Hello Heroes! Here is another 3MAIL packed full of, well 3 things! I hope you all had an AMAZING Easter break, ate too much chocolate and are regretting your decisions. Cause if you are we are kindred souls, for I have devoured more Creme Eggs in the last 5 days than should be humanly possible! But anyways, let's cut to the chase and crack on with the 3MAIL!

NEW - Magic Alon Society Lecture Reply Now Available!

Now, I know I have yapped about this a bit recently but last Saturday evening was my online lecture for the Magic Alon Society and it was a BLAST! I had such a great time, Alon, Tomer and Jospeh have created a really great community and their lectures are FULL of interaction and fun. The energy that Alon gives is infectious and it was a real pleasure lecturing for them.

Now, I don't want to ring my own bell, but... Just have a look at some of these comments that Alon grouped together from the lecture. During the lecture I couldn't keep up with the comments so I jus thad to ignore them ,they were rolling in like CRAZY, it got to 99+ messages soooo quickly. I'm not gonna lie, seeing these the next day really made me smile and it totally reaffirmed that sharing my work, whether it is paid for or free is TOTALLY worth it!

Thank you to EVERYONE who tuned join and watched live, I hope you had as much fun as I did.

If you didn't tune in, DON'T WORRY! You can still view most of the lecture online for FREE if you just register and join the society. Here is a link to do just that so you can go and watch the replay and see what all this 'Amazing, Superb and BEN IS THE BEST!' is all about lol! ;)

Also, if you go and sign up and watch the lecture you should see a 20% discount code for Rings and 5WITCH so if you don't already have them now is your chance to grab them at a discount. Oh, I actually did a switch from my 5WITCH project twice in my lecture, can you spot them? Comment down below with the time during the lecture that you think I did them!

I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT ALL THIS FUSS IS ABOUT AND JOIN THE MAGIC ALON SOCIETY

LEARN - Magic VS Trickery

This is a theory I have been quietly mulling over for the past few years and some people may have different views on it and some people may have gone even DEEPER into this that I have but I think this is a worthy topic of conversation.

When I perform I have tricks that feel like magic and tricks that feel like tricks. This is not judged by my thoughts, more so through analysis over time of real reactions from real people.

Now, hear me out here, you may not agree but most card tricks and coin tricks feel like tricks to spectators. Most electronic mentalism devices that have the, 'I'm reading you' psychological babble as patter feel like tricks. Also I'd go to say pretty much ALL of 'this goes there and that goes there' routines like sponge balls, cups and balls or 3 card monte are perceived as tricks to your spectators. They may be impressive and very well received but they feel like trickery. Now, trickery sounds like a bad word but I don't mean it like a slur, more as a way of distinguishing between the emotional response from a spectator.

Like I said, you may not agree and that is fine but in my experience there really is a big difference. If a spectator can think you are using sleight of hand, influence or psychological methods that 'all humans fall for' then it falls under the category of trick. It may still feel impossible, it may well get a great reaction and they may not know how you did it, however, no matter how big the reaction is, it is a reaction to a trick. A reaction to a skilled performer who has spent years on their craft.

When you make someone feel magic, it is unmistakable, it is different. Their world crashes down, an air of confusion arises, and this isn't confusion because your magic was confusing, this is confusion from reality not making sense any more to them. This can last a few seconds, it can last a few minutes, it can even last a lifetime. It is a feeling of there being something bigger than they are privy to, a feeling of being behind a door and not knowing what is behind it cause you don't have access.

Now, for me the feeling of magic comes from treading a different path and deviating from expectation. A quick example is what happens when you perform a couple of quick card tricks and then end with Omni Deck. The difference in how your spectators react is VERY noticeable.

I want to state though that I don't perform Omni Deck like a joke, I HATE saying things like, 'This trick is so easy it is see through' or 'look it'll vanish, not this card in my hand but the deck, did you feel it?'. The LAST thing I want anyone to do when they see the Omni Deck in their hands is to laugh, I want DEEP astonishment, I dumbfounded silence, I want them to feel magic. So I do that, I change the tempo of how I perform, I have certain things I say and do to make them FEEL the cards change in their hand leaving them with no 'it must be sleight of hand' explanation. I create a false reality for them that I ca shatter, as long as they are taken in by this reality I create for them then there is no way out for them. I leave them with the feeling of magic because any explanation they know of trickery simple comes nowhere near it.

That is the difference between Magic and Trickery.

As you perform, analyse your patter, your demeanour, your props and reactions. I am not an airy fairy 'I'm going to make you believe in magic' kind of performer, I left that at the gate a LONG time ago. BUT if I can back someone into a corner so they come to that conclusion themselves then I'll 100% attempt to achieve that, it is MUCH more powerful than YOU trying to make them believe you know some ethereal way of the world that they don't know.

I'll go into this further and give examples and ways that I achieve my desired outcome in later 3MAILs but for now there is some food for thought for you.

INSPIRE - Just WTF is this???!??!!

This performance caught me OFF GUARD!!

Yes, I rewatched it and, yes, I get it now but OMG, when I first saw this I sat here thinking, 'What is this?' to, 'Ah, that is cute, I think I know where the sis going' and then BAMM! 'WTF?? what am I looking at! SERIOUSLY?!??!'

At the end I tipped my imaginary hat to the performer.

I don't want to ruin this for anyone and I don't like that I don't have credit for it but it certainly made me think that I should think outside the box when devising new methods for magic. This and the rope through body I posted about previously have truly inspired me to push my ideas of creativity further as evidently there is more space and if I don't find it, someone else will lol!

Now, if you are awesome and have made it down here you will know that that's it! Another instalment of 3MAIL has come to a close!

As always heroes, take care of each other, have fun and I'll see you soon.

If you don't already follow me please do, I kind of feel desperate saying this but I know that is only my own ego tearing me down, after all, how can anyone follow you if you on't let them know you have something to follow!

LET ME FOLLOW BEN MOFO WILLIAMS ON INSTA CAUSE HE'S LONELY & I FEEL BAD FOR HIM!

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