If you have made the pledge to “Become a Mentalist” by reading this blog and other methods, you probably have thought at one point or another how the mentalists on the web are doing with their channels? Does it matter if they have high or low subscribers. Does any of this translate into in-person gigs or maybe even digital ones?
Do Online Videos Help?”
The answer is likely as it has been with the promotion of one’s career as a mentalist for decades: different results for different mentalists. Some might have an onscreen persona that is off-putting for some audience members. While another mentalist might be scoring big with their videos.
Getting Viewers and Subscribers
One thing is for sure though, is that if someone is seriously thinking about hiring you as a mentalist for their events, then they are going to search your name. If you are on the internet with vids, these will come up in the results. You need then to ask yourself if the videos you are putting online will be of assistance to you or will get in the way of success. Sadly, some mentalists reveal mentalism secrets online because doing so helps get them more viewers. But is this how you want to be perceived?
Is Mentalism Magic?
We could argue the point of whether or not a mentalist is a magician. Obviously, the way some promote themselves is as though they are the real thing. They do not want to be seen as a magician because they do not want people to think they are doing magic tricks. We here at “Become a Mentalist” do lean toward perceiving mentalism being a subset of magic.
Perception
So, you see, the likely answer to whether or not video channels help mentalists, the answer has less to do with numbers of subscribers and whether or not what you are doing is held under the magician’s code of not revealing secrets as well as other questions of perception. Because perception is after all, reality. If you want be people to choose you to be the entertainer for their event, then you would be best served by trying to understand them and what their needs are when it comes to acquiring talent.
So, You Want to Become a Mentalist as Your Profession?
For many who have decided that they want to be a mentalist as their career, they discover that not only do you need to be an achiever in the mentalism arts, but just basic survival can pose challenges along the way. New York City has been a launch pad for many for many mentalists, but these days there is an extra layer of difficulty: COVID.
Housing for Mentalists in New York City
And it is more difficult than ever to find a place to live in the Big Apple as seen in a post put up yesterday on the website NYC Housing Lottery. There is affordable housing for artists in Manhattan, New York, but not everyone sees mentalism as an art, even though it is.
Your Transformation
Like many things both in business and life, you need to be aware of the steps to create the result you are seeking. Yes. Steps to create. We are about to give you what you need to know to become a mentalist with steps to create your transformation including Choose, Pledge, Effects, Routines, Storytelling, Practice, Organizations, Invent and Market.
CHOOSE
It is important to CHOOSE the kind of mentalist you aspire to be. There are really two primary lifestyle paths. The first is a mentalist entertainer, someone who might at times might seem to be having real cosmic ability, but this might be implied and not said. But the second path is quite frankly not recommended. This kind of presentation goes with a claim that you are a real psychic or have true powers is to say you are a real mentalist, psychic, medium, fortune teller and so on. This is not encouraged.
PLEDGE
Making a PLEDGE to not reveal the secrets of a mentalist’s art is vital. Especially these days when just about any magic trick, mentalism effect or stage illusion can be discovered with a few keywords and a search engine or online video. Making a pledge is something you can do privately, or if you are a member of an in-person or virtual magic or mentalist society, you will likely have to take the pledge to be admitted to the organization. We will talk a bit about the process to invent mentalism. If you were to do this, would you keep it secret?
EFFECTS
Mentalism EFFECTS will be a vital part of what you do as a mentalist entertainer in front of audiences. To be a mentalist entertainer, you will need to learn both the secret of the effective as well as how to perform them in front of the audience so that they are not aware of how the effect is done. Although there are some mentalists do not want to believe that mentalism is a subcategory of magic as entertainment, but it is. Think about it, the secrets to how mentalism effects are developed is by using principles drawn from magic tricks.
ROUTINES
You need to be able to present ROUTINES if you want to become a professional mentalist. A routine is thought of by some as being the piecing together various mentalism effects to be performed by the mentalist one right after the other, seamlessly so that an audience member is not aware of when one stops, and another begins. One approach is to be doing an “experiment” Routines can last roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Piece the routines together 20 minute or so act, even more is a full-fledged 60-to-90-minute show.
STORYTELLING
STORYTELLING increases the impact of your performance of mentalism effects, enhancing the experience for a spectator. Storytelling is a key component of drawing in and engaging an audience. Why does storytelling work so well as a tool to get the audience more involved when performing? It is because when we can relate emotionally to hearing the sharing of an experience either true or imaginary, we relate to it, and it sets the stage for our enjoyment of a performance. Storytelling with effects, magnifies them.
PRACTICE
Why should you PRACTICE your mentalism effects? The reason is that when you rehearse something, you make both the mechanics of your mentalism effect and its storytelling stronger. smoother your mentalism effect unfolds for those watching, the more likely your audience will value your performance. The reality is that learning something new can be uncomfortable or even painful, but when, as mentalists, we practice, your audience, in their minds, will hold you in higher esteem and perceive you as good at what you do.
ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIZATIONS and you part in them, when you are working to become a mentalist, actually speeds up your process. Being around like-minded individuals provide you with friendships, mentoring and more. There are some organizations for mentalists, but many more for magicians. Due to the pandemic, many groups are meeting virtually, so if you live in an area that likely does not have a magic or mentalism club, meeting online makes your participation possible. And even for mentalists, bonding with magicians can be helpful too.
INVENT
When you INVENT mentalism, some of the common effects that you can put together will involve such things as Predictions, Mind Reading, Power Over Objects (Spoon bending, making something float in the air, etc.) and much more. This is where having the knowledge that full-fledged conjurers have, will allow you to have at your fingertips the principles and tools of the magic arts. These elements will make it possible for you to start out inventing simple but powerful effects. You can do it. You can invent mentalism.
MARKET
You must MARKET yourself once you become a mentalist in order to let others know you are available to entertain at their events. But promoting oneself is much more than having a website. It is a tool that must be used in a strategic manner, identifying possible weak spots in your approach, making success more likely. Who are you trying to reach? Where can you find them? How will you get them to commit to hiring you? These are by no means easy questions to answer. But once you do so, you make it much more likely you will succeed.
