We recently connected with Dennis Kim and have shared our conversation below.

Dennis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I’d go as far as to say that I’m content as a full-time magician in entertainment! Happiness is a different story, and I think it’s also fair to say that anyone could relate in their field, whether unconventional or not. There are highs and lows in a career such as mine, and I find myself reflecting about my journey throughout, the longer I’m in it. Not every month is a step moving forwards, and that’s okay. The constant uncertainty, variance, and even unpredictability of my work makes it difficult, at least in a social sense, to fit my schedule into others’.

However, along with that uncertainty comes much flexibility at many times – it’s two sides of the same coin. Personally, I am grateful to even have a lot of stability in my position in consulting on a magic show every week, which gives me the freedom to pursue my own gigs and creative work at my own discretion. Some periods of time are creative lulls, and other times are fueled with a gnawing fervor.

As the years go by, I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job and career, as the longer I go along on this path, the more I forget what that’s like – but all to say that I still believe that things couldn’t have happened any other way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Dennis Kim, and I am a full-time magician. I perform magic at various events all throughout New York (and sometimes elsewhere), from weddings to corporate outings to birthday parties to charity events. I also consult in magic and illusion design for other magicians as projects come along, with my consultation work mainly taking place with theory11 on ‘The Magician at Fotografiska’ as well as ‘The Magician Online.’

I also get involved in other wacky projects as those opportunities present themselves, such as Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards and public features on CNBC and New York Public Radio.

Magic was a hobby since I was 10 when I fell in love with entertaining others. It was gratifying to practice something in private and present it in public with positive feedback and reactions of amazement. I loved performing magic so much that I even slacked off in my studies throughout school in pursuit to learn and practice more.

I got into all this work from the idea that, perhaps, it is indeed possible to make my dream a reality. I did anything and everything I could to market myself and put my name and work out there through social media, until I started getting hired for different gigs and events. I eventually struck a resident position at the Museum of Illusions in New York, giving me stability to continue pursuing a career with a livable income. I continued to work tirelessly on my magic, marketing, and networking, until I then landed another stable position that magicians would die for – to work for the greatest magic show in New York called ‘The Magician at the Nomad Hotel.’ From there, I received a priceless mentorship while working on the show with a team comprised of veterans that directly helped to redefine the magic industry since the early David Copperfield and David Blaine days.

I am most proud of providing value to the constantly sold-out show that now lives on at Fotografiska, and being able to juggle that with my own personal work, brand, and publicity.

What sets me apart from other performers in my industry is that the magic that I present to an audience is hard to come by with other magicians, because I work so closely and intensely with such a unique team who created and still creates large impacts in magic on a global scale. I’m exposed to so many trade secrets, and I’m able to workshop, expand, and develop those secrets even further with like-minded individuals on a regular basis. There aren’t many things I feel comfortable admitting to being extraordinary at for fear of being mistaken for being boastful and overzealous, but this is one of those few things I can say with utmost confidence.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The more I work in the entertainment industry, the more I see that entertainment is the most important aspect of society that keeps people sane. Moreover, I realize that people may have a mistaken perspective about how many people work in entertainment – it isn’t just comprised of A-list celebrities and names that are globally renowned.

There’s a frustration that the rest of us feel in dealing with prospective clients in that the perception in hiring us for our services is seldom worth the value that we charge; it’s a challenge that we all struggle with from time to time, gig to gig, only to be met with clients being surprised at our performances exceeding expectations and resulting in a truly unique event turnout.

Freelancers and independent contractors work hard to earn every dollar – we don’t even receive benefits that salaried workers may take granted for such as a retirement plan nor company-sponsored insurance. We deliver our best work and performance because we decided that we love what we do enough to pursue this uncertain path pursuing a career out of it.

It becomes such an emotional rollercoaster for many of us, because at the end of the day, we live in a hyper-capitalistic society that costs more and more to simply even exist in. It’s a complicated issue, but things can start out with individuals outside of entertainment understanding better that there’s less and less of an incentive for us to provide free work for “exposure” and “potential networking opportunities” to save on a budget.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

None of us truly know what tomorrow has in store for us.

March 13th, 2020 was when we went into a countrywide lockdown due to the pandemic. Though every single one of us had it rough in my own ways with career as well as mental and physical health, there were precedents that were set that I see as a silver lining for many people. One that comes to mind is the ability to work from home for many office workers.

Many were still able to hold onto their jobs or find new ones that enabled them to work from home, even to this day. Prior to the pandemic, this would have been a laughable idea. I see it as a good thing and a necessary aspect to work/life balance moving forwards as a society.

However, this did not and does not apply to those of us working in entertainment. We had to figure it out ourselves, and much of the opportunities and networks we built upon leading up to the pandemic were completely erased. Navigating my work once the pandemic started to fade into the rear view mirror has proved to be challenging, and no beneficial precedent such as working from home has ended up applying to me – and I know everyone working in entertainment feels that way too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thecloseupartist.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thecloseupartist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecloseupartist
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/thecloseupartist
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/denniskmagic
• Other: www.linktr.ee/thecloseupartist

Image Credits
Richard Torres Amy Sims Thomas Koslo