insightful post.

By the way, a side note, off topic, I had the exact same thing happen to me with an effect that I sat on forever, then someone released it (not theft, just coincidence). Anyway, I'll releasing mine on my next DVD, but it is a bummer. That's happened to me with other stuff that I've never published as well.

Oh well, what can you do?

Hey, Bobser - I'll see you on Saturday (it IS this Saturday, yes?) and we can have a brainstorm session then.

Drew

I'll look forward to that DVD, Jeff, and your $1.50 for the insightful comment is in the mail already. ;-)

Sweet... That's two people this week who've sent me money for being a nice guy!

Check it out:
First Post on the Page

Yes Drew my workshop is this Saturday. As you know there is no charge for one so dignified as your goodself.

bob