Not long after I first launched this blog, I shared my honest opinion about Criss Angel. People always ask me what I think about him, so I told them. Since then, I’ve shared more than one of other opinions I have about a lot of things. I’ve also learned a lot along the way, mainly that one’s opinion usually doesn’t matter, and that sometimes, sharing it doesn’t do much more than push people’s buttons. I enjoy pushing people’s buttons, but pushing them for pushing’s sake…well, what’s the point in that? That’s stupid. And yes, I’ve already admitted that sometimes I’m stupid.
Though I’m not always good at it, I’m more interested in encouraging others to think, and motivated by the potential of influence or change. So here’s an opinion that will hopefully influence a few others to consider getting over themselves, and making a better attempt at being who they were actually created to be.
My opinion: Other magicians are almost all the same.
Seriously. It seems that these days, every time someone encourages me to “check someone out online,” it all ends up being the same story…
“Tuxedos are stupid. Top hats are cheesy. I’m edgy, because I don’t have a top hat or a rabbit. And I’m cool, because I buy clothes that look like they’re from Express or the Buckle.”
“Oh, and I use awesome rock music.”
Nice.
I know, in fairness, it’s not everyone. There are some really unique performers out there doing an incredible job at just being themselves. They’re smart enough and wise enough to realize that trying to be anything else is not only stupid, but a disgrace to their maker. Unfortunately, that’s far from the majority. Especially among the very, very small group of “non-cheesy” type of illusionists who happen to be Christians. I wonder…when did you guys decide to just be relevant, rather than unique? And why are all the guys who are Christians trying so hard to be the evangelistic version of Criss Angel?
I understand you’re insecure…the deck is stacked against us. I can relate to your frustration of years of stereo-typing due to our industry being plagued with cheesiness and mediocrity. I’m sorry for that, but slamming tuxedos and top hats out of fear of others thinking you might have them, doesn’t make you special. It just makes you like all the other magicians who are trying to be cool and “relevant.” And now that there are so many doing that, you aren’t so special anymore. (Accept to people who like the Christian versions of stuff, just because they’re thankful when it’s no longer cheesy.)
I guess in a way, my argument is hard to accept. Probably because you’re getting plenty of bookings. After all, a lot of pastors, conferences, and camps love that stuff. I mean, if they’re buying christian versions of these by the thousands, and if these “steal it and make it christian” kind of groups can actually make it, why wouldn’t they want the christian version of this?
I guess, (I guess I’m doing a lot of guessing here), that being unique is hard. I definitely had my struggles in attempting to be different by discovering who I really am. When I was a kid, I copied a few other performers I looked up to and respected. And they deserve to feel frustrated by that. Now that I see YouTube videos of other performers copying my stuff, I totally relate.
Better yet, I once got an email from another magician accusing me of copying his hair, shirt, and pose in all of his pictures. I had never seen his site until he emailed me, and I replied back with photos from the past 10 years of me doing the same pose over and over, every couple of years. (I never got a reply, even after touching base with him 6 months later.)
I had no interest in copying this guy, and while the whole thing was laughable to me and he’s now started to make a small name for himself, it did teach me a valuable lesson: A lot of illusionists are turning out the same. (Which is why my website now has a lot less “grunge,” why I got rid of all of my graphic T’s and embroidered button-ups, and why my show attempts to be more classy than it does edgy.)
I’ve only learned this over the past year or so. Finally, after living for almost 27 years and performing for 15 of them, I’m finally learning who I am, and that just wasn’t it. It’s hard, because it’s really easy to be influenced by the contrasting messages that are screaming all around us, begging for us to fit in and try to “just be cool.”
In my recent past, I had a management company that totally convinced me to try to become someone I’m not. I have memories of getting told over and over to do things like wear my pants lower around my waist. I always questioned it all, because it just wasn’t me, but was always scolded by being told I needed to “look like an artist.” Apparently, wearing your pants lower makes you a more effective performer.
Wrong.
Between that, being told to do more of what I wasn’t created to do, and less of what I was created to do, I got fed up. I fired them, then went off on my own journey towards discovering who God created me to be. And in the process, I’ve learned to be comfortable with who that is. And now that I know, I’m not interested in making all of the content we put out there be about how cool and relevant I am. As it turns out, everyone else is doing that, and now uniqueness seems strangely “creative.”
But it’s not all that creative. It’s just displaying the creativity of the Creator, by being who He created me to be.
I’m cool with you being relevant. But please, stop with the “look how relevant I am” speech. Instead of telling people what you aren’t, and listing all the cool things you do, why not show people who you are, and let your relevance speak for itself?
I’m not better than anyone else. I’m just different. And it turns out, that’s a beautiful thing to be…
Tags: bj harris, christian entertainers, christian illusioist, christian illusionists, christian magician, christian magicians, criss angel, harris iii, relevance, relevant
AWESOME!!!!! Keep up your great work! It is God’s work! He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM!
After being in ministry for over 12 years I understand where you are going. Isn’t it awful to use the words “Welcome to Ministry”. It’s lights, high tech sound systems, the clothes you wear, the instruments you use and if you have the “New look”. I guess the days of camel hair clothes and eating locusts is out. lol!
What God has called us to be is the best “Us” we can be. He had your unique style, talent and life in mind when he called you. To ask you to be something else is telling God, “hey I don’t like your ideas.”
Thanks for the post and keep being who God has called you to be.
Isn’t it a shame that those who say they want what is best for us turn out to want what is only best for them; and those who attempt to “help” us are the ones to hurt us most? My biggest challenge is that, being brought up in a Baptist church in a Baptist town, that is all I know. Now I live in a predominately Catholic town whose answers to all my statements (which are backed in the Bible) is that “King James was mad and the Catholic church and spearated from the religion to write “his own” Bible according to his standards! How do I respond to that?! Am I trying to conform them to my mold or is it the other way around? Why do any of us have to fit a certain mold simply to be accepted by peers?
As an amateur magician, I couldn’t agree with you more. As a christian, I thank you for standing up for your creator, and being who God made you to be. Thank you for the classiness in your show. I was floored the first time I saw your show. You were a christian, performing illusions, and you were classy. Honestly it was the first time I had ever seen a show that fit that criteria. Not only were you amazing on stage, but off. I can’t thank you enough for the time you spent letting me pick your brain about the illusions you performed. I look forward to seeing you perform this Saturday in Peachtree City. Have a safe trip to Georgia, we will see you in a few days!!!
Hi BJ:
I hope I’m in that very very small group of “non-cheesy” Christian Illusionists.
Relevance is… well, a relevant term.
People change, times change, some people move forward, some people are stuck in a time warp. We both know a performer who still wears a black tux with a red ruffled shirt. There was a time that that was “in”… it was “Cool”. I remember the days when people dressed in their “Sunday Best” to go out to a supper club or a performance of any kind. Those days are gone, but some people try to hang on to them, change is not always readily accepted. In Country music the rage use to be sparkles and elaborate piping on the men’s suits Porter Wagenor and Hank Williams Sr.), now the young new country stars come out in torn jeans and a t-shirt. A lot of the older generation doesn’t like that, but then they aren’t the ones buying the CD’s and concert tickets either.
There was a time that a young classy Christian magician donned a tuxedo for his appearance on the stage of the FCM evening program. His name was “B.J. Harris”. He looked rather dapper and his “magic” showed style and perfection not often seen is someone so young. Looking back you might call him cheesy or mediocre, and if you did that today that might be the case, but back then, at that time, at that age you were thought of as classy!
Have you grown.. YES in many ways, but remember times change, styles change and over the next 30 years I pray you don’t allow yourself to be caught in a time warp. Continue to be willing to adapt to your audience and your style of performing.
What you’ve learned both during your FCM years and since is very valuable… Not something to be hoarded by you, but to be shared with others, those that are looking to follow the same path you were looking to follow all those many years ago. Give some of it back so that they will have the advantage of your wisdom. Don’t allow others in your trade of choice to be plagued with mediocrity from lack of insight and education. God had blessed you in many ways, and I believe he wants you to share those blessings and that wisdom.
Where you were once a student, you can now become a teacher. I’d love to see you giving back to the FCM in an effort to help others see their dreams mature and know the joys you’ve know as a performer and as a Christian.
The “Being Unique” topic is one that always interest and sometimes is of great frustration for me. I have discussed this topic multiple times on the FCM Podcast (www.themagicpodcast.com)
I was a very late bloomer in magic. I found the FCM in 2005. I went to the International FCM convention that year. For the first time I got to meet full time magicians and see live magic. Wow…my brain was overloaded by the end of day 1. I have note books filled with every line said, every trick done, and drawings of apparatus used.
One familiar line I keep hearing over and over was…..”make it your own”. I did not understand that idea at the time. Here is all these magicians showing me how to do a trick…step by step…what they say during the trick…..and then said “but don’t do it that way…make it your own”. Then I purchased all of these trick in the dealers room with step by step instructions and the patter to say, but the magicians would again lecture “Don’t do it like that….make it your own”. I was completely frustrated. I did not know what “my own” was.
I have attended every FCM Conference since. I went full time in 2007. Here is what I learned and what I have to say to those magicians starting out. It’s ok to mimic someone you look up to and ok to do a trick just like it says in the instructions. It was not until I started performing full time that I did enough shows to understand who I was on stage and what “my own” even was. I even dress differently now than what I did the first year performing full time. I am continuing to evolve into my character and the performer that is naturally inside of me.
So what am I saying? With performance comes maturity. I have a much better understanding of who I am and how to make a routine and show unique only because I have performed hundreds of shows since I have been full time. There are still times I have the urge to do something different. I have to make myself step back and really think about it and possibly perform it before I understand if it is me.
I will never criticize anyone that is young in their magic maturity for mimicking a style. I DO believe that we should educate these performers of the benefits of FINDING their own style. Notice I said young in their magic maturity which does not reflect the performer’s age. Stage experience and age are not always directly correlated.
Just like our maturity in Christ is not a reflection of our physical maturity or how long we have been a Christian. To be a mature Christian involves feeding your spirit with the word, being mentored by mature Christians, surrounding ourselves with those strong in Christ, and putting your faith into action. This is the same with magic. We should embrace those who need to mature in their acts, feed them with encouragement and ideas, and surround them with those who are matured in the field. With enough experience and the guidance of other mature performers, it is my hope they too will mature as entertainers and expand on their own creativity.
Just a note as I finish up. I am in no way condoning the stealing of original material. I do believe there are many out there that “know better” but do it anyway because of their own insecurities or jealously. I am telling the performer who wants to mature……try out different styles….SHOOT TRY MY STYLE (a comedy magician in a fedora, loose tie, rolled up shirt, and jeans)…see what works for you and …… here it comes…… over time – MAKE IT YOUR OWN! (had to say it)
Harris – I am excited to see you in Crawfordsville IN for Sens de Vie here in April!!! See ya soon.
Your closing line reminds me of the song “Different Is Beautiful” by Riley Armstrong. I got the opportunity to spend a weekend with him and get to know him. It sounds like he struggled with a lot of the same things you have, but in the Christian music industry. You can check out a little it about him @ http://www.rileyarmstrong.com
God has created us all differently and we should celebrate in that instead of tearing people down for not being like us. Keep being you brother, it looks good on ya.