Paul Richards - Blog

The Debrief

12/31/2018

As the year comes to a close many people look to the months ahead and their future plans. A worthy pursuit - but one that can be greatly improved with a sold debrief of the past.

I’m a big believer in the power of earnest and regular debriefings. A sincere and thoughtful examination of what worked and what didn’t – and why.

I do it for shows, projects, products, meetings – in fact I do it for just about every aspect of my life. You’ll find countless resources extolling the virtues of good planning but far fewer that mention the value of a critical examination of deeds done. Planning often involves educated guesses based on the experience of others. But debriefing gives you something unique: evidence and insight gleaned from your own real world experience. That’s powerful stuff if you’re willing to mine through it with an open and honest mind.

There are a few keys to successful debriefings. Here are just a few I find helpful:

Record when possible. This won’t apply to everything but it applies to more that you might think. It can be a huge help in meetings, performances, presentations and brainstorming sessions. It may sound odd but I often audio record myself when I’m working through an idea - I simply speak out loud as if I was trying to convey the info to someone else. Personally, I think audio recording offers more insight than a video. Listening back can often highlight issues that you might miss when you might otherwise be distracted by the visuals. Of course it goes without saying that this must be done openly and with permission when others are involved.

Take notes. Whether you're listening to a recording or just mentally replaying an event, start getting your impressions on paper. We are inundated with information and data every waking moment. Even the most “memorable” moments can get lost in the flow. Think of those notes as your own personal cloud storage. You’ll be glad you have it.

Reflect. Now that you have the notes and data, it’s time to reflect. Doug Sundheim of The Harvard Business Review suggests four key questions to a good debrief:

What were you trying to accomplish?
Where did you hit (or miss) your objectives?
What caused your results?
What should you start, stop, or continue doing?

Remember you are doing this for YOU and no one else. The dissection must be honest to be useful. If you can do that, you’ll be rewarded in ways you can’t begin to imagine. Acres of diamonds, indeed.

So Happy New Year one and all…
Here’s to a future filled with happiness and success.
And a past rich with lessons to learn from.

Ou L'artiste Au Travail

11/30/2018

The last few weeks I’ve been hard at work locking down details regarding my new releases for the coming year. It’s always a hectic time – but exciting too. The pressure of looming deadlines helps me focus and guarantees decisions must be made.

But deadlines also mean paths not taken.

When I’m working on new material I generally come up with several alternate handlings, presentations, and sometimes even substitute methods. Even after I tune, tune again, and fine tune – I find myself making changes over time. It’s one of the primary reasons I’m reluctant to make magic videos. They only capture a creation at a point in time.

And that’s the thing about creation - it’s never done.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” – and if you’ve ever seen his Oil & Water & Canvas Routines you know he’s a pretty savvy guy on such matters. I agree with Leo but, in doing so, I know that means…

every painting
every sculpture
every movie
every piece of music
every play
every drawing
every bit of magic

…is a snapshot of the art in that moment.

I know, equating my little tricks with art is a stretch. But Andy Warhol said "Art is what you can get away with." – so perhaps we can at least agree they are cousins.

There is no such thing as a finished product. Only products in development. Soon I’ll need to abandon the new products and set them off into the world. My hope is that others will find them and help take them to places I could not have imagined. The crossroads of art and commerce can be a dangerous place to stand and if my connecting art with products offends - then I’ll close with the wise words of the Scottish "scul?tor", George Wyllie.

"Art is like soup. There will be some vegetables you don't like but as long as you get some soup down you it doesn't matter."

Wisdom from the Road Well Traveled

10/31/2018

I’ve spent about one third of 2018 on the road. All that travel has inspired a utilitarian post - a handful of tips for my fellow road warriors:

I’m a bit compulsive above not having lint on my clothes. When a lint remover is not available, those sticky airline baggage tags make a fine substitute.
Toss some dryer sheets in your luggage. They help remove static and keep your clothes smelling fresh. They’re also surprisingly good at shining shoes.
I’ve made pretty decent collar stays out of a plastic hotel key and a pair of scissors from the front desk. If arts and crafts aren’t for you, paperclips work pretty well too.
Skip the antibacterial gel. It makes a mess if it pops open and often leaves your hands with a residue. Pick up hand sanitizing wipes. They travel better and do double duty when you need to wipe down an airplane tray or table top. My wife turned me onto these. They smell great and are 100% biodegradable.
Buy a USB Hub with a plug. This is a great one. It will save you from bringing a dozen different chargers and you’ll be a hero at the airport when everyone is scrounging for an outlet. If you forget your charger, most hotel TVs have a USB port and the front desk is bound to have a spare cable or twenty accidentally left behind by previous guests.
What's my must bring item for Las Vegas? This. Hotels can be dry as hell – especially in Las Vegas. Keeping this little guy on the nightstand while you sleep can be a lifesaver when it comes to preventing red eyes and a scratchy throat.
Losing your phone is the worst. Make a quick note on your phone with your name, email, and an alternate phone number. Take a screen shot and make that image your lock screen. It’s not a guarantee that your phone will return - but it will definitely help if it’s found by anyone willing to lend a hand.
Use the camera on your phone for backups. Take pictures of your driver’s license, passport, luggage, etc. Store these on secure cloud locations. It can be a huge help if any of it gets lost. It’s also an easy way to remember what room number your in.
Hitting the road for an extended period? Check out ExOfficio. Maybe this is too much information but they have great under clothes that wash and dry quick.

There are an overwhelming number of travel apps out there, a little research will reward you well. Here are just a few I use regularly:

I use TripIt to keep track of every detail while traveling – hotels, flights, rental cars, meetings - everything. It’s insanely easy to add plans to trips – just forward confirmation emails and it does the rest. It also has plenty of space to make notes if you need to add details from phone calls with travel companies.
Fly a lot? Hate wasting money? Try Hopper. It’s great and has saved my thousands.
Sometimes things happen and you need to find a room last minute while traveling. Walking into a hotel and asking if they have any rooms is a great way of saying, “Hi, I’m screwed and I’m willing to pay top dollar.” Check out Hotel Tonight, it’s a great app that connects you with hotels that have open rooms and are willing to offer same day discounts.
Did you know Google Translate will let you download nearly 60 different languages so you can use it offline? You do now. An absolute must when traveling abroad.
Offline Maps and Navigation is a great tool when traveling outside your data zones. Just make sure you download the maps you’ll need before you hit the road or in a strong wi-fi area.

Speaking of travelling outside data zones. Another useful tip is to search out apps specific to the area you are traveling. You’ll find many foreign cities have offline subway and train maps, as well as travel guides. These offline tools offer massive assistance when you’re outside your data area – and can save you substantial time and money.

Got a travel tip you’re willing to share? Drop me a line or comment below.

Relative Difficulty

9/17/2018

I try always to steer clear of the phrase “self-working”. I don’t believe any magic qualifies. No magic routine does itself, so it follows that all magic requires some degree of practice. Most – sometimes even the simplest routines – require a lot. Yes, some roads will be harder to walk than others - but be very careful what you attach to the words “too difficult”. I mean...

Selfless Promotion

8/31/2018

The first tricks I ever created and sold had no information listing who made them.

Not my name, no company name, no logo, no address – nothing.

This was back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Back then, I believed if I was standing in front of a magician, demonstrating a product with my own name on it, there would be no way for them to give me an honest reaction. Obviously, it’s hard to deliver real criticism to a creator when you’re looking them straight in the eyes. So I thought the best way to get real feedback was to stay anonymous.

I learned a lot from that approach. Sometimes, more than I bargained for.

I discovered what people really thought of my ideas. It was a great way to learn what people liked and disliked, while working directly in the trenches.

I also learned it made the products easy targets for getting lifted. I’d show up at a convention one year with a new item – only to see it sitting on other dealers tables the next. This was way before I was making products available wholesale. Yet, there they were – same tricks, same plastic bags, with horribly photocopied instructions.

But over the years I’ve come to learn the most important lesson from this approach. It was the other reason I didn’t include my name on those early products.

Fear.

Putting your work out there means that you can be the recipient of praise and accolades.

Keeping it anonymous means you can deflect the disapproval and rejection.

As time went on, I changed my approach but I’ve always been shy about self-promotion. I’ve tried to get better at it but to this day it often feels painfully uncomfortable. Someone once said, “If you’re not branding yourself, you can be sure that others are doing it for you.” That’s a great line. It’s too bad no one seems to remember who said it first.

We live in a noisy and crowded world. Often the only voice available to sing your praises will be your own. Don’t be afraid to.

The Roadshow Rides Again

7/20/2018

In 2013, I produced a series of events called The Real Magic Roadshow. I invited a select group of the magic creators, producers, and dealers to join me for a one day retail magic event. It was a huge success and – as I’ve stated many times in the past – it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had as a magician.

The original core team included Mark Mason, Dirk Losander, Chris Smith, and myself. We had always toyed with the idea of bringing the event overseas but the costs and logistics involved always made it seem virtually impossible.

But hey, impossible is what we do – right?

I’m very excited to announce that the boys are back and gearing up for our first European Roadshow Tour! First up, is Germany with six dates and a number of special guests. Joining us for the complete tour is Christian Schenk from Card Shark, who has been an immense help as our main man in the field.

Dates and locations include:

Berlin – Friday September 21
Leipzig – Saturday September 22
Frankfurt – Sunday September 23
Cologne – Friday September 28
Essen – Saturday September 29
Hamburg – Sunday September 30

I realize this post has a limited audience but if we’re heading your way, we hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an amazing series of events. The cost is only 10 euros to attend and – if you register now – you’ll get that back in the form of a gift card for use the day of the event! But space is limited, so register now.

For full details and event registration, visit our website at www.realmagicroadshow.com

Who Do You Think You Aren’t?

6/30/2018

Last month I was one of the featured acts at the GeniiCon Convention in Sydney, Australia. It was a fantastic event and I was honored to share the stage with a wonderful assembly talent. As part of the event, I presented two workshops on creating magic for the marketplace - or just for fun. During the session, I shared not only my own insights but material I’ve collected over the years on the topic of creativity.

If you have any favorite books on creativity, drop me a line. I always love a good recommendation. There’s a lot of sameness in material written about the creative process. Ironic, right? But every once in a while I stumble on to something a bit refreshing. Currently, I’m finding some interesting ideas in the new book "Creative Quest" - where musician, Tonight Show bandleader, designer, and all around creative - Questlove, explores the topic. He shares an interesting anecdote about a short talk with one of my favorite musicians, David Byrne. He said Byrne suggested that to grow as a creative person it often helps to figure out what you are not.

I really like that idea.

I’ve long believed that limitations can help feed the creative mind. It seems counter to the idea of the open minded freewheeling artist – but, personally, I feel too much room can lead to a lot of unexecuted ideas. Having some guiding principles helps immensely. The problem is that coming up with guiding principles TOWARDS what we want to be and achieve can sometimes be hard to define. How exactly do we come up with the plan to become something we’ve never been - or created? A good place to start might be to figure out where we don't want to finish.

What do you NOT want to be – or create?

Coming up with those answers might surprise you. Establishing these types of guide posts can help provide a direction when you find yourself in a creative rut. It’s an interesting exercise and one that I’ve had fun exploring.

As an aside, neither Byrne or Quest had a name for this process. I’m calling dibs on “Going Dobler”.

Now Boarding

5/1/2018

Tomorrow, I hit the road for nearly two months.

I’ll be spending time with magicians in five separate countries during this tour and I’m excited to get the ball rolling. I’ll be sharing some of the experiences on my social pages, so click here if you want to stay connected.

During the last few years I’ve spent a lot of time on the road – in front of real people, creating real moments of magic. I’ve learned a lot and built a host of relationships that I cherish deeply. If I had to squeeze out the most important lesson along the way it would be this:

Nothing will make you grow faster and more fully as a magician (or as a human being)
than by sharing your work with new people in new places.

It doesn’t matter if it’s down an unknown street or across the state, the opposite side of the country or the flip-side of the globe. Just get out there and do the thing.

Unpaid Debts

4/17/2018

.I’ve been thinking a lot about Daryl lately.

And JC Wagner.
And Tom Mullica.
And Barrie Richardson.
And Eugene.

And now Harry.

Thank you to so many people that guided me in ways they will never know. People that showed me ways to be better and how to be decent in a business that sometimes isn’t. People that taught me deep lessons disguised in laughter and wonder. My world is better because of you.

The world is better because of you.

The thing about magic that is hard to explain to the outside world - is how we often get to meet our heroes. More than that, we get to spend time with them and learn from them in ways that is unique to almost any other field. It’s remarkable really.

But it makes it all the more difficult when they’re gone.

I read once that silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. Time to speak up more.

In the Vein of Jugglers

3/30/2018

There’s a common bit of wisdom that the juggler will steal the show on any magic convention bill. Having been present at many magic shows, I can verify it’s often true. Jugglers also tend to be some of the happiest, most friendly people you’ll ever meet – and they’re generally pretty positive towards each other’s work. I can’t say with certainty why this is, but I have made some observations...

Jugglers have easily understood and recognizable skill.
There’s no bullshitting when it comes to a juggler. Either stuff is in the air or it’s on the floor. Jugglers can quickly assess the ability and skill level of another juggler. Likewise, the audience can easily see if the juggler is successful and responds accordingly. In contrast, when it comes to a magician’s skill, we can bluff - audiences, other magicians, and sometimes even ourselves.

Jugglers get accolades for their skill.
A juggler does something difficult - he then steps forward and receives his applause. The magician in contrast, often must keep his skill secret. He spends a lifetime mastering a skill that few people are ever aware of. It’s like learning to play an instrument that only a handful of people can hear. Worse yet, if someone accidentally hears it – it means the magician has made a mistake.

The juggler releases energy and works in the moment.
This one is less obvious but it might be the most important. The juggler’s work is physical and allows him to release nervous energy when he is on stage. The physical tension has no choice but to subside. The audience also permits the juggler to be present in his work. The audience understands the work is difficult. His focus on executing challenging moves is not only allowed - it’s expected. These things are far less common in a magic. I think this creates a “looseness” in the way a juggler works. A looseness that becomes even more apparent when contrasted with many magicians.

I have no idea if any of this is objectively true. I also don’t mean to imply that jugglers have it easier than magicians. I just like to look at fields outside of magic and see what they can teach me - sometimes I don’t have to look very far. So what are the lessons?

Don't bullshit. It can be sensed by an astute audience. It also shows a lack of respect to those that have actually put in the work.
Be happy in the work. If you’re doing the work for the accolades, you will be disappointed.
Be present. The anxiety you feel can be navigated by focus and energy on the work before you.

Whether you’re keeping balls in the air literally or figuratively, that seems like some pretty sound advice.