.svg)
“I want to make magic cool. I want to reinvent the image of what a magician is.”
Chelsea Kneeland begins this episode by asking magician Anna DeGuzman about her start in the industry. Anna explains that magic was never her planned career path, and she did face some nay-sayers because of this. But after being self-taught, she started posting videos of her tricks online and making appearances on TV. As her exposure and popularity has grown, she’s savored the opportunities to give people a sense of wonder and the idea that something greater is possible through her artistry.
Chelsea asks Anna about being a female magician in a male-driven industry, and Anna says she tries not to think about that. She wants to be the best magician period, and she wants her performances to be unique. While she derives inspiration from magicians like David Blaine, she emphasized how important it is to also pull inspiration outside of magic. By incorporating other arts, her personal style, and her specialized cardistry, she seeks to provide a performance that is not your typical magic show.
Anna expresses how new her career still feels, but she does hope to travel the world someday to share her magic with more and more people. She encourages others who are following their dreams to not give up, stay committed through times of discouragement, and always be yourself—for that is where the true magic happens.