We magicians tell stories.
We do this whether we intend to or not.
The magician shows a silk, the silk vanishes, it’s amazing!
That’s a story!
Yeah… it’s a simple story, but it’s still a story.
A long time ago I realized that a truly great story to tell, with magic, was not getting told.
This story has lots of variations but told (in its simplest form) it involves the magical connections that exist on planet Earth and how important those connections are to maintaining life here.
Even MORE simply put, taking care of the planet matters because the planet Earth is our only home and it’s special. And THIS is a GREAT STORY.
Consider this.
The Earth is like a spaceship zipping through the universe and its life support systems has the 100% the perfect mix of oxygen, nitrogen, helium, and a ton of other elements that make life possible.
THIS is truly a great story and can potentially be a really cool theme for some great magic you can make!
The planet Earth sustains us all, and THAT’S a really good story, sometimes we do not pay enough attention to it, we even take it for granted: we pollute, we overuse resources, we abuse the spaceship!
So… what if we could use your magic to create stories that were not JUST entertaining, but actually meant something, and might make a bit of difference in the world?
That would be cool right?
I enjoy thinking about this stuff. I’ve been merging eco-ideas and entertainment (specifically magic tricks) for a very very long time. It’s coming up on 50 years. I enjoy thinking about it, but I also LOVE it when other magicians decide to create shows or routines with eco-themes because we – ALL – benefit when people understand the magical-ness and importance of the natural world around us.
IMPORTANT ECO-CONCEPTS – Here are few important environmental/ecological ideas that you could them to existing magic tricks, or use them to create completely NEW routines. This is really just a BRAINSTORMING excersice to get you started.
I’ve written the concept first (below) and then in ALL CAPS I’ve suggested magic tricks that you might be familiar with. This could be a very nice starting place.
THE STEPS
1. Understand what the (story) theme is.
2. Select some magic to illustrate this (story) theme.
3. Create a unique and powerful routine that audiences will love!
ECO CONCEPT – Reduce Reuse Recycle are very good magic words for making your trash disappear!
CHOP CUP
BUDDHA PAPERS
ECO CONCEPT – Everything in nature (air land water) is connected.
LINKING RINGS
LINKING ROPES
BLENDO
ECO CONCEPT – Recycling is important because it’s how the natural world actually works. All air, land, water on planet Earth are recycled.
HEALED AND SEALED
RESTORED COOKIE
ECO CONCEPT – The only planet in our solar system that has enough water for life is Earth.
CARBON CREATURES
LOTA BOWL
WATER FROM NEWSPAPER
ECO CONCEPT – Sustainability is why the planet Earth can support life. The planet Earth works because renewable systems replace and reuse resources over and over and over again. This is the meaning of sustainability. We can use resources, so long as we don’t deplete the Earth’s ability to replace them as quickly as we need them.
CUT AND RESTORED ROPE
MISERS DREAM
ECO CONCEPT – In nature there really is no away. It’s imposible to throw something away because your “away” will be someone’s “right here”.
SPONGE BALLS
THUMB TIP AND SILK VANISH-REAPPEARANCE
BALL AND VASE
Also… you might consider buying my book (printed on recycled paper)… it’s only $10 bucks (plus shipping). The book was created for kids, but the concepts would work to springboard your thinking. Each magic trick features a solid principle or concept that makes a great theme!
https://www.renaissancevalleybooks.com/steve-trash
There are so many ideas to get started on, but dive in and have some fun!
Steve Trash – Rockin’ Eco Hero
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