A Wide Reach
A big motivator throughout my life has been conjuring. I am enamored with the idea that a magician is a producer, director and actor all in one. That in fact magic is one of the oldest art forms and still is strong today in terms of its wide reach as entertainment. Magic along with wanting to create something fun and educational for our daughter lead to developing Lights Camera Read.
Mentalism
Kids love magic because it affirms their belief in magic, and grownups can love it too, often in more cerebral magic in the form of what is called mentalism. My most recent performance experience as a magician occurred especially in the early days of Inwood Manhattan, ultimately leading to an interest in mentalism.
The Houdini Connection
Although I no longer perform magic professionally, I am putting together a mentalism act, working very little at a time. Part of what keeps me connected to prestidigitation is my involvement with an organization and an assembly (chapter) that Houdini himself ran in the early part of the 20th century for around 10 years.
Houdini as Marketer
Houdni has remained my idol for even the years that I was less focused on magic. This is because not only was he an amazing producer/writer/director/actor (playing the role of “magician”) but he was also an inspirational marketer. This is why he continues to be a household name to this day and eventually was a part of the inspiration for Lights Camera Read years later.
Magically Speaking
Since my wife and I have been taking our cues off of our daughter’s interests, Harry Potter has been a fun one for me. Although I’ve only seen a few of the movies and have not read a book all the way through, I enjoy my daughter enthusiasm for the topic. Especially of course, “magicially speaking.” And speaking of magic, as of this writing we still live in magical Inwood Manhattan.
Being a Parent
That’s the neat thing about parenting. Although you provide guidance and guidelines, you also allow your child to in a sense reveal who she is. You are driven to help her to become a good person, but you also foster this happening on her own terms.