There Are Only Magicians
Harry Houdini. I could almost stop there. The man remains the greatest legend of illusion our society has known. It's said that there was never a jail that could hold him. His ability to transcend locks, baffle restraints and trick death was, simply, magical.
Magic is what you call it when someone does the impossible. Of course he can't find your card, or conjure a dove from the air, or escape from an upside-down water-filled cage. It's impossible. But then he does it, and it's magical.
Time and again Houdini defied the expectations, the near certainties of the crowd that this time he had risked too much, this time it really was impossible, this time he might die trying. But each time Houdini made possible what everyone thought was impossible.
His magic? Training. Houdini was a physical specimen. At a young age he was both a trapeze artist and a champion cross country runner. As his magic career flourished he began training his coordination until he was almost equally dexterous with both hands. While conversing with friends he would often do sleight of hand tricks almost subconsciously and without looking, or tie and untie knots with his feet. He would submerge himself in his bathtub for minutes at a time and he learned to dislocate his shoulders to aid in escape acts.
Houdini never tapped into a magical ether. He had no sixth sense, no connection to a parallel universe. Houdini simply worked harder and smarter than anyone around him. He did not have magic. He made magic.
The same is true for the kind of magic that I find most fascinating - the ability that some people have to create a product or business or piece of art or organization or movement -- from nothing. Looking in from the outside it looks like conjuring, some powerful spell that gives mass and voice to an idea. But from the inside it is mostly training and preparation. It is complete commitment to the hard work of creation, coupled with a reckless disregard for what is and isn't possible.
In the end there is no magic. There are only magicians.
Magic is what you call it when someone does the impossible. Of course he can't find your card, or conjure a dove from the air, or escape from an upside-down water-filled cage. It's impossible. But then he does it, and it's magical.
Time and again Houdini defied the expectations, the near certainties of the crowd that this time he had risked too much, this time it really was impossible, this time he might die trying. But each time Houdini made possible what everyone thought was impossible.
His magic? Training. Houdini was a physical specimen. At a young age he was both a trapeze artist and a champion cross country runner. As his magic career flourished he began training his coordination until he was almost equally dexterous with both hands. While conversing with friends he would often do sleight of hand tricks almost subconsciously and without looking, or tie and untie knots with his feet. He would submerge himself in his bathtub for minutes at a time and he learned to dislocate his shoulders to aid in escape acts.
Houdini never tapped into a magical ether. He had no sixth sense, no connection to a parallel universe. Houdini simply worked harder and smarter than anyone around him. He did not have magic. He made magic.
The same is true for the kind of magic that I find most fascinating - the ability that some people have to create a product or business or piece of art or organization or movement -- from nothing. Looking in from the outside it looks like conjuring, some powerful spell that gives mass and voice to an idea. But from the inside it is mostly training and preparation. It is complete commitment to the hard work of creation, coupled with a reckless disregard for what is and isn't possible.
In the end there is no magic. There are only magicians.
posted by James at 09:00
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2 Comments:
James, I really like this.
A quote I found once upon a time that reminds me of this:
An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it. - William Bernbash
Which leads me to a broader explanation of talent discussed in The Talent Code, that it is deep practice + ignition (motivation) + master coaching.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks Dana! Took me a couple minutes of internet stalking to remember who DLoMoh was :)
Love that quote. And The Talent Code looks phenomenal - you don't happen to have a spare copy laying around, do ya?
Also, would love to get together and talk ethical buying sometime soon. You in town?
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