Christmas is magical – secrets and surprises are still alive. As we get older we realise we’re the ones who have to buy the presents for the kids, but we still keep that spirit of magic going.
There are so many negative things happening in the world, we want to believe the impossible. We’re constantly told we can’t do this and we can’t do that, people need aspirations and ambitions. Maybe they find religion or they follow their favourite football team; we all need something to escape the harsh realities of life. Magic can be a great way to have a little escapism.
When I first started, I actually used magic to scare people away. I was having a real hard time at school, getting beaten up and bullied. I was a bit of a loner, an easy target – my father was in jail and my mother wasn’t around much. Magic got people off my back because they thought I was some crazy demon child. As I got older I realised I didn’t want to be a loner for the rest of my life, so I learned how to use magic to bring people to me. It created a magnetism.
Magic is a really good confidence-booster. Growing up, I was very shy. I used magic to teach myself social skills because when you learn tricks the next step is going out and performing to real people. You use magic to break the ice, armed with the skills to do something amazing. I got to the point when I knew I could walk into a room and become the life of the party.
It teaches you skills you can use in everyday life. Magic helps to improve your memory, your hand-eye coordination, your patience; it teaches you how to practise in the correct way and how to keep a secret as well. If you can teach people to be responsible at a young age, you’re going to set them on the right path.
I first saw magic when I was 12, when my grandpa made matches disappear in my hand, and that feeling has stayed with me forever. It’s the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had. And now over the years I’ve learned how to share that feeling with other people.
