I've booked a small number of shows to try out some new material for some bigger shows. That was hard... what's harder now is, is coming up with more material. I'm going through every Mentalism book, every Mentalism DVD I have pulling small pieces here and there and adding my own twist to whatever I can in an attempt to create a whole new act. It's a difficult process trying to figure out what works for me - difficult, but fun.
What the books and DVD's can tell you but not teach you is confidence, which I am convinced is 90% of what makes a good mentalist, a good mentalist. Anyone can learn anything when it's something you can use your hands to do. Some better than others. But confidence, that just comes with experience. I don't lack confidence when it's routines I can do in my sleep, but to present something brand new? It's easy to lose when you keep thinking, "Did I just screw that up? Did they just see that?".
I'm keeping the Second Sight act as part of the show, that's ALWAYS been my favorite routine. Half dollars covering my eyes, being held by 5 pieces of duct tape covering my eyes, the bridge of my nose and just above my eyes and on top of that, an opaque blindfold. Then, hopefully, I can describe what people have in their pockets, what they are holding in their hands and messages written after everything is covering my eyes. Right now, I'm working on a routine where 3 people write down 3 different things on 3 different pieces of paper. While the paper is still folded (you really can't see through them - they're just cut up pieces of index cards), I tell the people exactly what they have written, holding the folded pieces of paper in front of them and immediately handing it to them only to have them open it and verify to the audience that what I had predicted what they wrote is, in fact, 100% accurate. Hardest thing I have ever done, but I know I'm onto something because I don't mind (read: enjoy) spending the time learning it, getting the patter down for it, re-learning it, etc.
In the meantime, to keep me occupied in between figuring everything out, inspired by Richiardi, The Amazing Jonathan and Tomas Medina, I've started the art of eating razor blades. I take a balled up piece of thread, 5 seperate razors and swallow everything whole and have them emerge with each razor threaded on the thread and bloody... enjoy...
