“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
“Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear.” – Dan Millman
Welcome to October’s Mysteries of the Mind Newsletter
WILLPOWER.
I just read a fantastic book on this subject. “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength.” Recently out in paperback.
One of my favorite stories from this book is the update on the famous 1968 Marshmallow test. In the early 70’s researcher and psychologist Walter Mischel of Stanford first published his ingenious experiment with Marshmallows and 4 year olds. 40 years later, after following these kids throughout their lives, the long-term results are in and they are life changing, literally.
The Test: Mischel submitted hundreds of four-year-olds to a test of willpower. The kids were set in a small room with a marshmallow or cookie and told they could either eat the treat now, or, if they could hold out for another 15 minutes until the researcher returned, they could have two.
The Results: Most children said they would wait. But some failed to resist the temptation for even 30 seconds. Many struggled a little longer than a minute before giving in. The most successful participants, however, figured out how to distract themselves from the tempting treat by turning around, covering their eyes, petting the marshmallow like it was a pet or kicking the desk. By changing their focus they delayed gratification for the full 15 minutes and received two treats.
Recent follow-up studies on these preschoolers found that those who were able to wait the 15 minutes were significantly less likely to have problems with behavior, drug addiction or obesity by the time they were in high school, compared with kids who devoured the snack in less than a minute. The gratification-delayers also scored an average of 210 points higher on their SAT scores.
Mischel recently wrote that most people tend to focus on the immediate pleasure of the experience. The marshmallow. They will think of the temptation, as Mischel likes to say, in a “hot” or emotional way that makes it hard to resist. The same can be said of an adult smoker or alcoholic. But if you do want to resist, says Mischel, what you need to do is think about the object you desire in a “cold” or cognitive way.
So, for example, to help the children resist the treat, before leaving the room Mischel told the kids to imagine the treat in front of them differently. “I told them to think about those marshmallows as if they were just cotton puffs, or clouds. Those instructions to the 4-year-olds had a dramatic effect on their ability to wait for the thing that they couldn’t wait for before.” By changing perspective it changes reality. By changing our focus we can overcome temptation.
Happy Halloween! Make sure to eat all of your candy, but leave a marshmallow for me!
Here is a modern clip of some 4 year olds trying to resist
Watch here
“Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli
“You can have anything in this life that you want. It is just a matter of choosing what you want. Being okay with what you have to “give up” to have it. And then being satisfied with it once you achieve it.” -Paul Draper
My first theatrical (TV & Film) acting reel!
Thank you to all of the actors and filmmakers involved!
Sean Critchfield, Simon Relph, Danny Trippett, Jaron Briggs, Justin Carter, Michelle Egli Zumbrunnen, Taylor Glenn, Bethany Elsmore Curry, Autumn Applebaum, Bronson Anderson and many more.
Find more videos like this at my new theater page: Click Here
Halloween
This Halloween marks my 34th Birthday and 4 years as a full time independent entertainer and lecturer. Back in October of 2008 I took the bull by the horns, summed up the courage (and willpower) to become my own boss and master of my own destiny. In honor of that anniversary, a brand new “Day in my Life” 2012 video. Who knows what wonderful things we will all be doing next year if we begin our journey today. This is what I have been blessed to be doing this week.
“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” -Henry David Thoreau
Welcome to August’s Mysteries of the Mind Newsletter
There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Some new research suggests that it’s possible to change that feeling, paradoxically, by spending some of our precious time helping other people.
Cassie Mogilner of the University of Pensilvania, Zoë Chance of the Yale School of Management and Michael Norton of Harvard Business School recently authored the paper “You’ll Feel Less Rushed If You Give Time Away.”
The results: Spending time helping others leaves people feeling as if they have more time, not less.
The research: In a battery of studies, researchers assigned some subjects to help another person-by writing a note to a sick child, for example, or editing a student’s essay-and instructed another group of subjects to do something else. In one study the other group wasted time by counting the letter e‘s in Latin text, in a second study they did something for themselves, and in a third they simply left the academic lab early. In each experiment the people who lent a hand to others felt as if they had more time than the people who did not.
Researchers said that they thought it might be the social connection, the meaning, or the enjoyment associated with helping others that made the study subjects feel more relaxed about their time. But the explanation that emerged in the results is that people who give time feel more capable, confident, and useful. They feel they’ve accomplished something and, therefore, that they can accomplish more in the future. And this self-efficacy makes them feel that time is more expansive.
By giving away time to others, the study found that individuals feel more effective, and that enhances their productivity.
(Certainly if you’re giving so much time away that you’re not able to complete other tasks, then it’s not going to work.)
But the research indicates that giving even a small amount of time to someone else should make you feel you can do more in the time you have. The study showed that it didn’t matter if individuals gave 10 minutes, 30 minutes or a full day, the same positive benefits in productivity and feeling of having more time were realized in just 10 minutes.
“A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” -Jack London
So many lessons in leadership to be learned! Communication, Motivation and Change.
“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” – John Adams
Commercials
Last month I gave you the preview of my first regional commercial. Union Wireless Cellular uses a little magic to talk about Mystery Fees. UW is the premier telecommunications provider in the Rocky Mountain region and #1 in Yellowstone National Park.
Now you can see both the first and second commercial here.
Your Favorite Sites
What are your favorite sites on the internet to visit other than: Facebook, Amazon, Ebay, Pintrest, twitter. What are some fun sites that I may have never heard of that have great content or great design?
This is a question that I asked some of my friends on facebook this month. Here are their fantastic answers. Enjoy!
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” – John Adams
Welcome to July’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” -John Adams
Certainly on July 2nd representatives decided that the colonies would separate from England and be united (verb) States (still independent) of America (the continent) and stand together against the English monarch.
But, they still had many years to go before the creation of a people known as “THE United States of America” (singular).
July 4th 1776 a copy of the Declaration of Independence written by Jefferson, edited by Adams and Franklin and polished by the rest was read outside of the Pennsylvania State House (Independence hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I keep a reproduction on parchment from Independence Square that hangs on my bedroom wall; I look at it every day that I’m in Vegas. It inspires me. Within the leadership, vision, courage and passion of those men we can still learn many lessons that are applicable today. In my corporate lectures, I often use their stories to educate modern managers about change management, corporate culture leadership and individual accountability.
On July 19th 1776 Congress ordered all members sign the Declaration of Independence.
By August 2nd 1776 all but 5 had signed.
Thomas McKean was the final signer; he didn’t add his John Handcock (see what I did there) to the final document until 1781, over 5 years later.
After the declaration was signed, there were still 7 years of battle and smallpox outbreaks to overcome before the end of the Revolutionary War. This was followed by 4-5 years of civil unrest (and several Presidents of these United States – who came before Washington) until the current Constitution was passed in 1787.
However, not everyone agreed. North Carolina didn’t agree to the current constitution until almost a year later and Rhode Island took almost a year and a half after everyone else to join in 1790.
So once the constitution was signed, were these states unified as one nation speaking as one unified voice? No, in 1864 the phrase “United States” was still treated as plural “the United States are”. It didn’t become common to treat it as singular, “the United States is ” until after the end of the Civil War in 1865 almost 90 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
So many lessons in leadership to be learned! Communication, Motivation and Change.
If you work for a company that has sales meetings, corporate retreats, annual trainings etc. – Let whoever organizesthem know about my website www.anthropologyoffice.com . (Probably the VP of HR or the Dir. of Marketing).
It would be fun to bring these interactive sessions & shows to your group. (If you want it to be anonymous, private message me with their contact and either I or one of my managers will “cold call” and follow up)
Looking forward to spending time with you in your city.
“Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” – John Adams
My first regional commercial!
My first regional commercial! Union Wireless Cellular uses a little magic to talk about Mystery Fees. UW is the premier telecommunications provider in the Rocky Mountain region and #1 in Yellowstone National Park.
This is the first in a series. More to come next month.
Vegas Mentalist / Magician responds to the New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Soda Ban.
Come to Vegas and enjoy the freedom to drink all of the soda you want!
“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
Welcome to May’s “Mysteries of the Mind” monthly newsletter!
We are just a few days away from Mother’s Day and so I begin with a quote that hung in my mother’s kitchen throughout my childhood on a small painted wooden sign that read “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” The sign didn’t give the name of the author, nor did it offer the speech or book it came from. However, the concept of the quote inspired her, and today it and she inspires me.
My mother was a single mom for most of my life and she had the difficult task of raising a precocious son with a love of music and magic.
At one of my early performances at the Magic Castle she was seated next to actor Neil Patrick Harris and with a smile he asked if she performed magic as well. Her answer was “I only do one trick, I make magicians appear” he laughed and she continued “but I’ve only done it once!”
As a girl she worked as a checker in her father’s grocery store, then owned a small museum replica gift shop she called “the Cat’s Meow” before changing her career to work as a CRS Broker in real estate. She worked long hours and focused all of her tenacity and energy on customer service, integrity, self-education and humor.
At night I would catch her reading the encyclopedia from cover to cover. First the A’s and then the B’s and so on. After she had read the entire set, she would start over and read them again. From that set of books alone she walked away with a better education than many people gather over years in university.
At times the housing market was slow and she would stay up late at night working on marketing, advertising and personal newsletters to capture the attention of past clients in the hope that they would use her services again or refer her to their friends. Sometimes, times were so tough and money was so tight that she would tie a knot in the end of her rope and rent rooms in our house to help pay bills and hold on.
I never went hungry. She made sure of that. I never went without shoes or clothes or a roof over my head. She would go hungry first. It was important to her that I graduate from university, she used to say, “An evil government or an evil person can take away your house or your possessions, but they can never take away your mind.” She wanted to make sure that I had a knot to hold onto. At the peak of her career she was bringing home $300,000 per year selling family properties, an incredible sum for a single mother in Utah.
In her final days she taught me her most valuable lesson. “In this life, surround yourself with people of kindness over those who are just rich or beautiful.Because wealth and money are fleeting but kindness is forever. Be a person of kindness and you will never be poor.”
My mother passed away a few days ago (March 28th of 2012) at the age of 55. But through her hard work and dedication to the two of us as a family, she gave me the opportunity for an education, helped me through the struggle of becoming a full time educator and entertainer, and has given me the gift of a knot to hang onto to catch my breath before beginning to climb back up to the top of the rope again.
I don’t know who originally said, “When you get to the end of your rope tie a knot and hang on.” A quick search on the Internet finds Franklin Roosevelt in Kansas 1977 (oddly, 22 years after his death), Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, the bible, and even Winston Churchill. My roommate Mike Olsen found it possibly first in print in a 1946 article in “California Folklore Quarterly” listed as “a proverb of the American West”.
No matter who said it first, I will always see it in my mind hanging as a small painted wooden sign in my mother’s kitchen. It reminds me to never give up, accept that sometimes life gets rough and when it does, tie a knot, hang on, gather up strength and sum up the courage to once again begin climbing in the direction of your dreams!
Remember to give your mom a big hug this Mother’s Day.
-Paul
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!
God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them. ~John Aughey
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas WorthSpreading. It started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people fromthree worlds: Technology, Entertainment, & Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences — the TEDConference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer — TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, as well as the annual TED Prize.
The 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.
On Friday night, you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your movie. 48 hours later, the movie must be complete. Then it will show at a local theater on the big screen within the week.
In 2011, nearly 60,000 filmmakers made 4,000 films in 96 cities on 6 continents.
For your 4 minutes of viewing pleasure, this years submission from my team: click here
You can also catch some of my past years projects here: click here
