Price$34.99
Media TypeBook
CategoryClose Up, Philosophy
Date AddedAug 16, 2013
Creative Magic
Wilber, Adam
(Based on 2 reviews)
TWO SAMPLES FROM CREATIVE MAGIC FROM BRAD CHRISTIAN AND DANIEL MADISON ON CREATIVITY
"To me, creativity seems to be an expression of letting your imagination flow. Get rid of the boxes around something, get rid of your thoughts about the way it "has to" be or should be. Try several different avenues for the same thing, experiment. Use a lot of "what if" scenarios: Trick your mind into letting go of its natural boundaries..." - Brad Christian
"I believe that anybody can decide at any moment to be creative without it being forced, but this relies on the individual knowing how creativity works, and the key point is that one does not have to force, or at times barely even try." - Daniel Madison
Adam Wilber is a working Pro, for over 15 years he has been creating magic and lining his pockets with cash.
"...if you do not get this book, you will be missing a very important step in becoming a solid and memorable magician. One of the most important books a magician should read, I put this right up there with my favorite book of all time, Derren Brown's Absolute Magic. GET THIS BOOK!! " -Justin Miller
Now, it's your chance to do the same
You are going to learn 16 effects that Adam uses at EVERY paying show he does. These are tricks that pay the bills AND book shows over and over again.
You are going to learn HOW to create miracles. Every step of the creative process is explained including 9 EXERCISES in creativity that ALWAYS produce results and ORIGINAL TRICKS.
You are going to read interviews and essays from some of the most creative magicians alive today and you will get to learn the secrets to their creative success.
Here is what to expect from Creative Magic,
Earbuds - A cord, string, or shoelace MELTS through the layers of a signed selected card actually becoming part of the card. They will have to destroy their card to get the cord out. Adam even teaches you how to make these special cards and you will receive 5 FREE Earbud cards so you can perform this as soon as you get it. Normally you would have to buy the gimmicks for $20.
World's Easiest Coin Bend - A signed quarter and a signed nickel bend right in front of a spectators eyes and IN THE SPECTATOR'S HANDS. they get to take home both bent coins. A true reputation maker.
A Lesson in Sleight of Hand - The wrong card is visually changed into the spectator's signed card on top of the deck with your spectator staring right at it!
The Backup Plan - A full 3 phase routine with four aces and a selection. The selected card is placed under the spectator's hand. One ace turns face down to let you know the suit of the card and then changes places with the selection. The Ace is now under the spectator's hand and the selection is now with the other three aces.
Color Coincidence - Any 3 cards just touched by a spectator, prove to be the only cards with DIFFERENT COLORED BACKS.
19 Down - You make a selected card visually POP out of the deck at the exact spot that you said it would, 19 cards from the top of the deck.
Signature - A spectators signature is pulled off of a card and thrown back on visually then you literally peel off your own signature!
Adam's Aces - A Quick Visual production of 4 Aces in the hands.
Pop Production - 4 Aces appear by popping out of the deck, in all directions. Fast and Startling!
Sealed Surprise - A borrowed coin vanishes from a shot glass and appears inside a selected bottle of soda. The shot glass then FILLS UP with the selected soda.
Environmentally Unfriendly - You show people what is inside a battery by unscrewing the top and pouring out a glowing green liquid from THEIR battery. This is so visually shocking people's jaws will drop.
Shutterbug - A card box is turned into a "camera" that takes a perfect picture of the selected card complete with their signature on the back of the card/picture!
Boxed In - A ring and selected card change places, with the ring appearing INSIDE the deck, which has now become a small jewellery box.
Cash Card - A selected card changes places in a flash with a clean $10 bill that you can show around the card being found in your wallet.
Fah-Q - Learn to gimmick your own card box to make one prediction change into another visibly!
You will learn ALL of these professional, money making effects and ALL the creativity exercises, essays and contributions from famous magicians, Daniel Madison, Brad Christian, David Regal, John Guastaferro, Dan Harlan, Marc Spelman, Pete McKinnon and Alan Rorrison!
Here is what other people have to say about Creative Magic
"...If you're a magician, you need to pick (Creative Magic) up. Creativity at its finest." -James Kaine
It would cost OVER $100 to buy each and every one of these effects and that is without all the amazing Creativity Exercises that train you to become an inventor and creator of magic.
To get the essays and insight from all of the other contributors took Adam over 2 years!
You don't have to wait 2 years you can buy Creative Magic RIGHT NOW and start performing and creating your own miracles right away.
Reviews
(Top ▲)
First, I want to say that I really like Adam and his descriptions are very clear. He seems like a really awesome magician and I'd love to see him in action. I hope this review doesn't create any animosity between us. I wish no ill will on Adam or his family.
My main struggle with this book is its name Creative Magic. There is some good workable magic in its pages but only a small portion is reasonably new or creative. There are some gems here but just a few as far as the magic goes. If you are looking for some workable methods of classic plots then this is a nice book. If you are looking for really creative magic I would point you in the direction of the Art of Astonishment any volume would be for the same price and would give you more material. You might also check out Calen Morelli's Function 9 or any of the Daniel Garcia Project.
That said the ideas, exercises and interviews all make for good reading and provide insight to how some very creative people tackle their creative challenges.
He starts off with Earbuds, this is a very clever gimmick with a kind of awkward handling. It leaves the spectator with a great souvenir but there is a lot of dirty work to be done. It's not exactly streamlined but it is creative.
The World's Easiest coin bend is easy and a worker. It is not really a groundbreaking coin bend. It involves run of the mill coin sleights and a run of the mill method to bend a coin. It is a good trick but there's nothing new here.
A Lesson in Sleight of Hand is a quick little piece of magic. It’s not hard to do but it’s basically a false expose of sleight of hand using classic sleights.
The Backup Plan is really a modern version of Hofzinser's Ace problem. No mention of Hofzinser is made but it’s still a good trick. It’s basically all in the hands, it is visual and has a nice plot. It has kind of a Dan and Dave feel but with sleights you’ll be able to master in a matter of weeks rather than years. A good trick and a worker but not totally original.
Color Coincidence is a fine trick but you need to add 3 card of a different back to your deck. I don’t feel like the pay off is strong enough for all the extra cards on top of what I already keep n my deck but it’s an okay trick with multiple revelations that tie it up in a bow.
19 Down reminds me of a less flourishy effect of Lee Asher’s. Asher’s actually uses any number named by a spectator and uses a similar method. I prefer Asher’s version to this.
Signature is very cool. Probably the most creative card trick in the bunch. Adam shows you how to peel off your signature. Kind of like when David Copperfield peeled off Wayne Gretzky's from the Honus Wagner Baseball card back in the day. It’s a very cool moment and one place where creative magic is used in a very visual and entertaining routine.
Adam’s Aces is another ace production. There are a lot of those out there. Maybe you’ll like this one but there’s nothing new here.
Pop Top is actually a Looy Siminoff move, published in Art of Astonishment Vol. 2. I think it’s called “Flippant”. Adam acknowledges it is probably already out there but I’m sure a little more digging could have got it.
The Pop Production is ANOTHER ace production using the Flippant move.
The Just for fun section was a little confusing. Here things started to get a little more creative but lost much of the practicality of the Pay the Bills section.
The first effect sounds really great and it’s a neat premise. When it gets down to actually performing it though you need to purchase 4 bottles of soda and The effect really can’t reset for multiple performances in one night. This doesn’t sit well with me and makes this effect kind of expensive to practice and perform. On top of that for the final effect you perform a production taught in Lennart Green’s Masterfile. That’s $150 but Adam doesn’t teach it or an alternate handling.
Environmentally Unfriendly makes use of a very cool gimmick. I don’t really like the effect but the gimmick is super cool and I could see it used in conjunction with something like a card to impossible location to great effect. This one I would say was creative but not really practical, especially in the situation he talks about. That’s a lot of work for an off the cuff kind of messy gag.
Shutterbug is dedicated to Peter Mckinnon and it kind of frustrates me. Peter said that he wanted a trick called Shutterbug. So Adam went to work creating a CARD TRICK. I’m not quite sure why he chose a card trick when a title like that lends itself to so many great objects like, photos, film, film canisters, or lady bugs but he chose cards. This trick is a gimmicked version of the trick where your deck of cards becomes a camera taking a picture and that picture is revealed to be the selected card. There are gimmicks on the market that make the deck look more like a camera and there are more interesting ways to animate the cards to make them look like they are printing or coming out of the camera. For me these are the more interesting aspects of using a camera as a plot. Here you use a VERY common sleight and color change. Really the method offers almost nothing new and this isn’t my favorite version of the plot.
Boxed In is a ring transposition that uses kind of a magicky looking prop. I don’t like the extra prop but I do like the twist on Paul Harris’s solid deception giving it a kicker ending. I’m not crazy for the gimmicked box used though.
Cash Card is a nice card to wallet/ card to bill transpo/change. This is a solid method and the description is actually written by Joshua Jay. This may be the best effect in the book. This has a fairly original method as well which is refreshing.
Fah-Q is a variation on Peter Mckinnon’s Blackpool Prediction. If you’re familiar with Peter’s original effect you’ll know it’s a gag with a little bit of adult language. Adam teaches you basically how to make a prediction change at the bottom of a card box. This kind of thing is gaining popularity and with good reason it is kind of like a change in an impossible location. Realize with this one that Adam uses the premise of the Blackpool Prediction to teach the trick but you can do whatever type of prediction effect you’d like with it.
So I feel like it was kind of a give and take. The more creative magic tends to be less practical. The more practical magic tends to be less creative. There is a lot here not much that I’ll use but it was a fun interesting easy read. I think the title can be a little misleading it sets the bar high by calling itself “Creative Magic”. It makes it sound like everything is going to be super creative but everyone has a different idea of creativity. In my opinion most of this book was not very creative.
My main struggle with this book is its name Creative Magic. There is some good workable magic in its pages but only a small portion is reasonably new or creative. There are some gems here but just a few as far as the magic goes. If you are looking for some workable methods of classic plots then this is a nice book. If you are looking for really creative magic I would point you in the direction of the Art of Astonishment any volume would be for the same price and would give you more material. You might also check out Calen Morelli's Function 9 or any of the Daniel Garcia Project.
That said the ideas, exercises and interviews all make for good reading and provide insight to how some very creative people tackle their creative challenges.
He starts off with Earbuds, this is a very clever gimmick with a kind of awkward handling. It leaves the spectator with a great souvenir but there is a lot of dirty work to be done. It's not exactly streamlined but it is creative.
The World's Easiest coin bend is easy and a worker. It is not really a groundbreaking coin bend. It involves run of the mill coin sleights and a run of the mill method to bend a coin. It is a good trick but there's nothing new here.
A Lesson in Sleight of Hand is a quick little piece of magic. It’s not hard to do but it’s basically a false expose of sleight of hand using classic sleights.
The Backup Plan is really a modern version of Hofzinser's Ace problem. No mention of Hofzinser is made but it’s still a good trick. It’s basically all in the hands, it is visual and has a nice plot. It has kind of a Dan and Dave feel but with sleights you’ll be able to master in a matter of weeks rather than years. A good trick and a worker but not totally original.
Color Coincidence is a fine trick but you need to add 3 card of a different back to your deck. I don’t feel like the pay off is strong enough for all the extra cards on top of what I already keep n my deck but it’s an okay trick with multiple revelations that tie it up in a bow.
19 Down reminds me of a less flourishy effect of Lee Asher’s. Asher’s actually uses any number named by a spectator and uses a similar method. I prefer Asher’s version to this.
Signature is very cool. Probably the most creative card trick in the bunch. Adam shows you how to peel off your signature. Kind of like when David Copperfield peeled off Wayne Gretzky's from the Honus Wagner Baseball card back in the day. It’s a very cool moment and one place where creative magic is used in a very visual and entertaining routine.
Adam’s Aces is another ace production. There are a lot of those out there. Maybe you’ll like this one but there’s nothing new here.
Pop Top is actually a Looy Siminoff move, published in Art of Astonishment Vol. 2. I think it’s called “Flippant”. Adam acknowledges it is probably already out there but I’m sure a little more digging could have got it.
The Pop Production is ANOTHER ace production using the Flippant move.
The Just for fun section was a little confusing. Here things started to get a little more creative but lost much of the practicality of the Pay the Bills section.
The first effect sounds really great and it’s a neat premise. When it gets down to actually performing it though you need to purchase 4 bottles of soda and The effect really can’t reset for multiple performances in one night. This doesn’t sit well with me and makes this effect kind of expensive to practice and perform. On top of that for the final effect you perform a production taught in Lennart Green’s Masterfile. That’s $150 but Adam doesn’t teach it or an alternate handling.
Environmentally Unfriendly makes use of a very cool gimmick. I don’t really like the effect but the gimmick is super cool and I could see it used in conjunction with something like a card to impossible location to great effect. This one I would say was creative but not really practical, especially in the situation he talks about. That’s a lot of work for an off the cuff kind of messy gag.
Shutterbug is dedicated to Peter Mckinnon and it kind of frustrates me. Peter said that he wanted a trick called Shutterbug. So Adam went to work creating a CARD TRICK. I’m not quite sure why he chose a card trick when a title like that lends itself to so many great objects like, photos, film, film canisters, or lady bugs but he chose cards. This trick is a gimmicked version of the trick where your deck of cards becomes a camera taking a picture and that picture is revealed to be the selected card. There are gimmicks on the market that make the deck look more like a camera and there are more interesting ways to animate the cards to make them look like they are printing or coming out of the camera. For me these are the more interesting aspects of using a camera as a plot. Here you use a VERY common sleight and color change. Really the method offers almost nothing new and this isn’t my favorite version of the plot.
Boxed In is a ring transposition that uses kind of a magicky looking prop. I don’t like the extra prop but I do like the twist on Paul Harris’s solid deception giving it a kicker ending. I’m not crazy for the gimmicked box used though.
Cash Card is a nice card to wallet/ card to bill transpo/change. This is a solid method and the description is actually written by Joshua Jay. This may be the best effect in the book. This has a fairly original method as well which is refreshing.
Fah-Q is a variation on Peter Mckinnon’s Blackpool Prediction. If you’re familiar with Peter’s original effect you’ll know it’s a gag with a little bit of adult language. Adam teaches you basically how to make a prediction change at the bottom of a card box. This kind of thing is gaining popularity and with good reason it is kind of like a change in an impossible location. Realize with this one that Adam uses the premise of the Blackpool Prediction to teach the trick but you can do whatever type of prediction effect you’d like with it.
So I feel like it was kind of a give and take. The more creative magic tends to be less practical. The more practical magic tends to be less creative. There is a lot here not much that I’ll use but it was a fun interesting easy read. I think the title can be a little misleading it sets the bar high by calling itself “Creative Magic”. It makes it sound like everything is going to be super creative but everyone has a different idea of creativity. In my opinion most of this book was not very creative.
(Top ▲)
I admit a bit of a struggle with this review. On one hand, I greatly admire this effort. In an age where magicians will quickly release a DVD or an instant download of their material, author, Adam Wilber, took the time and effort to write a book. I could almost recommend picking up a copy just to reinforce this behavior. The key word here is "almost".
On the other hand, there is an old piece of prose by an unknown author which states:
Unfortunately, this is the issue with Creative Magic: Learn to Spark Your Creativity. Wilber has attempted to write two books in one. The first is a book of his material and the second a book on creativity. This is a high bar to clear.
Creative Magic is divided into three sections: Paying The Bills, Just For Fun, and Concepts and Thoughts. Paying The Bills are ten effects and moves that Wilber uses professionally. Most of the effects are variations of others’ material. For example, the Back Up Plan is Wilber's version of Bill Malone’s version of a Marlo effect. Signature owes a great deal to David Williamson’s 51 Cards To Pocket. I found none of the ten to be something I wanted to spend time learning. Crediting is spotty at best. Intermixed with the ten pieces are creativity exercises. These range from variations of brainstorming exercises to techniques to broaden your thinking to advice to take up meditation. Nothing wrong with any of the recommendations. They just aren’t earthshaking.
The second section, Just For Fun, are effects that need more time to create. They are “arts and crafts” projects. The best of the six is Cash Card - a card to bill effect. It was written by Joshua Jay which I believe was originally published in MAGIC.
The last section Concepts & Thoughts are interviews with other magicians on their creative process. For me, there were familiar names like David Regal and Dan Harlan to ones who were new like Alan Rorrison and Arvind Jayashankar. These were interesting as it's always fun to read about how others approach their magic. It would have made a nice feature in Magic or Genii.
All in all, I cannot recommend this book - especially at the $35 price tag. If you want to learn about creativity and techniques to stimulate it, there are far better titles at your neighborhood bookstore. If you’re looking for new material for your close-up, there are far better titles at your neighborhood magic shop.
On the other hand, there is an old piece of prose by an unknown author which states:
You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
Unfortunately, this is the issue with Creative Magic: Learn to Spark Your Creativity. Wilber has attempted to write two books in one. The first is a book of his material and the second a book on creativity. This is a high bar to clear.
Creative Magic is divided into three sections: Paying The Bills, Just For Fun, and Concepts and Thoughts. Paying The Bills are ten effects and moves that Wilber uses professionally. Most of the effects are variations of others’ material. For example, the Back Up Plan is Wilber's version of Bill Malone’s version of a Marlo effect. Signature owes a great deal to David Williamson’s 51 Cards To Pocket. I found none of the ten to be something I wanted to spend time learning. Crediting is spotty at best. Intermixed with the ten pieces are creativity exercises. These range from variations of brainstorming exercises to techniques to broaden your thinking to advice to take up meditation. Nothing wrong with any of the recommendations. They just aren’t earthshaking.
The second section, Just For Fun, are effects that need more time to create. They are “arts and crafts” projects. The best of the six is Cash Card - a card to bill effect. It was written by Joshua Jay which I believe was originally published in MAGIC.
The last section Concepts & Thoughts are interviews with other magicians on their creative process. For me, there were familiar names like David Regal and Dan Harlan to ones who were new like Alan Rorrison and Arvind Jayashankar. These were interesting as it's always fun to read about how others approach their magic. It would have made a nice feature in Magic or Genii.
All in all, I cannot recommend this book - especially at the $35 price tag. If you want to learn about creativity and techniques to stimulate it, there are far better titles at your neighborhood bookstore. If you’re looking for new material for your close-up, there are far better titles at your neighborhood magic shop.