An Introduction and My Magic Journey, Thanks to Magia y Cardistry

Good morning, everyone,

After seeing the "renaissance" of wonder making a comeback, I decided to write in and introduce myself.

I've always loved magic, but I never would've imagined I'd actually be able to learn it.

Almost five years ago, I became a dad, and soon after, I wanted to learn a few tricks to show my daughter when she got a bit older. That's when I stumbled upon some coin videos by Julio, who I now consider my professor. I was completely captivated, fascinated, and hooked!

I started with a coin vanish at the table, then a coin vanish with a marker, and from there, I bought my first dollar and half-dollar coins from a magic shop.

That first video opened up a world I’d always wanted to explore but never dared to. Over the years, I’ve gone through the free course, ‘How to be a Magician 1.0,’ ‘How to be a Magician 2.0,’ ‘Pocket Card Magic,’ ‘Everyday Object Magic,’ ‘Levitation,’ ‘Classics of Magic,’ and, if I'm not forgetting anything, a mentalism masterclass from Top Secret. Not a day goes by that I don't practice, even if it's just with a deck of cards.

I completely agree with Julio about the power of wonder, and how it allows us to create illusion and truly magical moments. In a world full of stress and bitterness, magic is a breath of fresh air. It’s a smile, an open mouth, a brief moment to feel that childlike excitement again. It truly is magic.

During this time, I’ve performed magic for friends, family, at birthdays, my little one’s school, and most importantly, for my daughter. I even once dared to do some street magic on a rainy morning. I was under an awning, and I approached a man who was alone, sheltering from the storm. He was a migrant fruit picker, and it truly changed his expression. He asked for the deck and showed me a trick he used to do as a kid back in his home country. I saw him again later, and he thanked me for helping him recall his childhood, then asked for another trick, which I also managed to surprise him with. It surprised him, and it surprised me, that I had the courage to approach a complete stranger and perform magic for him.

But let’s get back to my daughter, who was the initial inspiration for me to learn. When she was little, I went to her daycare a couple of times to perform some tricks for the kids. They were pretty young, but I still managed to keep them captivated with sponge ball tricks and some coin vanishes. (I was a complete newbie then, but you have to get out there and perform to truly learn. I also deal with a bit of stage fright, but I’ve always pushed myself to step out and do things.) Some of those kids even went home super excited!

Now that my daughter’s older, she asked me and the school if I’d come perform magic. The school was thrilled and set up a Friday morning for me – just last week, in fact. I packed my case (mine and hers, because we each have our own!) and set up a small stage and the staging. I think we spent almost forty-five minutes having a blast, with one well-linked routine after another. We had a song with a trick built in, a pen routine, coins, Hindu rope, a handkerchief vanish and transposition, a color-changing hank, torn and restored card, and a whole lot of other tricks. To wrap it all up, I performed ‘The Bite.’ It’s always a TOP effect, and I came up with a story/patter against bullying for it.

I can honestly say that both the kids and the teachers were completely blown away by the entire show. And that, right there, is real magic. Seeing children enjoying the wonder, jumping for joy, and hugging each other after a trick… It's awesome to see the teachers totally amazed too, I have to admit.

Anyway, I’m running out of time and I’ll be late for work, plus I know I’ve given you all quite a lengthy post! But seriously, wonder is incredible and essential. I think this new phase for Magia y Cardistry is spot on, and that’s why I wanted to share my story here. Hope you enjoyed it!

Oh, by the way, my magic case says 'El Magponpunk' and my daughter's says 'La Maga Chimpom'.

I'm a big punk fan, and before my daughter was born, we used to joke that in the car she’d ask me for punk music, saying, 'Dad, play punk!' That’s where the name came from. Because magic truly began because of and for my daughter, even though it's now reaching more people in such a surprising and beautiful way.

Cheers and magic! Let's go out and create wonder for the world!