I recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with a past dojo mate and joining his Ki to the City podcast for a conversation exploring two of my greatest passions: Aikido and Magic.

What do martial arts and sleight-of-hand have in common? More than you'd think…

How “being a Magician” transcends technique and becomes a way of being

• Why true mastery involves invisible mechanics that create real transformation

• Shifting from responding to conflict as an “attack” and interpreting it as “pressure” instead

• What it means to move with grace, effortlessness — and joy

• And how both Aikido and Magic point toward unseen forces that shape our lives

If you're into Aikido, Magic, mindset shifts — give it a listen. I hope you find something of value.

Listen to the Ki to the City podcast

Ghabrana Nahi is a web show hosted by Rafea Moshin of Evenement, an Event Management and Solutions Company based in Pakistan.

Honored to be featured on their 20th episode as their first international guest!

Discover what sparked my interest in magic, the challenges faced and surmounted when moving west, and how I’m currently making adjustments to meet this moment.

And of course, there’s a bit of magic as well.

We had a fantastic time and hope you’ll have a look!

David Ben - Photo credit Paul Alexander

David Ben is the Artistic Director of Magicana, an arts organization dedication to the exploration and advancement of magic as a performing art.

And he’s always up to interesting things…

Magicians and Fake News

Here’s an interesting opinion about Magicians and Fake News contributed to The Global and Mail.

“This is more challenging in the digital age, when people prefer answers immediately – even if they are based on false memories and narratives – rather than embark on a journey to the realization that perhaps there are some things better left unexplained.”

— David Ben, Artistic Director, Magicana

Illusions: The Art of Magic

Adolph Friedländer, Comedians de Mephisto Co. Allied with Le Roy-Talma-Bosco, 1905.

David has also guest curated Illusions: The Art of Magic, which runs from February 22nd - May 18, 2020 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition includes some amazing experiences, including live talks, performances, films, and other events.

Magicana

David’s organization, Magicana is a fantastic resource to explore — whether you’re magician or not.

Enjoy.

I met Emily Balcetis many years ago at the Tribeca Ball, in New York City. She was a guest of the organizer and I performed bit close up magic for her and we got to talking.

One thing led to another — as things often do — and she invited me to visit her class and talk about Visual Perception in Magic with her students at NYU’s Psychology Department. We did this a handful of times over the course of a few years and it was a great learning experience for me.

Here she is speaking at TED:

Anyway, Penguin Random House is publishing Emily’s book and I’m thrilled to have a couple of pages all to myself!

You can pre-order it here.

Thanks, Emily! It’s an honor.

And congratulations on your success!