Humble Beginnings

When I started out as a working magician, I already knew a lot of impressive tricks. But for whatever reason, the majority of the children were not responding to them. About two months into my new line of work, I found myself without any gigs, seated in a pub (the owner of which insisted on calling a bar). So I was at my favourite watering hole, when Marvin, an old friend of mine, sat down beside me. Marvin is a real inspiration to me. For a good decade of his life he moonlighted as a clown. While I never saw him perform, nor did I ever once catch him in full make-up (though sometimes he would go about his day with white face paint left behind his ears. Oh, and one time he shook my hand with his red clown nose attached to his pinky. This made him laugh. I never understood why).

So I told him about the problems I'd been having with my act. While he was by no means affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Magicians, nor would I have endorsed his membership into it, Marvin gave me some very good advice. He said, "Children don't care about any of that fancy shit. That stuff is for adults. Adults are cynical, they need to be tricked. Kids do not. They enjoy simple things that allow them to use their imagination. If you tell them you are The Great Baldini (my former stage name), they will believe it. You don't have to prove it to them. Just keep it simple and keep it colorful."

Now, on the fifth anniversary of his passing, I can't help but think his advice was meant for more than just my act, that it applied to life as well. 'Keep it simple and keep it colorful.' You got it, Marvin.