Magic is important to me because it has been a huge part of my life since 1989 when I was 12 years old when my Grandma taught me my very first one which was the classic 21 card trick. I was amazed by it, begged her to teach me, and once she did I was hooked on learning magic ever since.

I used it to help cope with being bullied, it helped me escape and took me to another place or sometimes I'd bring a deck of cards to school and do a few tricks and for those few minutes while performing I felt accepted.

With that being said, magic has taught me over the years the value of astonishment.

It's a healing force that can make someone having a bad day forget their problems if only for a moment and put a smile upon their face and wonderment in their heart.

Grandma passed away 7 years after teaching me that first trick that has sparked a life long dedication to this art. And although it has been a little over 25 years since that day, I still perform a version of the 21 card trick in honor of her and to remind me of the wonder I felt that day because the #1 thing magic has taught me is that if I am preforming for an entire audience or for a single spectator that it's not me vs them, instead it's both of us on a journey discovering the wonders of magic together, and not apart.