BLOGS/VLOGS:
Evolution
December 16, 2009 02:30 am
Howdy all and my apologies for this blog being well over due. For this blog I would like to talk about the subject that made this blog late and see what other people think about it. The subject is evolution and no I am not talking about it as Darwin would. I am using the term " evolution" on personal development and self bettering. This is an odd one I know but I think it is some thing that all performers should look at. So ill start by going over my personal experience on the subject. In the past week i have decided to give things a little shake up in my little life. I sat down and looked over where I wanted to be and more importantly who I wanted to be.
This led to me giving up Booze and junk foods, Going to a gym and just getting myself into shape. I went through a health kick a while back and done well but let it all slip. then a trip down to world magic shops HQ to see all the guys (which ill tip on later) gave me the inspiration I needed in the form of Craig petty. Craig has always been a great guy and some one I thankfully call a friend now but im sure he will not take offence when I say he was more than a little over weight BUT craig has taken his time and re built himself, Really! you need to see him now he looks fantastic. So that gave me the urge to get myself in shape which I will admit has become and addiction.
I thoguht I would set myself a work out rep I can do at home once a day and I would be happy. Now I am doing it three times a day but in all fairness its keeping me happy. So an all round healthier lifestyle will take care of The physical unhappines I had. Now on to the magic! To say I was unhappy in magic is to strong a statment but I did feel like I was in a rut so Jim, Dave and the guys at world magic shop invited me down for a weekend just to get away from things here which gave my magic mind a whole re birth. We threw around ideas and filmed a little(see wizard dark trailer at the end) and in all honesty they showe dme why I started to create in the first place.
So all in all Im taking the bull by the horns, getting myself in shape and ive laid out a plan im sticking to to get where I want. That along with trying to be a better person and just trimming off all the bad influences in my life should help me be the person I should. So my question to you is. What do you want to change in your life. Will it make you a better person and why?
Answers to: alan@alanrorrison.com and keep your eyes peeled because in a few months ill be posting an update. Yes I have shamed myself by taking a pic of myself and ill do one again in a few months to keep up with progress.
Relax, reframe and respond
November 6th, 2009 5:30 pm:
Hello all and welcome back. It is with great shame that I write to you today. I have done nothing wrong but I still feel ashamed of some one in my countrys actions. Let me explain, yesterday I spent the day with a friend of mine called Todd who is a street performer/magician and one of the best on the street at that. Everyone who has performed on the street understands that you have bad days. With ou thet bad, you would never know you had good. Todd was on form as always but he had one small unresponsive show, thats not a big deal and you just get on with it. Then he had a larger show, more responsive but with one heckler who just would not quit. This however was handled like a pro and the show went on. Now this heckler is NOT my issue. It is what happened after that makes me angry.
The show had finished and we where packing up so we could nip round the corner and grab some food. ( the Nachos where fantastic F.Y.I) As we packed up one women who was not even a part of the crowed. Just a passer by who was intoxicated decided to fake an american accent( Todd is American and a visitor here by choice which makes her actions worse) rather baddly, stand all over Todds gear with her bare feet( ill explain in a minute) and just be shockingly rude. Now ill be the first to admit that Todd handled this like a true gent and calmly asked her to move etc as we finished packing up. Then to top it off, as we walked down Buchanan street she followed is down dancing along behind us. Then the most utterly disgusting thing happened. She SPIT, yes you read that right. She actuly SPIT on Todd on the way. Now Todd being a true gent walked on as if nothing had happened and tried to avoid confrontation. This only seemed to make her worse and her response to him not acting to wards this DISGUSTING ACT was to SPIT on her own hand and SMEAR it all over him. Then she decided to steal a some equipment off him and mock him with it.
For me, the first instance of spitting would have been my breaking point. I would never hit a woman but I would have Scolded( shouted, heckled etc) here down where she stood. Todd, again being a true gent calmly walked over to security at a local shop and asked for the cctv and police responce for a little help which is the first time in 6-7 years in Glasgow that he has needed to do so. We later found out that she had been acting up all over the City center. Leaving her shoes out side a local shop and acting up to shop staff in a few stores. Now, I enjoy the pleasure fo Alcohol. I also know when to say no and keep my senses. My first question is. Should the fact that she was under the influence be an excuse for her actions?
In all honesty my answer would be NO. I know when to say no and how to enjoy responsibly. In all honesty I even know simple respect for myself and others when ive had a few and this is why I would say her actions where totally unacceptable and all respect I had for Todd was amplified tenfold at how he responded. My second question is, How would you have responded in the same situation? I know I would have done different as I already stated and I will say I am PROUD with how Todd handled it thankfully ill follow suit in future. I am just thankfull he took the time to relax, reframe then respond.
All replys to: Alan@AlanRorrison.com
To see Todd you can watch this video or visit: www.toddvarious.com
Cards or coins?
October 29, 2009 6:30 am:
This will be a small rant and I do apologise in advance but I think its something that needs to be addressed. I have started to keep up with my online presence and started to talk to a few of the young folk in the magic chat rooms when I have time. I have noticed that they always start off with the same 2 questions and it is really anoying me. "What type of magic do you do?" Now when you reply " I do close up" they follow on with " So, cards or coins?". Its a silly thing to get anoyed at I know but to me it looks like thats what the thing close up magic is. Just cards and coins!
So let me start by saying in true "AA" or "MA" form as it where. "Hello, my name is Alan and I am a close up performer. This does not mean that I will use nothing but cards and coins. Feel free to look over my work and you will notice a wide range of props being used but also look at other performers out there. Youll notice Your beloved cards and coins but then a strange thing follows.
- thread ( Wayne Houchin)
- Mobile/cell phones
- straws
- pencils
- bank notes/bills
- bottle caps
- pens
- sweets/candy
This list could go on forever because close up "workers" tend to create with just about everything their hands lay on. So I guess my request is to try and think ouside the box and away form cards and coins folks, and what is your favourite close up effect that DOES NOT involve cards or coins?
To get you thinking here are a few demos from youtube I love that use no cards or coins. Along with links wher eyou can purchase the effects from the creators.
Insomnia
August 24, 2009 4:45 am:
Yes you are right, it has been a long, long time but I have been a busy young man. With moving into a new flat and trying to manage gigs etc I have been flat out but here I am again to have a short ramble. This time it is alot less magic orientated and more of a "where I am at" post.
So here we go, I have full force insomnia, I just cant seem to shift it and it is slowly but surly killing me. I have tried just about every solution to it that I can find that means I do not need to go the the doctors. They will just ask me to take sleeping pills and little Alan HATES taking pills. I am one of those folks who chokes on the things.
Hot milk, Something heavy/lite to eat, A warm whisky, Honey lemon tea, getting so drunk I forget my own name ( not a fan of F.Y.I) I have tried them all and about a million more to boot and nothing is working. Any of you folks out there have any ideas? If you do then please email me by the link at the end of this post.
on a good note i have more of the tattoo sleeve on my arm done. A short video will be posted soon I am sure a few of you will be happy to know. This has been on of my sick little pleasure in the past few weeks. Who would have thought pain could be so fun haha. In an odd twist, I poped by my folks house and gave them a peek and my mother was astoundingly O.K. with it.. Dad however hates it which is a role reversal from previeous years.
I guess I have alot of other issues playing on me just now but none i would like to spew over the internet so ill stop babbling on for just now and ill hopfully be back next week. I may turn these into VLOGS to make it quicker lol
Insomnia cures?: Alan@AlanRorrison.com
Sensation
Well hello folks. Im trying to take a more active role in my site so decided to do a small blog/diary at least once a week for you all. It will be all magic related with some free little tricks along the way. Typos and grammer will go out the window a little but I will make sure all is understandable.
So where do I start with my thoughts in this strange field? Well, to keep it relevent I thought I would discuss something that will not be considered by most up you out there. What would you do if you lost a hand? No, what would you do if you lost a finger? I know it seems like an odd question but this became very relivent for me in he past week. No I have not lost a finger BUT I have lost the feeling in the tip of my right hand thumb. This is a trivial thing compared to the lost of a limb or digit but keep with me.
I had a small accident in my day job which lead to the loss of all sensation in my right thumb. Ive been told that it will come back in time but its leads to an interesting problem till then. When im looking at my hands I can have it function normaly but when I look away and try to do normal things it becomes very difficult. Holding a deck of cards was fine but doing a pass, seconds, bottoms and even tops became a chore again and in the past week ive had to addapt a few things to allow me to work as I normaly would.
Now what is the point in this small post? Why would I comment on something so trivial because I have 99% of what I do covered with small alterations on how I handle things? Well I have brought this up to urge you to never take what you can do for granted. There are folks out there who work through far worse day in day out and a prime example would be Rene Lavand. This man done some of the most extrodinary things while only having one arm. So the next time you do a pass or simply cut the cards and try to make it look like nothing. Keep in mind to others it is everything.