Making The Magic Happen

It was an evening in pre-pandemic Manhattan and my task was to find the woman in the white dress. The location was The NoMad, a now defunct posh hotel run in part by renowned restaurateur, Will Guidara. Upon finding the woman in white near the hotel's winding stairwell and being handed three playing cards, I was whisked away to my seat in a decadent yet intimate parlor suite. When the lights dimmed I knew it'd be a night I wouldn't forget.

This was the start to a production of The Magician featuring Dan White, a new-age magician and mentalist with the look of someone who just walked off the set of a commercial for designer cologne. White's show was one of the best events I've ever attended. It was the perfect mixture of drama, light-hearted fun, and the most amazing tricks I've ever seen.

I'm not just talking card tricks, but things like levitation, mind-reading, and making objects disappear and reappear in thin air. The full production was mind-blowing.

Prior to 2015, White spent time as a creative consultant for David Copperfield and Kanye West's Yeezus Tour. However, he is not your typical magician who does tons of celebrity appearances. To the contrary, there is no real marketing for his show.

He stays under the radar, and very much uses this mystique to his advantage. Most of you reading this have probably never heard his name before. But his parlor show, now at the Fotografiska Museum in New York, stills sells out online within minutes.

While technically I know people like White are masters of sleight of hand and analyzing body language rather than actual "magic," The Magician made me question what real "magic" is in the first place. What made this show so unforgettable for me still to this day? And what keeps people coming back?

At first thought, magic is a novelty. It's the wand and the rabbit in the hat. It's the entertainment at the one-off party or cruise vacation. It's not anything real, and it's certainly not a regular occurrence.

But when you really think about it, magic isn't exactly any of those things, at least in its entirety. Real magic is suspending and altering someone's reality. It's a surreal feeling that sticks in your body and soul and makes you think. It's about creating a belief for someone that they may not have seen as possible at all previously.

Magicians peek through our blind spots and help us see the things we may not have before. They empower the audience to feel like they're the ones who are causing, not just experiencing, special moments. They give us glimpses of a life of imagination and wonder like a child watching a Disney movie. They help us see the world in a new way.

This is one of the reasons why I've always been fascinated by magicians and mentalists. I model them, more than any other profession, as an inspiration for my work as a facilitator and coach.

When we think about it from this angle, I think everyone should have someone representing the magician archetype in their life. We need people who take us out of the monotony, the status quo, and the valleys of life's challenges and into a new plane of consciousness.

So this begs the question: Who is your "magician?" Is it a mentor, neighbor, or coach of your own? Perhaps it's a friend who dips in and out of your radar at the most interesting times. Or maybe they're out there waiting and your paths have yet to cross.

The universe has a tendency to wink at us right when we need it most. But those of us who notice it are the ones most tuned to know what to look for...

Until next week, have a wonderful day.