Beginning to learn how to be a magician, is like learning any new skill; it takes patience, dedication and passion. When I started, the library was my first source of knowledge. I’m so happy other magicians wrote books about sharing magic.
Most of the magic books in the library were geared towards the general public. That’s perfect when you’re 11 years old! I can recall making quite a few of my first tricks from instructions in books. They were tricks that could be made with paper or cardboard and glue.
The process of making the trick was really useful because it helped to shape the presentation. Having an good understanding of the prop allowed me to recognize what it was capable of achieving and also what were the limitations.
I think that not having a magic shop, for me, was really valuable in the beginning. It allowed me to modify tricks I’d read about in the books and made me realize that perhaps the author hadn’t considered all of the options possible. This led me to become more creative with my trick designs.
After high school, I studied product design at Carleton University. The process of learning how to design and create products for mass production also influenced my magic creations. Upon completion of my degree, I embarked on a career as a full-time magician. The combined skill-sets of a performing magician and designer has allowed me to continue to create brand new magic tricks and ideas.
Chris Pilsworth’s 2025 Lecture Tour
As my reputation spread, in the global magic community, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting magic clubs in different cities in Canada, the United States and also China. The presentations I gave offered a sample of some of my creations. Typically, these presentations are called lectures. After the lecture, the magician, sells lecture notes and also some of their magic creations. Over the years I’ve created different lectures that feature some of the tricks that other magicians could introduce into their repertoires. I love hearing from them after they tell me how much the love what I’ve created and how well it is being received in their shows.
Sharing Magic in China
In 2024, I was in China for three weeks. In each of the six cities I visited, I presented my lecture to their respective magic clubs. What was really amazing was that my lecture notes were translated into Mandarin. The translators had copies printed and they were sold at each city. I loved how the graphics and presentation of the notes had an Asian flavour.
Even in my 40th year of full-time performing, I still get excited about bringing new ideas and tricks into my shows. Sometimes, it’s as simple as making a modification to an existing trick and other times it is a completely brand-new idea. All the effort to bring the idea from conception to reality is made worth while when I present the trick in front of an audience. It is a very satisfying feeling. Sharing magic is fun!
