Country Conditions & Disney Discoveries

Weird title right? I'm going to discuss two different topics in this blog.
First is "Country Conditions".This is referring to the big show we had on January 18th in Augusta, GA. It was for 4600 people and it was at a bull riding fundraiser. Yes, you read that right. We performed in an arena on an 8 x 8 ft platform where bulls had just been bucking around. This meant lots of not so awesome smells and lots of cow patties. Which to me was kind of normal. I grew up around the rodeo so I am as country as it gets. I loved it. My sweet city boy husband magician guy struggled a little. He stepped in a cow patty and didn't find it nearly as funny as we did. That night was insane, but such a blast. We even had to wear country outfits. It was awesome!

So after we finished up with that show, we headed to Columbia for a short break before our anniversary trip to Disney World. It was my first trip there and to be honest I wouldn't have thought much about work would have come up. Or atleast that was the plan. No Brandon didn't do magic for anyone and we really didn't talk about it for the most part. But one particular night an interesting topic came up that sparked an idea for this.

We were eating at Coral Reef in Epcot (you may have seen it on an episode of Full House) across from a very loud family, but like I said, an interesting conversation came up. Yay for eavesdropping. This mom was going off on a fit about how some princesses were ruder than others. I know at first I was like well duh. But then as we listened more she really went into depth about it. She talked about how Cinderella wasn't as nice as the others. Then the more she thought about it she decided well maybe she had a bad day or something. They don't know what might be going on in her life right now.

This thought amazed me. Of course these poor princesses go through some of the same stuff we do. No matter what, everyone expects you to be super happy bubbly awesome mood when you first meet them. I couldn't count all the days when I have been having a rough time and sometimes it's just hard to keep a smile on your face. But fans don't think through stuff like that. And it's part of our job to not show if something is wrong. I actually had gotten kind of offended by how some of the characters acted but once the lady said that, it all clicked and I took it all back. 

Princess Ariel, Rapunzel, Snow White, & Cinderella

While it really is hard somedays just to keep it together, there is still nothing in the world like someone wanting to take a photo with you or getting an autograph from you. I was so excited about meeting all the princesses. Especially Ariel of course. I felt like a little kid, it was just an awesome experience. And it's funny to think how some people do that with us. Not usually me necessarily. But I see the way that little boys look up to Brandon. He does magic. They just think it's the coolest thing ever. Seeing them smile like that is just one of the best things in the world!

"When you are hugging a child, always be the last one to let go. You never know how long they need it."

- Words from a retired Snow White

The Pressure To Fit In

"They laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at them because they're all the same."

As some of you may know, Brandon and I have our biggest show ever coming up. By show, I mean about 7 minutes. But the audience consists of 5000. We are doing a quick flashy opening, an intermission spot, and a closing spot. All illusions, for a bull riding fundraiser event in Augusta, GA. Pretty awesome. Well we originally were told that our opening spot would be off in a corner of the arena so we had decided on an illusion to do. Then we were told it would actually be in the center where the other spots would be. That changes things since we have to drag out a stage into the middle of this huge dirt arena with the illusion.
Yesterday we tried to work on a new opening. A different appearance for me. Like I said. We tried. With what we had just laying around we tried many different ways to produce me out of just stuff. A random case top. A curtain tube. You guys, it was pretty pathetic. I tried everyway I could to fit into some of that stuff but it was literally impossible.

Yeah I looked like that. Not a pretty sight. But the more I thought about it I was like gosh this is how life is. We are constantly getting "shoved into boxes" that we aren't meant to fit in and we try EVERYTHING to make it work. And somehow or another, something doesn't fit. Your hips that are just slightly too big. Your knees are poking out. You can't get your head flat enough. Always something.
Sometimes we aren't meant to fit in. And we really should accept that and be proud of it. I'm definitely not one who fits in with everyone else. We need to stop trying to make ourselves fit in. It's like in the original story of Cinderella. The evil stepmother tried everything possible to get the ugly stepsisters' feet to fit into the glass slipper. Even if it meant slicing off parts of their foot. Seriously too far. Isn't that what a lot of people do today though? We want so badly to be loved and accepted as who we are so supposed to be that we will change anything and everything about ourselves to fit in.

"It takes a STRONG fish to swim against the current. Only dead fish go with the flow."

If I can tell you anything about being a magic assistant and trying to fit into tiny little places that people really shouldn't fit into, you should know is there is pressure. And sometimes it majorly hurts. But sometimes you just don't fit. And it's not worth trying to keep pushing it, or it might break. Is that really worth it, losing yourself for something unimportant?

"The problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It's that you're destroying the peg."

No I'm not trying to preach at you. Just telling you how my life is changing. Like I said in the last blog post, this will be a better year for me but it can't just change because I want it to. I have to make the effort. I have to quit trying to make myself be something I'm not. I'm a square peg in a round hole kind of world. I'm a magic assistant that doesn't quite fit in the world's box. And I'm finally realizing that is totally okay. 

I am tiny. Only 5 foot 3 at around 110 pounds. But guess what? I still don't fit in some boxes. I need to take pride in the fact that I'm not quite like everyone else. I do fit in most boxes, but some are too small and a LOT of them are far too big for me. Even if it's a situation where the box is so big that I'm swimming in it, that still means that I don't fit. 

My life as a magic assistant is the same as life for everyone else. 

It's all about the pressure to fit in.

New Year, New Hannah

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- Write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."   -Neil Gaiman

This is the last day of 2013 and boy am I happy. Goodbye to the most stressful, painful, exhausting year of my life! It seems that years ending in odd numbers aren't lucky for me.

Today also marks the last show of this year for us. And after this show there will be lots of changes. To the material, the costumes, the scripts, the hair, the makeup, the office work... it's ALL changing and definitely for the better. I'm retiring two of my most "iconic" costumes tonight and I couldn't be happier. Most of my costumes I have had since I started in magic at the young age of 15. So needless to say they are starting to look quite immature on me and I have far outgrown them.

My hair I am going to start repairing back to its original color. I found an awesome red hair shampoo that can do that for me. Then to work on finding a style. I am refusing wigs now so it is just trying to find me a good way to get volume and maybe some curls.

The Many Faces of Hannah.
Yes that is Ariel. I'm also planning to become a mermaid this year.

As far as makeup goes I'm ready to start doing a Smokey eye and I really should start wearing more fake eyelashes. And get a shade of foundation that is my skin tone. Believe it or not even red heads tan a little when you live at the beach for a year.

We are completely redoing our office work techniques. Brandon has been reading lots of Dave Ramsey and has lots of plans for the new year. Lately we have been working a lot on our personal lives and getting it in better shape. Now it's time to tackle the rest.

This year I will take over as my role as a magician truly for the first time. I'm going to build a small show just for myself and come up with some of my own routines for our show together. We're also hoping to get some more boxes for me to jump in and out of. Maybe I'll get to finally levitate soon? I'll guess we will find out.

Performing my first solo routine back in October

So as this year winds down I KNOW that the coming year will be better. But I also know that because of what all has happened this year I'm going to be a stronger person and able to take on whatever gets thrown at me next.

I'm counting it down. Only a few hours left and I can't wait. Break out the sparkling grape juice. It's time for the New Year, New Me.

Start Over

Just in case you hadn't heard, lately we have been busy rebranding our company. Which is super exciting but it's almost like starting over. We are getting a new name. The company has and always will be "Wagster Magic" but since Brandon started it in 2009 he has always been called The Magic of Brandon Wagster and when I came along, that didn't change.
Now as we are switching over to more of a duo magic act the name has to change to accommodate that. A few people have been asking "Does that mean you won't be a magic assistant anymore?". I will ALWAYS be a magic assistant no matter what. I will always be the one jumping in and out of the boxes and I will always make sure that I present Brandon and make him look good. We may become a duo team but he will still always be my magician first and foremost.
Since we are still the Wagster Magic company, website will stay as www.wagstermagic.com. Unfortunately we do have to start from scratch on our Facebook fan page though, you can't change the name after you have so many likes. Very sad! But like I said, with some of this we just kind of have to start over.
Our official launch date will be on October 31st. The website, fan page, and new merchandise will all be released at our big Halloween show.

Wagster Magic Halloween Show Page

Which in case you haven't heard about the show, we are super excited! After almost 4 years of having the idea in our heads we are finally able to do it. If you're in the Myrtle Beach area on that night, please come out and see it. This will be the first chance for you to get our new merchandise and our audience will be the first to see the new logo!
Along with our rebranding, we will be changing our own personal looks too. Our costumes and hair are changing. It's honestly pretty stressful what all we have been doing lately but it will be worth it in the long run!
I'm finally changing my "featured" outfit to something more mature looking and for the first time I'm starting to wear shorts on stage, which is awesome by the way.

We have finally figured out who we are with this logo and I hope you all agree that it is the perfect look for us when we release it!

Go Broke, Get Rich... Maybe

How is it that out of all the areas of magic we could have chosen, we pick the most expensive by far? Oh because that’s just how it goes. We chose to be illusionists. That means we’re the guys doing the tricks with big boxes.  Amongst other magicians, you have to work extremely hard and pay your dues to earn that title.

In our spare time over the summer Brandon and I both worked at our local magic shop to help out. After every time a trick is pitched and the potential buyer hears the price they just freak out. Come on it’s only $17.99. That’s nothing. 

The problem with wanting to be an illusionist is that the majority of your show needs to be illusions to really be considered as one. And man do they cost money.  We have to save up thousands for just one illusion. But seriously, it’s worth it! To make money you have to spend it first and literally go in the hole to buy a few big props so you can move from the title magician to illusionist.

Fairchild Magic Illusions

There are lots of things that make illusions expensive though so the price really isn’t that bad when you think about all that goes into it. First off, you have to pay for the building materials. Then a lot of labor and TLC goes into getting them put together and all pretty. And many illusions have certain builders who are the only ones allowed to build and sell them. And of course it took an extremely smart and creative person to come up with the idea! They deserve to get paid for it. That also includes the rights to perform it.

Then after you finally get your prop you can’t forget having road cases, which can be just as much as the prop sometimes.  Professionally built illusions are made to last. But we've seen a lot of guys who just throw their props in the back of a trailer or van like it’s nothing and it destroys them. You can’t just wrap them in bubble wrap or blankets and expect them to withstand travel. Those cases are tough and for a reason; you have to protect the illusion. It's really smart to spend the extra money and get the case.

 

Our sweet Isabell in front of some of our road cases

Once you spend tens of thousands of dollars then you can start performing in larger venues for bigger audiences and hopefully make the big money. Go broke, get rich. It hurts to spend money like that I assure you, but it’s worth it in the end.