When you are a magician you get a lot of questions. The most common one is “How did you do that?” But once the spectator realizes that you are not going to reveal the secret, they quickly begin asking other questions… such as: “Do you invent your own tricks?” “Where do magic tricks come from?” “How do you come up with a new magic trick?” and I think the answer to those questions might be interesting… even to non-magicians.
You see magicians are fortunate to have a very well developed magical community. Magic clubs, groups, and organizations all over the world are made up of people who come together over their common interest in the art of magic. The groups are a 
combination of performers, inventors, consultants, magic supply shops, technical and historical experts who get together at monthly meetings or larger annual conventions around the world to learn from each other all for the advancement of the art form. As a non-magician, you would probably be shocked to discover how many books there are on the subject of magic, in many, many languages… texts that date back to 1584. And now with the advent of the digital world, video downloads will soon probably surpass the printed word in the future when it comes to learning and sharing our closely guarded magic secrets.
This sharing and teaching within the magical community is critical because not every performing magician invents their own material… and not every magic inventor is a performer. And just like fuel for a fire, there is a need for new ideas and original presentations. The most common question magicians ask at these gatherings is “What’s new?” Magicians are always searching for the newest, amazing magical effect, the trick that might elevate them to magical stardom.
But the general magic community is also an interesting mix of professionals and amateurs who find a common bond over a pack of playing cards, a few silver dollars or an invisible piece of thread. On some levels, it’s a strange group from all walks of life… a mix of doctors and laborers, attorneys and service workers who normally would never cross paths or sit down for a drink together…yet, here they are laughing and teaching one another their version of the latest card trick. The only price of admission is a sincere interest in learning and a commitment to put in the proper amount of practice before performing the new idea in public.
When I am working on a new magic effect for either my show Miracles & Other Deceptions: The Close Up Magic of Paul Gertner at the Omni Parker House in Boston or a performance on a TV show like Penn & Teller: Fool Us, I have a select group of 
magicians I know I can run my new ideas by. When I send them a video of a new magic routine I know I will get an honest opinion… they will tell me what works… and more importantly, what does not. The discussions are fascinating and we strongly argue our points about something as simple as the exact placement of an object on a table… or the direction of our gaze as we interact with the spectator. All these tiny details are essential to discover the “perfect” combination of moments that work together to create a look of astonishment on the faces of our spectators… something we magicians live for. I know that no matter how many hundreds or thousands of hours I have personally spent working on an idea, chances are my “network” of magic collaborators will point out something that I totally missed. It may be an idea, a word, an action or an association that I simply did not think of. And that is the true power of the magic community. It’s a collective set of eyes and ideas that we on our own could never achieve. And no matter what the question is… someone in the magic community will direct you to someone who knows someone who knows someone… who actually knows the answer that will help solve the problem you are working on.
On this Thanksgiving Day week, I’m thankful to be part of such an interesting group of unique individuals and magical artists. Thanks to everyone in the magic community for all of your help in making my show the best it can be!
And… Happy Thanksgiving!
