From Magic to Puzzles: Crafting Joy through Innovation | 4min snip from The Tim Ferriss Show

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#679: Simon Coronel, World Champion of Magic — Quitting the Day Job, The Delights of the Magic Castle, Finding Glitches in Reality, Learning How to Use Your Own Brain, and Worshiping at the Altar of Wonder

The Tim Ferriss Show

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CHAPTER

From Magic to Puzzles: Crafting Joy through Innovation

This chapter explores the creative process of designing a unique jigsaw puzzle influenced by geometric illusions and mathematical concepts. The narrative highlights a transformative career shift from magician to product designer, emphasizing the joy of crafting delightful experiences during challenging times.

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Simon Coronel (simoncoronel.com) is legally classified as an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability” by the United States Government for his skills as a magician and illusionist. Simon discovered magic in 1999 as a first-year student at Melbourne University. He then spent five years working full time in management consulting while juggling his “secret” performance career.

He’s currently a jigsaw puzzle designer for The Magic Puzzle Company, which has the #1-backed puzzle on Kickstarter of all time, and is a regular performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Simon has appeared twice on the hit TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. He has won over a dozen international awards for magic, including being crowned the World Champion of Magic in 2022 at FISM, the Olympics of magic.

Please enjoy!

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[06:12] Radical earliness.

[08:23] The Magic Castle.

[17:27] Catching the magic bug at age 18.

[19:56] Acknowledging neurodivergence.

[28:16] Glitches in Reality.

[30:53] The road to winning the 2022 FISM World Championship of Magic.

[53:04] Workshopping out the kinks before the competition.

[57:59] The muse and the Shoot seal of approval.

[1:01:31] Gauging audience perception and finding balance pre-game.

[1:05:49] The big day.

[1:18:45] Categories of stage magic.

[1:20:15] Ugly crying through victory.