Today we’d like to introduce you to Daryl Howard.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My life-long love of magic began at the age of eight, when my Dad took me to see my first magic show at the State Fair in Dallas. From that moment on, I wanted to be a performing magician, and I read every book on the subject that I could get my hands on. (We didn’t have the internet back then!) Today, at the age of sixty-four, I am still performing my close-up magic show for private parties, corporate events, charity events, and other special occasions.
Please tell us about your art.
Magic is a unique art form, because the magician’s work of art is created in the minds of the audience, not on a canvas. This is one of the main reasons why I chose magic as an art form. Originally, magic was performed mainly by doctors and shamans to give sick and ailing people hope that, if they only believed hard enough, they could get well. The magic was a demonstration of the doctor’s power to heal. Now, magicians perform purely for the entertainment value. But, magic does have the power to inspire people. The message is, “If you will only use your imagination, you can achieve the impossible.” Walt Disney once said, “Most of the problems in the world are due to a lack of imagination.”
I agree with him. You have no doubt heard the saying, “think outside the box”. But, what if we could get rid of the “box” altogether? We are only limited by our imagination. That is my underlying message to the audience. There is another message that magic conveys, and that is, “Don’t trust what you see and hear on the surface. Look deeper. Check the facts. There is more going on around you than meets the eye.” Think of how much better life could be for all of us if we just remembered that!
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
OK, how many pages to I get? Seriously, I could do a weekend seminar to answer that question. But, here is the Reader’s Digest condensed version: First and foremost, if you feel the calling to be an artist, ANSWER IT. Do whatever it takes to support your art. If you have to work at a day job, even one that you don’t particularly like, in order to support yourself while you are creating your art, do it. Don’t ever let anyone put you down or talk you out of being an artist just because it “doesn’t pay”. I walked away from performing magic professionally at an early age because I felt that it wasn’t going to pay the bills.
Now, I am happy to perform magic as a part-time profession, and my goal is to retire from my day job to pursue magic as a full-time career. As long as you do quality work, there is nothing wrong with art as a “side hustle”. I know you’ve heard this next statement a thousand times, but it bears repeating. Follow your heart. Don’t let society dictate to you how to live your life. If you have a strong desire in your heart to be an artist, there is a reason. You have a gift within you that needs expression. Art, whether it is a new song waiting to be sung, a beautiful picture waiting to be painted, a stand-up comedy routine, or performance magic, is like a torch that burns inside you. That unborn work of art is a living thing, waiting to be expressed to the world. If you ignore it, or try to hide it out of fear, that living torch will either die out, or it will burn inside you until it burns YOU to death.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can visit my website at darylhowardmagic.com to see a few sample videos of my work. I am also a regular performer in local theaters, such as Confetti Eddie’s Magic Parlor in Deep Ellum, and The Line Bar Magic Show in Richardson. Most of my work, though, can be seen at private parties and corporate events, the bad news is, I can’t invite the public to these shows, but the good news is, you can hire me to perform at your next private party!
Contact Info:
- Address: My mailing address: Magician Daryl Howard
3824 Cedar Springs Road, #536
Dallas, Texas 75219 - Website: darylhowardmagic.com
- Phone: Cell/text: 214.532.3619
- Email: emai: [email protected]
- Facebook: DarylHowardmagic
Image Credit:
Stacy Bratton Photography
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