Wian Van Den Berg - I Believe If You Use The Internet The Right Way, Advertising Yourself Reaches So Many People That The Work Will Come In (Magician, South Africa)

Fell in love with magic when I saw a magician on TV and started learning tricks online. I then started making videos that went viral on Facebook and eventually posted everywhere and it got great success on TikTok and Instagram with nearly 15 Million followers now.

1. Tell us about your background and journey?

I grew up in a small town in South Africa, fell in love with magic when I saw a magician on TV and started learning tricks online. I then started making videos that went viral on Facebook and eventually posted everywhere and it got great success on TikTok and Instagram with nearly 15 Million followers now.

2. Do you think being a magician is financially stable career?

Absolutely. As with anything today, I believe if you use the internet the right way, advertising yourself reaches so many people that the work will come in.

3. What is your success mantra in life? 

I believe in getting something done instead of getting it perfect. Sometimes we plan too much and our dreams fade away because we overthink. The moment you stop saying tomorrow and start saying today everything changes.

4. What are the skills required to be a successful magician? 

You have to love what you do. That is the only way you will truly want to learn more and spend a ton of time on it.

As long as you spend a long time on it, you will start learning how to misdirect people and how to handle them which is the true skill of magic.

Practise is important but you can be the best in the world, but if you're just performing to family or a mirror everyday it doesn't get you somewhere. You have to market yourself and that I've found to be the true skill.

5. What piece of advice would you like to share with aspiring artists? 

To start. If you love something, don't wait on it. Social media is here. Start uploading today! Think of ways to turn something into a viral video and most importantly market yourself.

6. Who is your favorite artist or magician, you believe to be your role model? 

Justin Flom. I actually got to meet him and the thing I admire most is how much success he achieves in every part of his life.

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

Honestly I don't read books, but Gary Vee has been my inspiration in the words he has said as he just somehow knows how to inspire people.

- Wian van den Berg

- Interviewed By Kusum Jha