Card magician Ollie Mealing has kicked off his latest project offering called The Mealing Collection, which is a subscription service where you get download access to two card tricks every month. I’m a big fan of his card work which is incredibly creative and great for casual performances and professional work so I highly suggest you check it out, even if it’s just to see video of his performances of his card creations.
You can check out the project in the link below, going to The Mealing Collection at the top.
When I started getting into magic, I never thought at the time that I would be able to make money from performing tricks for people.
All these years later, I’ve been able to make a steady amount of side income but not enough to take the plunge to go full time. But then again, would I want to? Part of me thinks it would be great to, but another part is content with sticking with my full-time job and keeping magic a side hustle. There’s no right and wrong path, just the one you choose to take.
If you’re in the same boat as me or you aren’t sure of whether to take the plunge let’s look at my reasons for not going full time into magic.
Job Security
My current season in life is that of a husband and parent, having to provide for my family while thinking about what looking after my parents would look like as we all get older.
That means I need a steady income each month and can’t afford to chase gigs, especially if it makes a difference between paying my mortgage or not taking my family out for dinner. The security of a full-time job guarantees that each month (or fortnight depending on your pay schedule) I have a set amount coming in that I know will go towards paying off bills, living expenses and savings.
I like to think that if I was younger, didn’t have kids or a wife to provide for I would have taken the plunge and hustled towards full time magic. But I don’t know if I would have had the confidence or business acumen to make it work.
I’ve seen other magicians in my community find great success in magic full time and part of me in envious, but another part isn’t, which leads me onto my next point.
Freedom To Choose Gigs
A magician’s job begins when a 9-5er’s week is winding down and is usually at night with the occasional day gig.
I’m very fortunate that currently I have a residency that is very flexible in allowing me to take days off for other gigs or when I have something on such as holidays or family/friend events. This is a fairly new venture for me so I’m still working out how best to manage the relationship and provide value for the restaurant whether I’m there or not. This might not be the case with the usual residency agreements out there so I’m very blessed in that regard.
The flexibility I have with having a full-time job means I can choose what gigs to take, and I don’t need to chase business as well. I find great joy in getting an enquiry, finding I can’t do it for whatever reason and being able to refer them to another magician friend. That isn’t to say I reject or refer all gigs I get, but I don’t go looking for them because I don’t have a need to.
If I want a weekend off for family or an event, I can take it without the worry that I may be losing out on making income.
Extra Income
Since I am already making money with my full-time job, anything I make from magic is considered extra money, and these days with the cost of living rising the extra income definitely helps.
Could I potentially make more money going full time in magic and raising prices accordingly? I probably could, but that’s not a strong desire for me right now. Eventually, if I do get to a point where I’m performing more regularly and the money, I make is comparable to my salary then a serious discussion with my family would be on the cards, although that feels more like a dream at the moment.
I find most people would like to have multiple streams of income, and magic is one of those streams for me. I would like to make writing another potential stream, hence my Substack that I’ve somehow been writing since July. In fact, I’ve been able to be more consistent in writing than I have with my YouTube channel!
The Love of the Art
Magic started as a hobby and grew into a side hustle, which reminded me of this great comic I’m sure you can relate to with any hobby you have.
I very much want to keep that love of magic going without the business of the show bogging everything down. So I’ve always avoided learning how to market, grow my brand or how to sell, which as I think about it has been very much to my detriment not just as a performer but also as a person looking to improve and gain skills.
I suppose I have a fear that going full time in magic and forcing myself to learn the business side would somehow impact my love of magic, making me feel like Kevin in the comic above.
Yet, I’ve been making money from magic for many years now, currently have a residency where I’m excited to go and try out new tricks, have extra income that allows me to buy more magic and support magic creators I like and also write a newsletter all about the art and appreciation of magic!
I like how I didn’t know where exactly I was going as I started this, but I may have given myself permission to chase gigs and learn the business side while holding onto the freedom to pick and choose gigs when it suits me. How illuminating!
Speaking of the freedom to pick and choose gigs, I’ll be taking the family away on holiday over the next two weekends, which also means I’m missing out on guaranteed gigs, but I’m okay with that, there’s more to my life than magic and money!
I’m also fully aware that all these reasons have counter points from full time workers, so if you’ve got thoughts, whether you’re a full-time magician, hobbyist or in between, let’s hear them in the comments!
The most successful close up artists I know have put all of their life into magic. Most started as professionals beforing marrying and having a family. There lives are full of constant travel to gigs which takes them away from their family. One very successful magician I know who also writes a lot of books and presents for lectures for magic clubs worldwide takes his family. It’s become a family affair. But they make an excellent living, despite the pressure they feel from the constant shows and responsibilities of being an entertainment.
I think if you love your current work and don't want to leave your job for many reasons including financial security then magic makes sense as a side hustle. going full-time may cause you to lose your love for the beautiful art.
Regardless of your choice, the important thing is not to lose your love for performing magic, which can happen if you are too stressed.
Stay incredible David! ✨🤗✨
Absolutely love the third point you make! The comic adds emphasis to this point and really made me think about my relationship with magic and the business of magic (something I have been exploring in my life lately). I love magic and have been in love with it for a long time, but have never been a full-time professional. Like you, I believe the constant hustle chasing gigs would diminish my love for the art. Thanks for sharing your personal perspective! It has helped clarify for me what I should do, for now, with my magic pursuits.