Paintbrush, paint and the canvas
22/1/2024
I was re-reading Jamy Ian Swiss' book Shattering Illusions, a book I highly recommend to any serious magicians. The book contains many essays that are worth their weight in gold.
In one of them this following idea was introduced, what if we were to view the effect and the method only as the artist's paint brush and the paint. We would still be left with a blank canvas. We should use the things beyond those two to fill it up.
You wouldn't want to ask people to come see an empty canvas, nor would you show it to anyone while exclaiming enthusiastically, "Look what I have done!".
If you adopt this kind of thinking, it forces you to be creative. You need to figure out what to paint, and you need to find the style you want to paint with.
Once you have found your answers, you have hopefully made something almost unheard in the world of magic, created something original.
I think this is a thought that can fundamentally change how you view magic.
It's time to get the easels out and start painting.
- Max Arcanie