Posts Tagged paper
Stuff Magicians Like No. 15 – Doing “Magicky” Things at Work
Posted by Kris Sheppard in Humor, Stuff Magicians Like on 07/31/2011
Let’s face it. Not every magician is fortunate enough to do magic full time. There just happens to be a very large group of us that have normal day jobs that we wake up in the morning and brave traffic in order to get there, punch a clock, do menial tasks for eight to twelve hours, punch out and go home. And not particularly in that order.
Perhaps this is the very reason that there is a sub-genre in magic dedicated to “Office Magic.” Where do you think rubber band magic came from? There is definitely some awesome magic to be seen in the work place. Can you say Karate Clip? My friend Kostya even has a book dedicated to magic done entirely with Post-it Notes! (Which I designed the packaging for.) This isn’t quite what I’m talking about though.
What I am referring to is when you find yourself unconsciously performing slights and magic-like actions throughout your day. Some of these particular actions might even help your work-flow.
Squaring stacks of paper. Yup, you have a huge pile of papers, so what do you do? You square them up, of course! Just like you would a pack of cards. There really is no other way to do it than to expertly pinch the corners.
Springing the index cards. Ha! I caught you! I know that you like to spring a freshly opened pack of index cards from hand to hand. Oh, and you don’t stop there either. No, you even try to get a nice pressure fan going on too. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Just the three people that read my blog.
Rubber Finger Thingies. Apparently, they’re called “finger tips.” Who thought!? They’re those rubber caps you put on your fingers that help you turn pages. A word of advice; these make terrible thumb tips. Don’t even try.
Of course, I can’t forget to mention the “Unconsciously Palming Things,” but that deserves a post all to it’s self!
Is there any thing you do at your place of employment that I missed here? Let’s hear it in the comments!
Paper Beats Computer
Posted by Kris Sheppard in Quick Tips, Uncategorized on 07/19/2011
One thing that it’s easy to do when you’re ready to design something is to jump right on the computer and start “designing.” While it may seem like the right thing to do, it’s the most common way to stifle creativity. Instead of turning to the computer immediately, try taking out your good old pen and paper. You’ll be surprised at how much creativity you’ll find when your unhindered by the restraints of your computer program. It’s much easier to brainstorm ideas for content, concept and layout on paper in this way. Trust me and try it. Sketch out some quick ideas. You’ll see.

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