The other day I was staring at my “special magic notebook”. I say “special” because it’s one of those $0.50 spiral bound notebooks that I picked up during the last “Back to School” sale at Target. The cardboard cover is partially torn off and there is remarkably little content. Still… Every time I want to feel like a brilliant artist I pull it out, chew on a pen, and stare off into space for a while…

Anyway, this particular day was actually somewhat productive. I’ve had some ideas that have been bouncing around my noggin for a while and they were finally starting to turn into something solid. It was at this point that I had a sudden revelation.

Real magic isn’t what happens on a stage. It has nothing to do with a “trick” or an “effect”. Magic doesn’t become real until people feel something. In an increasingly apathetic world we all just want to feel something.

Most folks don’t care how long you’ve worked on your sleight of hand. They’re not interested in seeing their selected card “magically” revealed again. In fact, if they were to tell the truth you’d find that they don’t give a **** how the quarter ended up in the pop bottle.

None of this makes them feel anything.

Boredom is the absence of feeling.

This is why most magicians suck. They fail to understand that their primary function as entertainers is to ENTERTAIN! Honestly, that’s why so many people say they don’t like magic. It’s not that they are frustrated by the secrecy of it all… They’ve just been the victim of one too many “pick-a-card” tricks!

I’m the magician for people who don’t like magic.

That’s a bold claim to make. Watch me work and you’ll understand. I’m fresh. I’m new. I’m different.

To start with, I do more than “just magic”. I’m also skilled in the arts of comedy and motivational speaking. I deftly blend all of these skills together to weave a tapestry that is fresh, funky, and entertaining!

The problem with most magicians is that they throw a multitude of “tricks” at their audiences in rapid succession. Most of these tricks are merely small variations of one another (usually involving cards). To top it off the so-called “entertainer” does little to engage the audience because he’s too busy worrying about the “dirty work” that the crowd isn’t supposed to see.

This is akin to a pianist getting up on stage and pounding one note on the piano rapidly over and over again for an hour straight. By the end of the hour you’d have a headache the size of a small elephant! Ironically, this is how many people feel after leaving a magic show!

I’m an artist who paints with many different brushes. As an entertainer I’m 100% focused on using every weapon in my arsenal to charge your emotions and mold your feelings. My shows are not about me. They’re about YOU! You are my artwork. The way you feel when you leave your seat is my masterpiece.

All of this was going through my mind (my notebook page was still blank) when it dawned on me… This is probably the most incredible magic secret I’ve ever discovered! At the end of the day I’m just an actor pretending to be a magician. The real magic is what you, the audience, discovers inside of themselves!

I’ve been doing magic for over a decade. I’ve had a love for magic for as long as I can remember, but I really started my journey when I was 13 years old. I met a gentleman by the name of Tom Claytor at a local street fair. He instantly captured my attention and my imagination.

This was quite a feat because I was standing between the Funnel Cake Cart and the Merry-Go-Round. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I LOVE funnel cakes! I also have a thing for Merry-Go-Rounds. Under any normal circumstance seeing the two in proximity of each other would have sent me into a nervous breakdown of indecision.

Oh… and there were cloggers nearby too. I’m not a big fan of country music, but cloggers are loud. 13 year olds love loud things.

My love for magic was so incredible that all of this melted away around me. It was a surreal experience. Nothing else mattered. All I saw was Magic Tom and the miracles he was creating before my eyes. I still remember the first trick he ever did for me – the linking rubber bands. It was one of the first tricks I ever learned. I still do it to this day, though not with Tom’s skill or artistry.

Tom saw my interest immediately and became my mentor. He taught me so much that I just can’t put into words. The magic community is poorer since his passing. I owe everything to him. There isn’t a show that goes by where I don’t think of him at least once. He was a master from the old school. He was an honest to goodness miracle man.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to hold on to your dreams and pursue them with everything you’ve got. Tom did that. I’ve figured it out along the way. Along the path of life there are countless people who will tell you that you’re not good enough. It’s the one person who will take the time to see the good in you that makes all the difference.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Today I perform on stage with my mother (AKA – The Great Nancini). The magic bug bit her during one of my marathon practice sessions. It was by happenstance that we discovered we work well together on stage. I owe much of my artistic growth to her prodding in my early years. She’s an incredible dynamic performer and I’m lucky to work with her as a creative equal. I would encourage you to learn more about her by visiting her website. We both have a strong theater background from the school of hard knocks. Neither of us could realize our creative vision without the other. It’s one of our defining trademarks that makes us special.

In closing… Just don’t quit believing. We may never meet, but if you take nothing else from this encounter, remember to keep believing. Believe in your dreams. Believe in miracles. Believe in magic.

Believe in yourself.

- Mystical Matthew
Motivational Comedy Magician

P.S. I almost forgot! I would really like to be a part of your next event! (Our shows are geared for all ages, but targeted towards a corporate audience). If you’re interested please Contact Us!