“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” – W. Edwards Deming (The man who helped change manufacturing in Japan and inspired the Toyota Way)
Welcome to October’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Fall is upon us. A time of change: the air is crisp, the leaves have changed color and have started to fall in the backyard of my Utah home. Time to grab a rake and a box of garbage bags to clean up most of an acre of lawn. Today is also a great day to carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds in garlic salt in preparation for the celebration!
On Halloween, I will turn 35 years old and take a group of friends through the 3.5 acre Fear Factory haunted house that is one of the greatest hunts in the nation!
This month also marks a very important milestone for me; thank you for being there with me the whole way! It would have been impossible without you.
5 YEARS!
5 years ago, this month, the stock market dropped. I lost my full time job and became a full time independent Speaker and Entertainer! How has it been possible?
It was a scary time. A time of great change and transition. I didn’t know if I would be able to pay my bills or succeed, but I was going to give it my all. This newsletter started 45 days later and you can read the whole journey here: Read here
The key has been in constant and consistent improvement. Every day, looking at what I do and asking, “how can I do it better?” “Where am I falling behind, and how can I be better at adding value to others, so they will help me reach my goals as I support them in reaching theirs?”
To succeed in this economy we must strive to push the pebble forward an inch every day. We must choose a goal and move towards it. If the wind blows us back an inch, a foot or even a mile, we may need to take a day to brush ourselves off. Then the next day, we must begin again anew and move forward an inch. And then after 5 years of “an inch each day,” we will look back and marvel at just how far we have come! We must all be like the phoenix that rises from the flame and the butterfly who was once just a caterpillar with a dream of flight.
Yet, we must never forget where we have come from. There is power in remembering our past, living in the present, and reaching towards the future. Here I am performing as the Lion in the Wiz when I was 17 years old. And again, last month, to raise money and celebrate the building of a new school 17 years later!
This show, as a 17 year old, made me believe that I could succeed as a presenter of stories, magic and songs that would inspire, educate, and entertain. It just took me a decade to act on it!
Send me an email about your adventures. It would be great to catch up with you. (Yes, you)
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” -Steve Jobs
International Magicians Society
The International Magicians Society (IMS) awarded me with their highest honor, the Merlin Award for “Corporate Entertainer of the Year 2013”. Here I am with the award and my grandma Grace Ruth Block the week of her 94th Birthday! Thank you, IMS, for shipping it directly to her house so she could be the first to see it!
To see what my corporate lectures may look like visit: Watch here
Halloween & Houdini
This month I shot an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” that will air in a few months. It was so exciting to be a part of this wonderful experience!
But since Halloween is also the anniversary of Houdini’s death, I thought it would be fun to share with you my very first international television appearance from 10 years ago – the HISTORY Channel special Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery! My segment was shot in the special collections library of the University of Nevada Las Vegas while I was still teaching there. Enjoy! Watch here
“A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life“. ~Charles Darwin
Welcome to September’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
The summer is ending and we are headed into my favorite season, fall. It has been a few months (5) since my last monthly newsletter, as my friend Chipper was quick to remind me, I need to learn the definition of monthly!
June was filled with my very first trip to the UK and visits to 18 cites in England and Scotland. There were so many surprises, struggles, and wonderful people met along the way. Right now, I’m compiling a set of lecture notes about the trip that will be titled: “A Las Vegas Mentalist in King Arthur’s Court”. News in next month’s newsletter!
For now, I have some fun clips and news articles about the last few months to share with you in the boxes below.
This week, I will be the Grand Ballroom MC of the first ever “Comic Con” in Salt Lake City, Utah with 60,000 tickets already sold. Next week, catch me performing at an Alumni show for my old high school to raise money for the new theater and theater program. In January, I’ve been asked to host the 125th anniversary celebration of my undergraduate university. (Am I getting old?)
But first I will finish off the rest of September with public performances at the Suncoast Casino in Vegas, The Magic Castle in Hollywood and then 2 weeks of lectures, workshops, observation and advising with one of America’s great healthcare systems in Florida (for more info read about my work here and here).
Due to all of the corporate consulting, The International Magicians Society and their President Tony Hassini announced that I will be receiving the Merlin Award for Best Corporate Entertainer 2013. (Photos when / if the trophy arrives)
In other news, my Grandmother will turn 94 this month – she still has an active drivers license! And next month will mark my 35th birthday and 5 years of being a full time independent performer / lecturer without a day job or supplemental employment!
FUN MIND TRICK: Try this – If you ever wonder if someone is watching you, yawn. If they do too, you know they were! (You just yawned, didn’t you) 🙂
Send me an email about your adventures. It would be great to catch up with you. (Yes, you)
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us“. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Mentalist / Anthropologist teaches Haunted House actors how to scare!”
I helped design a 3 acre haunted house in Utah and trained the actors. Our expectation this year is to have over 40,000 guests at the haunt. You can hear my voice as our recorded message 801-692-3327 and last week was a ton of fun as I recorded the voice of an animatronic “wisecracking” skeleton that every guest will pass during the experience.
And here is the promo about my work that ran on the station: watch here
Mentalist Paul Draper on “Home & Family” Hallmark Ch. May 24 2013
Paul Draper the Mentalist appears with Olympic fighter Ronda Rousey, Tim Kang from the TV show the Mentalist on “Home & Family” for the Hallmark Ch. May 24 2013. Watch as Paul Draper reads minds and captures thoughts!
Paul Draper Los Angeles Anime Expo 2013 (18+ for language & suggestive themes) watch here
Paul Draper Los Angeles Anime Expo 2013 – This show was presented at the Los Angeles Convention Center for an audience of over 2,000 members. (18+ for language & suggestive themes)
This would be appropriate for Universities, comedy clubs, 18+ venues and some theaters.
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan
Welcome to March’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
We beat out the Neanderthals because they lacked social skills and perhaps Stonehenge was a teambuilding exercise. (Really) Read on!
For decades, anthropologists have puzzled over Neanderthal and human brains, since they are about the same size. If each species had comparable brainpower, why did humans dominate in the end?
A recent comparison of Neanderthal and human brains has revealed it was a matter of allocation of brain power: Neanderthal brains focused more on supporting their bigger eyes and moving their larger bodies, leaving less room for areas related to social networking.
As my anthropology professors used to say, “Even though we were smaller and weaker, we were able to team up and drop rocks on them.”
Neanderthals went extinct because they were less capable of forming large social networks. In a recent study Eiluned Pearce theorized that “smaller social groups might have made Neanderthals less able to cope with the difficulties of their harsh Eurasian environments because they would have had fewer friends to help them out in times of need.“
I am so grateful to all of my friends! Please let me know if I can do anything to help you out in your harsh environment.
Stonehenge:
In other interesting ancient news, new research shows that Stonehenge may have been something like an ancient team-building exercise. According to the University College London’s Dr. Pearson, the beginning of the site’s construction coincides with a time of increased unity among the Neolithic people of Britain. These ancient people may have banded together to build the monument.
“Stonehenge itself was a massive undertaking, requiring the labor of thousands to move stones from as far away as west Wales, shaping them and erecting them,” Pearson said in a statement. “Just the work itself, requiring everything literally to pull together, would have been an act of unification.“
Next month I am working with medical teams in Ft. Myers, Florida for 2 days of intense teambuilding and management training. Perhaps we can use our highly evolved social skills and teamwork to build something that will last the test of time!
Please contact me if you have an office or organization in your area that would like an anthropologist / Vegas Mentalist to present a clean corporate show, or lead workshops on communication, motivation and change management!
“My feeling is that mythic forms reveal themselves gradually in the course of your life if you know what they are and how to pay attention to their emergence. My own initiation into the mythic depths of the unconscious has been through the mind, through the books thatsurround me in this library. I have recognized in my quest all the stages of the hero’s journey. I had my calls to adventure, my guides, demons, and illuminations.” -Joseph Campbell in Psychology Today, July 1971
How Smart Is Your Dog?
Everyone seems to think their dog feels guilty when it does something bad. Is that true?
The best study on that was by Alexandra Horowitz. [Horowitz had dog owners instruct their dogs not to eat a treat placed on the floor and then leave the room. When the owners returned, a research assistant told them whether their dog had obeyed — only sometimes the researcher lied and said the dog had eaten the treat when it hadn’t, or vice-versa]. The only thing that predicted the dog’s response was whether their person looked upset. They got that guilty look whenever the person thought they had done something wrong, regardless of whether they had. Dogs are probably responding to your behavior rather than what they’ve done. That’s an area where people attribute too much.
Two Weber State University Alumni return to Ogden, Utah for 2 shows to raise money to support the Arts in the home of their alma mater.
Music & Mystery: Starring J. Michael Bailey & Paul Draper
March 23rd 2pm & 7pm. Tickets are $12 for students, $15 for adults. Purchase your tickets now here
An Evening of Music and Mystery will feature acclaimed actor and singer/songwriter J. Michael Bailey and renowned Las Vegas magician andmind reader Paul Draper. The two performers will weave music and magic into a tapestry of entertainment and amazement, that will thrill children and adults alike. The perfect date or night out with the family. Music and Mystery should not be missed!
“The life so short, the craft so long to learn.” – Hippocrates (Ancient Greek physician, founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine)
Welcome to February’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Art vs. Craft
Is the child who dances in the rain, in their backyard, between mud puddles performing art? Are they a skilled craftsman? Or are they merely exuding their joy for life?
If a parent of that youth takes a lovely photograph of their child dancing, leaping in the air with a face full of joy and water splashing all around them… is that art?
I believe that it becomes art the moment that someone else sees the creation and says, “I am deeply and profoundly touched by that experience, that is art.” Art, to me, is defined by the other. The experience of the outside individual who experiences it defines it. I become an artist through the interaction of my art and the audience. It is also my contention that context has a lot to do with art: the frame, the museum, the theater, and the space within which the art is displayed.
Showcasing the performance of expert violinist Joshua Bell performing classical pieces in the subway station to see if anyone would stop for free art on the same week he had performed for $100 per ticket at Boston’s stately Symphony Hall.
Is Sophia Lucia an Artist or Craftswoman? Watch Here
Sophia Lucia
She clearly has nearly perfect technique and execution of the moves, but has she performed art with her skill? Perhaps you would enjoy her work more if played on the Ellen DeGeneres Show: Watch Here
Certainly we now pay greater attention. But even in this venue, is it art or craft?
So to define the separation of artist, variety artist, performance artist and craftsman is a very difficult one. In England and throughout the UK they separate the joiner from the carpenter. One builds things out of wood as a craftsman and one creates art with wood. In the US we use the same word for both. Perhaps something is lost in that transatlantic translation within the same language.
For now I will say that I work on my craft with the intention of creating art and my audience decides after seeing my performances if I am an artist. What are your thoughts on the difference between Art and Craft?
Here is a recent 44-second clip from my show performing some bubble magic for a Birthday Boy. Is it art? Watch Here
Please contact me if you have an office ororganization in your area that would like an anthropologist / Vegas Mentalist to present a clean corporate show, or come to lead workshops on communication, motivation and change management!
“To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind of food that it is very good but that most people can’t eat it.” – Leo Tolstoy (Famous Russian author of War & Peace, Anna Karenina and others)
“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” – St. Francis of Assisi
The Happiest Elephant in the World
This elephant plays on the beach in India
Watching this made me so happy I watched it 3 times in a row!
If you didn’t know I am a big fan of Elephants, Rhinos and other large mammals.
I received this as a share from my wonderful friend (and animal activist)
Watch Here
Joanie Spina Artistic Director/Casting Director! Learn more about Joanie and her work with David Copperfield and buy her DVD’s for magicians and performers here
EagleEyes Project
Click Here
Utah Friends: Friday, February the 22nd I will be the MC for a charity show at Olympus High School supporting the EagleEyes efforts to supply heavily disabled people with the tools necessary to use computers and communicate with others. This will be one of the last shows on the Olympus High Stage before it is torn down to make room for the new building. Come and support this wonderful charity. Live and Silent auctions, local artists, performers, music and more!
“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.”– Bob Hope
Welcome to December’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
Bob Hope’s quote rings so true to me. When I think of the happy memories this season, it often surrounds someone who made cookies, sent a hand written card or shared a story with me. This year a little girl, only 11 years old, wrote a new version of the 12 days of Christmas for me and sang it in her brightest voice in my living room. What gift could be bought that could replace that? None.
As Chanukah ends, Christmas is coming and the New Year approaches, I am so very thankful to you for staying with me and reading these newsletters. I recently read the book “The Art Of Thank-You: Crafting Notes of Gratitude”.
It is amazing that in this digital age we often forget to say thank you to people. Harvard Business Review recently had an article on the importance of sending a quick thank you email in response to emails that others send. It may feel like extra clutter, but it lets the other party know that you received the message and read it. It also feels good to say thank you. We must always remember that no one is required to be nice to us. We don’t deserve kindness. And yet many people are kind and giving to us, asking nothing in return but a thank you. It is our responsibility to thank them and to pass kindnesses forward to others. Not because they deserve it, or because we want something from them – but simply because it makes the world better in that one brief moment.
Say thank you to a facilities person cleaning the floors, say thank you to a housekeeper in a hotel, say thank you to door man, a parent with a polite child, to co workers and your family members and friends you haven’t seen in a while. Don’t do it because I say so, do it because it will make a big difference in how you feel.
I challenge you today to say or write “Thank You” to 10 people. It can be on their Facebook page, in a quick email, hand written or in person. Just say 2 magic words that make every day better.
Thank you, Paul
P.S. End of the World Sale! Book my show for your Christmas party. I won’t send out any invoices until Dec 22nd. If the world ends, you won’t need to pay EVER! 😉
Please contact me if you have an office or organization in your area that would like an anthropologist / Vegas Mentalist to present a clean corporate show, or come and lead workshops on communication, motivation and change management!
(A traditional Hanukkah photo at the Magic Castle with a traditional Hollywood Mrs. Claus.)
“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.” -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
In the last month I have been fortunate enough to spend time at Disneyland, Disneyworld and Disney of Glendale (Imagineering offices). However, I recently discovered that one of my friends, Chris Ritter is panning a trip to Disney, as he hasn’t been since 1992 and his wife has never been! I am thankful to him for all of his kind words and advice over the last few years and also for sending me this fun video while we were talking about the best strategy for what to see and do at Disney. (Let me know if you are planning a trip, I can help you.)
“Disneyland apparently no longer has Mission to Mars, but maybe this clip is even cooler.” – Chris
