What I do is rooted in magic - it's got a big foot planted firmly in conjuring, even if the other foot's planted in psychological techniques.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the blend of artistry and psychological methods in performance magic.
Derren Brown highlights the dual nature of his craft as a magician, where one foot is engaged in the mysterious and enchanting world of magic and the other in the understanding of human psychology. This speaks to the artistry involved in his performances, combining the illusion of magic with an insight into how the mind works, ultimately creating a more compelling experience for the audience.
In practice
In a talk about the importance of creativity in the arts, this quote illustrates how magic can be both an art form and a psychological exploration.
Each of us is leading a difficult life, and when we meet people we are seeing only a tiny part of the thinnest veneer of their complex, troubled existences. To practise anything other than kindness towards them, to treat them in any way save generously, is to quietly deny their humanity.
Feeling we have to be constantly updated about the lives of our friends and that everything we say has to be out there leads to frustration, anger and jealousy much more than it leads to anything else.
We go through life owned by the stories we tell ourselves which are often historic and charged narratives - things we've learnt since childhood that we don't even consciously realise are going on.
A diner having a row with a waiter in a swanky restaurant chills the blood in a way that a quarrel over a pizza order elsewhere would never do. Compassion is rarely the custom of the privileged.
Clearly if a hypnotist could make someone to steal Β£100k just by telling them to, the world would be a different place, and I suspect that hypnotists wouldn't bother doing shows in pubs or dodgy Spanish holiday resorts.
It's a controlling thing on stage - you're directing the action, getting people to play their role. In real life, I take being kind and nice seriously, so the last thing I'd ever want to be is that weird, controlling, manipulative character.
Each book I've done somehow finds its own unique form, a specific way it has to be written, and once I find it, I stick with it.
All great composers of the past spent most of their time studying. Feeling alone won't do the job. A man also needs technique.
What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That's what their substance is.
I chose poetry. Actually, poetry chose me.
What counts in a good story is the person inside. Keep it simple.
I believe in creative control. No matter what anyone makes, they should have control over it.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.