Michael Vincent: Dear friends,

I want to thank you all for inviting to me share my thoughts with you and for your interesting and provocative postings.

As I said last week, the quality of my time as your guest here would be in direct proportion to the quality of your questions etc. Your postings have forced me to think long and hard about where I am as a magician and professional and where I would like to be.

In life we should never be happy or content with the plateau that we are on.
Bruce Lee said that if it kills you in your efforts to reach the next plateau then so be it, but you must not stay where you are. You must strive to move beyond where you are.

In all honesty, with what I have achieved, I feel that it is not enough for me; there is still a burning desire for some else, something more that can be achieved with being a magician.

I have just returned home from a gig and before leaving I struck up a conversation with a very attractive lady who enjoyed my magic but was more interested in my approach to people and how different I am or was as a person than being Michael Vincent the Magician.

Pay attention here because this is important. Here was a layperson I had never met before interested enough in me as a person rather than being a magician.

I found this intriguing enough to stop the magic I was doing so that I could engage with her in conversation. Here was an opportunity to see myself through the eyes of some else.

What would you have done if you were in this same situation?

I have reached a point now where my relationships with people are equally as important as my work as a magician. If you where to ask me to chose between being remembered as a great magician or as a great person, then because of where I am in life now, I would chose the later, but having both is important to me because they make me what I am.

Relationships are EVERYTHING to me. Socially and professionally and personally.

What does this have to do with what we do? Very simple. As much as we want appreciation for our skill as magicians, there is a much bigger vision at work here. Magic is a means of communication, for breaking down barriers, for bonding, for uniting, and for spreading and sharing the joy of life.

I sincerely hope that the next time you perform, all of you will experience this joy that I experience every time I entertain laypeople.

The Joy of Magic is in the giving not the taking.

I would like to leave you all with a sonnet by the Italian sculptor, Michelangelo:


"Beauteous art, brought with us from heaven, will conquer nature; so divine a power belongs to him who strives with every nerve. If I was made for art, from childhood given a prey for burning beauty to devour, I blame the mistress I was born to serve.“ Michelangelo 1500

Sean: Great post Michael and it does make you think. What do people see when we're up there performing for them. How do people perceive us. In social situations magic can be an excellent ice breaker and can help you get to know a person.

The question is do you want to be remembered as a great man or a great magician? To me they're not mutually exclusive (Thank you David Brent )

Thank you for taking the time and effort to answer all the questions in here Michael and I hope you stick around on the forums and give us some of your insight from time to time. It's been great having you.

Michael Vincent: I am working hard to have both: greatness as a man and as an artistic magician.

John McDonald: Michael you are a hero of mine. (You have probably guessed.)

I read your thank you above and yet again your words made a deep impact on me. I cannot let the opportunity go by without thanking you!

It is said (somewhere) , "True art mirrors nature", you show us that we can reveal, if we choose to, the artist that exists within all of us.

Thank you again and like Sean says I hope you stick around.......

Mike: When I came on tonight, I was fully expecting to start the "Thank You" thread...And here it was, started by our very guest himself.

I am embarrassed to say, prior to your guest spot on these forums, I had never heard of you, Mr. Vincent. Mr. McDonald said above that you are one of his personal heroes and now I add you to my list of personal heroes in magic, along with such gentlemen as Doc Eason, Milt Kort, Ron Bauer, Dai Vernon, Michael Ammar, Slydini - the list just goes on...

Moreover, though, I am adding you to my list of personal heroes, aside from magicians. You are truly a gentleman, sir, and I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking your time and giving some of the best thought out responses on this forum to date.

May all your days be filled with joy. May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live. Thank you, Mr. Vincent.

Michael Vincent: Thanks again to all of you guys.  I will be staying as a member of magic bunny to continue our discussions etc.

Magic Sam X: Mr. Vincent.

Thank you very, very much for taking time to come and talk to all of us on Magic Bunny. I would just like to say it was fantastic and one of the MOST involved discussions I have seen on Magic Bunny.

Thank you again.
Happy Magic Making.

Andy D.: Many thanks Michael!

I didn't get to pose a question for you, but I am sure our paths will cross on the board sometime.

Nigel: May I also take this opportunity to thank you for such an entertaining and lively week of discussions. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this forum over the past week and I have learnt so much in the process - I am sure that our members have done so too.

You are a master of the pen (keyboard) as well as of magic and you have produced such thought provoking and comprehensive answers as well as setting a few gems of topics yourself. I really do appreciate the time and effort in professionals such as yourself visiting these boards and imparting part of your great expanse of knowledge and expertise to others who love the art too.

Thank you once again for an excellent week of discussions.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10