Teller, of the Penn & Teller magician duo, responds to an email from a fan asking for career advice. He talks about their incredible hustle that got them to where they are. And he says this:
Have heroes outside of magic. Mine are Hitchcock, Poe, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Bach. You’re welcome to borrow them, but you must learn to love them yourself for your own reasons. Then they’ll push you in the right direction…
Love something besides magic, in the arts. Get inspired by a particular poet, film-maker, sculptor, composer. You will never be the first Brian Allen Brushwood of magic if you want to be Penn & Teller. But if you want to be, say, the Salvador Dali of magic, we’ll THERE’S an opening.
(hat tip to Kevin Burke)
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Here’s my older post on my icons.
Great thought. Yes “magical” things happen when you combine the liberal arts with another subject. This Macbook air I’m typing on is proof of it.
By diversifying, you are able to be more creative and better think outside of the box. Excellent advice.