It’s the end of the year and with that comes the obligatory review post looking back at the year that was and a peek at the year ahead.
It has been an eventful year both magically and personally. I’ll get into the magical side in detail below but personally I began serving in my church Sunday School again after not being in that ministry for over 10 years, this allowed me to be with my two boys more and see how they are with others. I also kept up my fitness for most of the year, jumping from workout to workout, before settling on a hybrid between calisthenics and weights, with the only cardio being the treadmill walk while I write (like I am now) because I don’t like cardio and my marriage has been great and continually getting better.
There is much to be thankful for, and the fact that I still have time for hobbies like magic and all that comes with it is a blessing, so let’s get into my review for the year 2023!
Started Substack
Before I started writing I was working on my YouTube channel, and thoroughly enjoying it, but the time required for that was chipping away at me.
I always had the thought of writing as it was something I enjoyed, and while I’m not as knowledgeable as other magicians who create tricks, lecture, write books and have more experience, I thought that I could at least contribute my takes and experience to the magic community through writing.
So, in July I started my Substack, focusing on the art and appreciation of magic, hence the title. Although growth in subscribers haven’t been massive, being just under 200 subscribers by the years end I’m thankful for how things have progressed in terms to content written, topics explored and finding that balance between magician and muggle centric posts. I’m also thankful to Charlotte Pendragon for opening up the community of Substack to me as another way to share my work with others and at the same time discover other writers with interests similar to mine.
And lastly, I’m thankful to you for reading, the fact that there are humans that are even a bit interested in what I have to say is a privilege!
Residency Reached!
This year in magic gigs was quiet with the first half of the year fairly slow in terms of gigs, coming off a post-pandemic spending spree and rise in cost of living.
I was alright with this, since I don’t perform full time1 I wasn’t relying on gigs for a living and looking for work. This allowed me to focus on YouTube and other interests. In August I got a call from my mortgage broker, who had recently purchased a restaurant called Saigon Hustle with his business partner, and they were looking to transform the restaurant, set the vibe and wanted me to be part of it! I had a trial date one weekend night and the following day was asked to come back weekly on Friday and Saturday nights!
This was an amazing opportunity and experience where I was performing magic so regularly I couldn’t not get better. I was honing my existing material and getting reps with new material so that I could be the best for the patrons. I also got to see how restaurants operate, seeing the floor, bar and kitchen staff work together and lend a hand where possible, whether it’s moving furniture to make room for the dance floor or getting a waiter so a table could order, and of course performing magic.
I’m done performing for the year but can’t wait to get back to the restaurant and try out all the new material I should be learning from sales!
Kicked Off Kids Magic
My interest in kids magic has been bubbling and brewing within me since I started magic many years ago.
I served in my church Sunday School during University and even worked in After School Care services while studying so I was very comfortable interacting with kids. I even tried doing a kids magic show on a few occasions early on but never enjoyed it at the time so I stopped.
This year, a little older and wiser and once again serving in Sunday School again after many years off I was asked to perform a kids show as part of our school holiday program. I always work better with a deadline in mind so this was a great way to force me into action and I created a 40 minute kids show that went quite well. There were a lot of things to improve but it was a great base to build off.
Since then while I haven’t done too many other kids shows because it’s not ready for paying audiences yet, I’m happy to add kids magic shows to my performance options moving forward.
Next year?
What do I have planned for next year you might not be asking me? I’m going to answer it anyway, if only as a written way for me to look back at the end of 2024 to see how far I’ve come along, so in dot point form in no particular order:
Keep writing consistently and potentially publish something for sale.
I want to focus on my YouTube channel again and finally get to 1000 subscribers.
Keep my fitness up and consistently fit into my size 32 pants again.
Do at least 5 kids shows next year.
Convert 10 gigs from my residency
Continue to love my wife and kids every day!
How was your 2023 and what are you looking forward to in 2024?
I began my Substack this year writing about my life in magic and beyond! It’s been wonderful hooking up to magicians and individuals like yourself! I look forward to all your reads in 2020 for David! Onward and upward!
David, I started my Substack this year as well and even though my writing isn't about magic, I've been part of the magic community for over 35 years. I'm thrilled to have connected with you. Happy New Year from Tucson, Arizona