Why I Perform Magic

This essay answers the question of why I do what I've been doing for my entire life.


At the start of every show, I always have faith that the wave of applause will drown out any feelings of doubt. As I see the crowd focus on me, I get a rush of energy and a smile overtakes my face. “Thank you for having me! To get started, I need a volunteer from the audience?”

I see several hands in the air. I point to a woman in the back, “You, ma’am. Please come on up.” She sheepishly walks up to the stage. “Thank you for volunteering. What’s your name?” I hand her the microphone and she lets us know her name is Farrah. “Farrah, we’re going to do a card trick. But first, examine this deck and tell me if you notice anything unusual.” I hand her the playing cards. After a few seconds, she declares everything seems normal and hands them back. I flippantly fan out the deck in front of her. “I want you to select a card, and I’ll guess it.” I observe intently as she pulls a card from the middle.

“Actually, I’m feeling a little brave today. How about you take four more cards?” The crowd chuckles and she takes four extra cards. I close the deck and begin smirking. “You know, I’m feeling really confident today. Pick one of those five cards in your mind and concentrate on it.” Again, for a brief couple seconds, I watch her eyes,...

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2360 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11007 literature essays, 2769 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Join Now

Already a member? Log in