This post if from one of our team members Adam Wilber. You may know him from his previous release Earbuds. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to Adam, and let me say, this guy is passionate about what he does and how he does it. He recently told me about a contest he won and how it allowed him to live out a dream. He wanted to tell all of you about it as well.

                  My name is Adam Wilber. I live and work in Burlington, VT at a company called Seventh Generation. On nights and weekends I perform close-up magic for adults as well as the occasional kid show. I have been working as a part time professional for the last 10 years.

                  My full time work with Seventh Generation is as rewarding of a job as one could imagine. The company produces house hold cleaning products that focus on sustainability as well as healthy living. The reason I bring this up is to put into context how working for this company landed me and my fiancé in the most inspiring magical theater on the planet, The Magic Castle.

Seventh Generation hosted an in-house contest that asked people to show how you speak for the trees. We had just partnered with Universal studios for the making of the movie The Lorax .

For those of you who don’t know what the Lorax is let me briefly explain. The Lorax is a Dr. Seuss book about a little orange critter who speaks for the tree’s as they have no voice of their own. It’s a beautiful story that will play a huge part in educating the children of today about the importance of living a sustainable lifestyle before it’s too late.

The rules of the contest were very simple. Be as creative as you can to show how you speak for the trees in your everyday life. The prize was two tickets to the world premier of the Lorax movie in Hollywood.  Airfare, food, hotel and entertainment were all paid for by Seventh Generation to the one lucky winner. I decided to enter this contest with the goal of winning a chance to not only see this movie but also to secure the opportunity to visit a place I have dreamed about for many years …The Magic Castle.

My contest entry was a simple card trick with a voice-over added that showed how I speak for the trees.

Here’s the video if you choose to watch it:

Soon after entering I was approached by one of the judges who told me I had won and that at the end of the video 3 out of the 4 judges were literally in tears. This was a powerful moment.

It paints a perfect picture of how scripting a trick to your style and remaining honest and true throughout a performance can cause serious emotional connections with your audience.

This trick was in no way innovative, mind boggling or perfectly executed but the emotional connection it made with the judges struck a chord and in turn got me a trip to Hollywood!

The day had finally come when I would get to visit the place I have dreamed about for almost my entire life. We had late dinner reservations at the Castle so we ended up getting there 3 hours early so I could soak up as much of the experience as possible.

In a word I would describe the Magic castle as…Inspiring. This place was wall to wall, floor to ceiling, Magic! We got to see the close up performance before dinner and then had the privilege of seeing John Carney perform his after dinner show.

This was one of the best magic performances I have ever seen. It was elegant, funny, beautifully scripted and to top it off it fooled the hell out of me.

There are certain things in life that make lasting impressions and change the way you think about the direction your life is in. I can honestly say that this trip was one of those moments.

As I sat in the hotel room waiting to leave Hollywood to go back to Vermont, I couldn’t help but think of the opportunities and experiences that would come my way if I were to leave the state I know and love to move out west and join the community of this breathtaking place called The Magic Castle.

I would like to leave you with the idea that it doesn’t take much to connect with an audience, the best thing I have found to ring true over and over is:

Being yourself while performing your magic is what will allow your audience to be emotionally engaged and delighted by your magic.Nobody can be you just as none of us can be Slydini or Marlo or Malone but each and everyone one of us can be the absolute best representation of ourselves and that is magic in itself.

I would personally like to thank Adam Wilber for sharing this story with me and everyone in the magic community. I’m proud to call this man my friend and I look forward to continue working with him. Please leave your comments below on how magic has helped you accomplish one of your dreams, or how your using magic to get there.

-Xavior Spade

The picture above represents what I strive for as a magician. I work hard everyday to accomplish this in every show. It represents why I perform.

For many years, I thought magic was easy; I thought that as long as I did “good” tricks that nothing else mattered. I spent most of my early years  hiding behind my magic. I didn’t allow myself to create a bond with my audiences– I was distant, scared, and unrehearsed, yet I still considered myself a professional.

It took me speaking to a broadway actor that began my journey to better myself and my act. I was told flat out:

“Dude your tricks are amazing but you as a performer, well you suck!”

That hit me really hard and I didn’t understand why he said that to me. I had better than average slights, I was always told I was funny. What was it?

Soon after this conversation I began looking at some of the greats, not just in magic but in acting, comedy, broadway, you name it. I quickly realized that people remembered them, not because they were just funny, or amazing, or great actors, but instead they were remembered because they had character. They had developed a character and worked constantly to improve, learn and grow. Something I had never done nor thought of. It was time to make a change.

I tried to make characters up, I tried to be other people and in the end, for me, my character was me!

The person I had been looking for was with me all the time. Mind you it wasn’t as simple as just me going on stage and doing what I do in everyday life. I had to be honest with myself. I had to realize that not everyone is going to like or accept me. I had to realize that I had to be ok with who I am before anyone else could. For the next few years, I wrote scripts, I did open mic nights, even free shows. I did anything in my power to perform as much as possible for as many different people in as many different situations as possible. In fact, I stopped doing magic for a while and did stand up comedy.

I always considered myself a comedian but doing stand up quickly taught me that there is a HUGE diffrenence between being the funny guy and being a comedian. At another time I’ll tell all of you my stand up comedy experience, but for now I’ll continue with the topic at hand.

What I learned through these few experiences changed the way I thought and approached everything. I began looking back and earlier performances of myself and remembered being ashamed of what I was doing. I was ashamed for being so naive. To put it in different words, I learned to make toast and eggs and went out calling myself a chef. It was humbling and one of the best things that happened to me. To this very day, I still work hard to make my show even better. In the end, I want my audiences not only to be amazed but to leave my show more than satisfied. I want what I did for them to be a fun, enjoyable, and amazing experience that they have NEVER had before. I don’t want there to be anyone else that they can compare me too. I want to be something different, something that they have never seen and never will again.

There is something to be said about the people that are legends. They are unlike anything that has ever been and no one else can do what they’ve done the way they’ve done it. That’s why they’re remembered. That’s why they’re loved. They realized that being a magician isn’t just about fooling people. Magic isn’t just about the tricks.

I know I will accomplish my goal and I’d like to help you accomplish your goal. Let’s work together to change the face of magic.

Leave comments below as to why you do magic and what you get out of it. Also don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself and me by tell me things you feel you need help with. I’ll do my absolute best to get you going in the right direction.

Your voice matters. Let it be heard.

-Xavior Spade

Sammy Cortino is ready for the big show.

The 22-year-old magician from Hickory, N.C., who was endorsed into the IBM by Lance Burton and Siegfried and Roy, is set to tour around the world, and it starts with a show in his hometown. He and his partner Lyndsay Thomas will perform, then head to Nashville for a series of appearances booked by Music City Artists and Alkahest Artists and Attractions. About a year and a half ago, he set a world record for card manipulation.

Why are we telling you about him? Because this could be you.

We’re under no illusions here: Starting a career in magic is hard. But it can be done. Ask these guys:

~ Nick Bretz is a martial arts master and stay-at-home dad from Perham, Minn. He is also a magician and comic who recently did a New Year’s Eve show for 2,000 in Grand Forks.

~ Carlos Sawyer, of Oroville, Calif., trained with Victor Kent while in high school. Now 32, he just finished performing a sold-out show Sunday at the Copa De Oro. He also holds on to his day job.

What do all those guys have in common? They received coverage in local newspapers (we linked to the news reports instead of their websites). They worked their art and built their business well enough to get attention and become newsworthy. Their performances are good enough to earn reviews strong enough to catch the ears of editors.

In the spirit of helping add fuel to the fire of your performance goals for 2012: Why can’t that be you?

Of course, you’ll need help, and maybe some mentoring. We got you covered: Our Performance HQ Forums are filled with all kinds of advice on how to get work. And, if you pass the test, you can get some great help in the Back Room.

The latest color of Artifice Second Edition playing cards is out — where the blue version radiates like a sapphire, these new cards are a verdant, glowing, emerald. It’s the shade of green that recalls the worn felt of a luxury card table, or the shine of an emerald necklace around your girl’s neck. These cards look juicy enough to serve as dessert at a summer picnic.

The Emerald Artifice Second Edition cards feature the same etched borders as the blue cards, the same Performance Coating, the same bold Ace of Spades and jokers and the same quality handling. Whether blue or green, Artifice cards add sophistication and class to card routines.

In fact, the second color and the matching border allows you to expand your repertoire — think of all the color-changing deck effects that you can do now. You don’t have to sacrifice your character or “wardrobe” anymore by pulling out a pack of boring Bikes or Tallys in the same stark reds and blues. Artifice gives card workers two rich, deeply-colored custom decks that will catch eyes and add a touch of class to their magic or flourishing.

Emerald Artifice playing cards are available right now, and will be for quite a while — this isn’t a limited edition deck.