The Value of a Secret, part 3

I feel sort of bad because these "sequels" to the original Value of a Secret entry seem to be getting progressively shorter...

Anyways, one question that's come up about taking this sort of approach to secrecy is this... How can we ensure the art continues to grow? The argument being that if there is a downside to taking this sort of heightened secrecy approach to magic methods, presentations, etc., it's that there is the potential for there to be a stunting in the development of some magicians, and perhaps even magic itself. And there's some merit in that. If some guy who's sitting on 500 bits of genius passes on without having them recorded for posterity, and nobody around the guy had access to it because he was so secretive, then we're talking about a huge potential loss for the magic community.

So how can these secrets get passed on, while still maintaining the integrity of this new credo? Well, it's fairly obvious (to me, anyways) that we can't rely on magic stores to keep the good stuff out of the hands of anybody who walks in the door, nor can we really count on online stores to be able to verify that everybody who buys something is worthy of it. The more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that one thing we'll have to give up on is third-party distribution (assuming we don't want to give up on publishing altogether). In other words, if I develop my Amazing Watch Transposition routine (patent pending), and I decide that it's worthwhile to share, then I have to make sure that people can only get it through me. As restrictive as that is, I think the other options are basically teetering on the edge of the slippery slope of rampant dissemination, and the better the material is, the more likely it'll end up being disseminated.

So, that would be the first step, and I think it's a logical one. If I don't want every magician out there performing the Amazing Watch Transposition, then I've got to make sure that it only goes to those I can trust.

But how do you know if you can even trust them? That's hard to say, although it might be answered by first making sure that you yourself are trustworthy, and then being able to identify that characteristic in other people. And sometimes nothing makes someone more trustworthy than having something to lose...

Which brings us to the next step, which people might think is just as ridiculous as my getting-rid-of-third-party-distribution idea, but here it is... Say you've performed lots of magic for people. Chances are you know what's worked really well for you, and what hasn't. Just that information alone is valuable, and is worth keeping a secret, even if everything else about the routines you do has been published. Almost all of us have access to more magic methods than we know what to do with, and it'd be nice if we could just get some sort of guideline about what's good and what sucks, based on more than just personal taste stemming from first impressions. It would certainly make research more productive.

What's essentially going on here is the reclaiming of secrets. Tyler Erickson (the guy who started all this recent insane nonsense on my part) knows of a fair number of routines out there that are published and available to anybody with an internet connection and a credit card. He's got some that he uses himself. What he doesn't do is necessarily let you know which ones he does, and which ones work, and what makes them work. Don't kid yourself, this is valuable information. I've already been getting emails requesting I tip some of it.

Once more, once you start getting that information from your own experience, you've got something that others don't have. I'd even be willing to wager the following... Take two guys, and give one guy a full year's experience with three magic tricks, and give the other guy a million dollars and access to anything he wants from a magic store, and the first guy will have something of value that the second guy cannot buy. If nothing else, if by some chance that first guy had experience with a trick that I wanted to do, I'd be just as interested to talk to him as I would the second guy, who presumably would have access to more approaches and methods for the same trick in his library. Magic literature ad copy has plenty of instances in which some famous magician has decided to tip his work on some known plot, and people snap that stuff up. So, if nothing else, recognize the value that's inherent in your own experiences in performing a trick.

In fact, this is probably one instance where we can capitalize on the problem that we're surrounded with, that of too much information being "out there". In some cases the approaches are so numerous that you're lost in a sea of possibilities. This is something the guy with the million bucks is going to be stuck with. Experience with a trick will give you access to strategies that work. You'll know how to cover your angles without looking like you're covering your angles. You'll know how to deal with the unruly spectator. You'll know how to repeat the trick by changing things up. You'll have figured out the right patter. You'll know things that I can't even categorize here. Hell, even your failures are valuable knowledge, assuming you've put even a bit of thought into figuring out why something didn't work. Imagine somebody else just started doing some coin plot, and you've been doing it for years, and you've tested it on every audience imaginable and learned from ten massive mistakes... you're now in a position to save some guy from ten embarassing experiences. That's value you can offer.

As a quick aside, there's also the option of coming up with new material on your own. If you're in this situation, and you've got original stuff that you've tested and know works, then you've got even more to offer. For those who've had difficulty with this, the original approach above of reclaiming secrets is worthwhile, but one reason to really give the whole creativity thing a shot is that, besides being able to develop material for yourself, you might in the process of brainstorming develop something which you can't use for yourself but that would be perfect for somebody else. Now you're in the rather envious position of having something of value that you can use to your own advantage, which, even if it gets "out there", won't ruin your own situation as a performer. Don't be that guy who writes it all up in some e-book and gives it away for the sake of notoriety. Use it to actually better yourself as a magician, not as a wannabe celebrity.

At this point, assuming you've put some work in, and you've managed to extract value from your experiences, you've now got something to barter with, and I believe this is where you can start to gain knowledge while still maintaining the spirit of the original credo of not sharing things irresponsibly. Rather, when you start to talk to magicians, if they need something you have, then you get to dictate terms. Maybe you'll decide that they can use it in their show, but they can't publish it or explain it to other magicians. (If they protest that this is unreasonable, that this goes against the spirit of openness and comraderie amongst magicians... fine, don't share it with them.) Maybe they can't even show it to other magicians, but they can do it for regular people. Maybe -- and you'll think I'm nuts on this one -- they can see it but they're not allowed to perform it or pass it along. Don't laugh, though. Sometimes there's amazing value to be had in a simple object lesson. Say, if everybody is stuck in a presentational rut with the Cups and Balls (Not hard when you consider how many take the old "At this time, I'd like to perform a classic of magic" approach), and somebody else comes along and shows you a totally novel approach, if you've got an ounce of creativity you can figure out how the plot is a personal expression of the magician, and get an idea of how to look at it from that standpoint, rather than the cliche'd standpoint.

Which leads us to another problem... more and more methods everyday, but presentations becoming ubiquitous. The Bill To Lemon, for instance, kills. The problem is that, back in the day, there was actually a good reason for the bill to appear inside a lemon (namely, it was a bar trick, and bars have lemons). Meaning, the time is pretty ripe for the bill to start appearing in something else that's naturally germane to the situation. Found something good? Keep it to yourself!

In fact, it doesn't even have to be something exotic like a bill-to-impossible location effect. Found a unique way to do the old set-key-card-and-find-from-a-ribbon-spread that is perfect for your character? GOLD. Don't worry too much if the method isn't as deceptive as you like... fuck the method, in fact, because that can always be improved. It's the presentation that's gold. Don't let anybody else have the chance to beat you to the punch by showing your presentation to people before YOU get to. (And, unfortunately, the only way we can trust that won't happen is to keep our yaps shut.)

So, assuming you've identified the value in what you have, and you've chosen to adopt this spirit of secrecy, then what's left, assuming you have a need of some kind, is to find people who can fill it, presumably in exchange for something you've got to offer. Here's where it gets tricky... I don't think that we're easily put into situations whereby two magicians can fill each others' needs so perfectly. In most cases, there are going to be those amongst us who have more needs than assets, and those who have more assets than needs. I guess, then, this would be my plea to those who actually do have more good stuff than they can use... if somebody comes to you in confidence, looking for help, and you've got something of value that you can offer, recognize if they're willing to make the commitment, and let something go. After that, judge the manner in which they treat the information you've given them, and if they've held up their part of the bargain and shown themselves capable of valuing and keeping the secret, or else if they've parted with something near and dear to them (regardless of whether or not you can actually use it), then consider it a successful transaction, perhaps something to build on. A reconstruction of the underground scene, if you will.

And I guess there is one last thing to request. If you do end up being one of those guys who has more assets than needs, please, don't be a twit about it. If you've got to publish them all, fine. If you've got to keep all the secrets to yourself, fine. But don't be that ass-bag who can't shut up about how much underground material you've got access to, how many big names you're giving handjobs under the table to, or how elite both you and the people you allow into your circle are. Don't talk it, live it.

Even now, from a personal standpoint, it's my wildest dream not to meet people who read this blog and tell me "Oh wow, it sounds like you know a lot of inside stuff", because to be honest I really don't know all that much. Instead, I'd much rather meet a magician who does something good, and when I ask where it's from, he gives an apologetic shrug, before shaking his head with a twinkle in his eye.

The more of that I start seeing, then the brighter the future of magic will start being to me.