Posted on February 11th 2025

In March 2012, I sat my exam to gain membership to the world-famous Magic Circle. For those who don’t know, you must perform an 8-12 minute magic show in front of a large group while three respected magicians with clipboards judge your every move and word. No pressure, right? Needless to say, it was the most stressful performance of my magic career. Back then I was less experienced with performing for formal audiences and suffered from stage fright, not to mention the chronic social awkwardness that came with undiagnosed ADHD.

So, over a decade later, why did I decide to endure that again now that I'm an established professional magician?

Magicians who know me will know my reputation for performing “knuckle-busting” effects. I’ve always gravitated to more technically demanding routines. What can I say? It was a long lockdown! While preparing for my AIMC* exam, a thought occurred to me. Now, not every effect in my act requires me to pre-soak my knuckles in an ice bucket – but if that’s what it takes to make an effect as clear and as engaging as possible, then so be it. My influences such as Darwin Ortiz and Jason Ladanye make no apology for their technical skill, so studying their work was like jumping head-first into the deep end.

So, am I trying to prove my worth to myself? I enjoy the applause at the end of a show, am humbled by compliments from my peers, and feel proud to do what I love for a living. But you can’t always silence that bully in your head. Is my fondness for technically demanding routines my way of combating imposter syndrome? I always wanted to be a professional magician, but I lacked confidence in my abilities. When I eventually did, it was thanks to my then mentor Jason Ladanye.

Jason helped me polish my technique and, more importantly, taught me how to recognise bad technique. In a digital age where magic is more accessible than ever, there’s no shortage of sloppy sleight of hand on social media; it’s an epidemic. For budding magicians still finding their way, distinguishing the good from the bad can seem an impossible task. While mirroring your favourite social media magician may be the cheaper option, I would implore you to invest in your studies. Read Strong Magic, Ascanio on the Structural Conception of Magic, The Magic Way; all timeless classics. You will grow more from learning how and why your magic works than you will from learning new tricks. While you’re there, get a mentor too.

Needless to say, I passed my exam and was awarded the grade of Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star. To see how it went down, you can view my day-in-the-life post on my soc ial media. Has it silenced my imposter syndrome? It’s certainly helped. But your qualifications should not define you. Practice hard, read books, and perform as much as you can. Magicians who do that tend to have long, successful careers. I’m not a magicians magician. I’m never going to fool Penn and Teller. But I fool my audiences all the time. Consistent applause is the only qualification you’ll ever need.