Organizing Your Magic

Where is your magic?

I know when I first started performing part-time, I had a big trunk with every trick I owned thrown into a pile.

When you’re pressed for time, this kind of ‘system’ will drive you nuts.

So, if this is you, it’s time to get organized.

I’m going to walk you through a few different ways that I have stayed organized with my magic over the years.

Some ways were based solely on the necessity of where my life was at the time. Other ways ft my personality better.

When I first realized that I was performing regularly, I bought these plastic workshop shelves. They just fit together without any tools.

I bought several of these cases and set them up in my office. My first true dedicated office was in the basement of the first home we ever bought.

It was a fairly spacious finished basement with my computer and desk at one end and my magic gear at the other.

Oh, and there was also a big snake habitat, but that’s for a different issue.

On these shelves, I had specific places for my magic. Each unit had four shelves.

Without intending to, I placed the stuff I used the most often on the two eye-level shelves. The stuff I used on a semi-regular basis went to the lowest shelves. Tricks I rarely used went to the top shelf where I had a hard time seeing them.

Eventually, I started specializing in theme shows. Using my set lists as a guide (see last week’s issue), I started dedicating one shelf for each show.

Tricks that were too big to fit on a shelf went into another area of my office. Think stuff like my Chair Suspension or Chalet Birds-to-Bunny cage.

A few years later, I opened my hypnosis office. It had an extra storeroom, so I moved my magic equipment there. Good thing, too, as my collection was now way too big for my home office.

Part of the reason why I loved this shelving system so much is I could see every trick just by looking at it. I had labeled each shelf. When it came time to pack up a show, all I had to do was go to the appropriate shelf and get everything ready.

You’d think that a given shelf would be empty after I loaded everything for a show, but not true. To further complicate my life but better serve my clients, I always have different versions of my shows. For schools, I typically have a grades K-2 show and a grades 3-5 show.

Some schools only wanted a K-2 show, so the other stuff would stay behind.

The other reason I liked the shelves?

If I was booked to do an oddball show – something not in a school or library show that wasn’t a regular theme show – I’d have to go through my effects.

Simply looking at my effects made it much easier for me to plan out a new or custom show. That’s because of how visual I am. (For more on “REP” systems, check out that episode of the podcast HERE.)

I loved that setup., Having everything at my office made it easier to load. I would pack a show and place everything by the back door of my office. I’d pull my car up to the door and load up. Nothing could be easier.

Several years later, we bought a bigger home. My mother-in-law moved in with us. We needed more space.

We have a large loft over the garage. My wife pushed me to start getting large trunks for all my effects. She was right – it was a better use of space.

I still miss my shelves, but these large plastic footlocker containers really do the trick.

Every show has a big label on a case. Everything that fits that show goes into the case.

Tricks that don’t fit into the case are located in another section of the loft. Things like my Up Up & Away Levitation.

I still have some shelving. On those shelves are my medium-sized props. Most of them are tricks in cases. Things like my Multiplying Bottles. Or my Sean Begunia Dancing Hanky cases.

This entire trunk system worked wonderfully well pre-COVID when I was traveling a lot. At the time I was driving a large Dodge caravan with Stow-N-Go seats. Talk about ease of loading! And I could fit four shows in that van comfortably.

That’s handy when you’re on the road five days a week and every day you’re performing a different show.

And having the trunks already loaded meant that when I was leaving for a five-day trip, all I had to do was loaded a bunch of trunks into my van. My loading time for so much gear was cut in half!

I’m certainly not saying my system is the best. My only point with this issue is to recommend that you come up with a system that works for you.

There’s nothing worse than digging through a mountain of tricks trying to find that “one thing” you need but just can’t find.

And I know everything I’m discussing sounds incredibly simplistic. But I have seen countless professional magicians, folks that earn more than me, just pile their stuff in a garage.

I cannot fathom how they stay organized.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking this system won’t work for you because I keep mentioning theme shows.

You could have separate cases for birthday party shows. One of my smaller trunks contains all of my adult mentalism material. On top of one of my shelves is a small case that has my close-up tricks in it.

I don’t do much closeup magic anymore, but if I’m in the mood to practice, I know where everything is.

And like everyone reading this, I have a trunk for effects I’m not using. It’s where all the rejects and bad purchases go until I get around to listing them on eBay.

The bug takeaway from this?

If you want to be a professional, look at your tricks as tools. And just like highly skilled mechanics or hairdressers, keeping your tools organized will make every show you do easier.

Have a great week!

--Cris

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