I'm reading some posts where newbies are performing impromptu at malls or other public places, and that seems kinda weird to me.

I could see this in NYC or San Francisco, where street performers are the norm. But in most of the towns I know, these things just don't happen.

I'd think you would be seen as rather geeky at best, or having sinister ulterior motives at worst.

Thoughts?

Well Dan I will say I have preformed out in public like that. I think you are right on the idea that it can be geeky, but geek is kind of in at the moment. I won't keep you in suspense and tell you I can be geeky (B.S. in physics will do that). Although sometimes you just need to get the experience of just preforming or getting your name out there. I will say I have never seen anyone in my town do just preform magic effects and when I did it I got a good reception. It will be weird at first, but if you go and do it once ever other week people will get use to it.

I perform in my local town, mainly practising new stuff, you cant be the general public for practising and honing those skills

I perform everywhere. Practice at the food court to get yourself ready for the restaurant!

Seems some good comments to get used to working with strangers rather than with a select few friend and family. The good thing everyone in my area knows I work with computers for fun so they already think I’m a little geeky.

Magic for strangers can be very good or very bad. One needs to ensure that this is something they might like and you could do something small like vanish a coin to test a reaction...good then continue, not good then stop.

To begin magic with strangers IMO very important, to make something interesting
to everyone, like appearance of a coin behind spectators ear. after that youre in
to do more and they want to see more for sure (money? )

its easier for me to do magic for strangers, because they don't expect anything and
never saw you before. their reactions are the real stuff that you need.

a fire wallet is beautiful just to introduce you and get interest from the spectators.
just open the wallet, fire, then close it and open up again to give them your business card
to introduce yourself, works perfect everywhere for anywhere.

It is really cool to video this stuff. It makes really great YouTube videos.

Even in the tiny town I'm currently in, I have (though rarely) seen some people doing magic at events, and even just hanging out at various places. Don't be shy... we need more random magic in the world!

Genius!

I tried impromptu magic once at the local mall (I am a complete beginner myself). First I approached a guy who was sitting at a table in the food court, and looked incredibly bored. The guy refused politely but firmly. Then I approached a couple sitting on a couch, and turned out they spoke almost no English. They didn't really understand why I had approached them and looked worried. Finally I tried with a girl who was sitting in the waiting area at Sears, waiting for her tires to get checked. She accepted to see something, and I showed her "Booked" by Steve Valentine, not as pure mentalism but with the mental magic variant of making a page disappear from the book and reappear somewhere else. It worked well, and she seemed to enjoy it.

I gotta try the mall thing again at some point!

I tried impromptu magic once at the local mall (I am a complete beginner myself). First I approached a guy who was sitting at a table in the food court, and looked incredibly bored. The guy refused politely but firmly. Then I approached a couple sitting on a couch, and turned out they spoke almost no English. They didn't really understand why I had approached them and looked worried. Finally I tried with a girl who was sitting in the waiting area at Sears, waiting for her tires to get checked. She accepted to see something, and I showed her "Booked" by Steve Valentine, not as pure mentalism but with the mental magic variant of making a page disappear from the book and reappear somewhere else. It worked well, and she seemed to enjoy it.

I gotta try the mall thing again at some point!

Remember to smile and introduce yourself. Avoid interrupting people who are on the phone or typing on a computer, or even reading a book for that matter.

If you are new in a place, wear the part, too: I see so many young folk in ordinary clothes hoping to gather a crowd, and it rarely works. Wear the costume that identifies you as the role you want to play. At least stand out.

Yes, it can seem geeky and weird, if people don't expect you to be there or engage them. But if you are a regular patron, and your appearance stands out making it easy for people to recognise you, spectators turn into participants, expecting you to perform.

Cheers,
Emanuel

"Finally I tried with a girl who was sitting in the waiting area at Sears, waiting for her tires to get checked...She seemed to enjoy it."

Was she cute?

I have been thinking about dong this for a long time. (approaching strangers, that is)

Well, actually, I have done it before, but not extensively. My reactions were "OK".

There is a whole section on the Café, btw, covering this topic of performing for strangers. Worth checking out.

You can do majic with strangers pretty much anywhere as long as you know how to properly approach people as others have said. For some of us this is easy we are just naturally outgoing and charismatic for others it takes time to learn as they may be nervous or shy. But you just have to throw yourself out there and do it. You cant get better without practice.

I used to stroll around the mall with a friend of mine who was also into magic and we always kind of set it up as competition and then got bystanders involved who started watching us. That worked pretty good, one time we were even thrown out of the mall because we pulled a crowed big enough to block a walkway

That was pretty good! Kind of like a badge of honor!

I guess I am spoiled being in NYC where people are so used to street performers that it is not a big deal at all. Actually in some part at here are so many there is no room!

Things are so much different here in this small town where I live.