you’re here. I win.

I’m not sure how sustainable this “magic trick after dinner” series is…but for now it’s just a bit of fun to keep me in the momentum of posting everyday. Huge s/o to this woman…who somehow never gets tired of my antics, my strange ideas and always gives me the space and patience I sometimes require to sit silently even when we’ve wrapped on dinner but I need to “just think for a second, because there’s something funny I can do here”… For my type of creative work, there is no greater gift someone could give me. It is a strange kind of knowing and silence that I require. It’s “yes and” mixed with “take your time”. Do what you can’t. Have a great weekend. Huge thanks to Matt for taking care of us tonight @themulemakestacos - He always goes above and beyond. Absolute legend. xx, -AK P.S. What are you most excited about this weekend? Any plans?

Once upon a Time, there was a version of me that would sit at a table, on an air mattress, at a school desk, in a car, or some other hiding spot and practice the reps, over and over and over again. Instead of socializing with the rest of the group, or playing with the other kids at the campground like a normal person… I would be hunched over, with a deck of cards, or a coin, or some other small inexpensive prop, and learning my craft. The text overlay on this video has a double meaning, And without going too deep into it here, because we don’t need a Kumbaya moment I hope this finds the person that it needs to find today and helps them with whatever it is they might need to be helped with tonight. In other news, it’s a throwback Thursday, The fun days of being a brand ambassador for Victoria Gin, and making cool little promo videos. Nothing too deep. Nothing to see here folks. Keep scrolling. Being vulnerable on the internet— oh god. What have I started? Quick, talk to me about you so I can shut up now. Eeeek 😬 Thanks for believing, xo, -AK P.S. You instagram fam tend to love the magic stuff apparently so I’ll do MORE!! Haha!! Woohoo 🙈 🎩

This is what my brain comes up with when I go for a casual motorcycle ride to clear my head. Hopefully your mind is calmer than mine was today. If not, tell me what’s got yours racing… Happy Friday! 😃 🐵 xx, -AK P.S. If you haven’t seen the Copperfield special, you should check it out. It’s so great. #comedy #magic #motorcycle

Some gorgeous shots of audience members reacting, and then I start to go-off about how the one thing young performers will never be able to fake is TIME. This is an excerpt from the upcoming special coming called “Magic Beyond Tricks” that my friend @general_weirdness put together! I’m really stoked about it. If you haven’t already, comment: “SHOW” to get access when we launch 🚀 it! If you want to be good, you have to put in the reps. We could sit here and argue about what “good” is, but that’s not my point. I believe there is a line that can be drawn when it comes to what is “good”. It’s that feeling the right demographic of people gets when they get to experience the right type of creator, do something that brings out in them the right kind of feeling. 🤷‍♂️ The shortcut to being able to do that for people is knowing that there are no shortcuts for time spent practicing, and honing. In an instant gratification world, the person who spent the most time practicing the thing, and putting in the work to conquer the intangible and frustrating experience of being able to DO the thing…wins. If someone looks like they’re winning for any other reason, I promise you, you’re likely right…maybe they did just get lucky…maybe they were in the right spot at the right time and in front of the right people. But the ones who show up over and over again, consistently, and win…they are different. They have put in the work. Study them. Model their behaviour. Steal from them. Win. And if you lose, I promise you’ll at least have learned something to get closer next time.

When they say: “Do you know where the remote is?” But they are actually just saying, “hand me the remote”. These quiet commands that masquerade as questions can be some of my biggest peeves in any relationship. Platonic or otherwise. In my experience, people who use subtle manipulation techniques like this or these kind-of “embedded command structures” consistently and over long periods of time, end up being some of the most toxic people. I hate to get so dramatic, but this bit of my neurosis is what inspired the dialogue for an 18 second piece of Meta Magic 😆 😂 I think the healthiest couples I’ve met have a version of subtext and “read between the lines” communication, but it is so healthy and wholesome. It’s hard to capture in a brief instagram caption, but I’d say the healthy fun version is more like: “where on EARTH did you disappear to today?…I missed you.” vs. the shi**y cringe kind: “Do you want to go to the store to buy some eggs…we ran out.” Maybe it’s just me. But I don’t think so. If you’d like someone to do something for you, just ask. Don’t imply. Don’t make them mind-read. Don’t manipulate. Just ask. Anyway, the people reading this probably aren’t the ones who need to hear it, so I’ll save us both time and just say this, Thanks for believing, Miss ya already. xx -AK P.S . Definitely did not get a noise-complaint because we managed this in ONE TAKE. 💪 🙌 😆

Not everything works out in life as well as we hope. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we screw up. Sometimes we just can’t seem to do anything right. But luckily for you, this isn’t one of those times. Enjoy this strange moment of psychology, meets showmanship, meets sleight of hand and vegetable-juggling? Thanks for being here, -AK P.S. Happy belated World Circus day. 😘 🤣 #circusaroundtheworld #magic #cardmagic

It’s funny how admitting things that can seem so innocent or trivial to anybody watching can seem so daunting. When I hear myself speak about these silly little things aloud in this clip, it makes me wonder why I was so hurt by people’s attempts at being funny or building rapport. The dad jokes, stock lines, and references I heard a thousand times was really just an attempt at creating a new friend or a bit of joviality. I believe now in most instances it was an attempt to insert even more light and levity, and not some put-down or intended as a demeaning or derogatory remark. It’s weird being a mystery artist, or even a comic. I don’t know that there are too many other industries where this phenomenon of “omg you do xyz, do it!! Do IT RIGHT NOW!!” is a thing. However, my doctor friends have told me how unbelievably awkward and revealing many people get at parties with them as well, so maybe it’s across every industry? I wonder if Louis Armstrong ever got “yo, can you trumpet for me like RIGHT NOW…?” What’s the strangest request someone has made of you that had to do with your profession but out of context (i.e. not at work)? Magic Beyond Tricks is coming! Hope you like what’s about to happen. Huge s/o to the team that made it possible! Specifically Kyle & Dan!

If I’m quoting Churchill by the end of the day, you know it’s been an INTERESTING one. I burnt my freshly trimmed beard that @calebfasthairstyling put so much time & love into making perfect. My hands still smell like @colemancanada_ camp fuel, and my neighbours most CERTAINLY think I’m nuts. But tonight, I will go to bed TIRED yet VICTORIOUS. My teeth aren’t straight/white enough, my hair is too thin, my midsection too wide, my arms to lanky, and my energy not cookie-cutter enough. That’s the internal dialogue I have to mute every time I step-up and press “submit” on a video. Whether it’s to a casting agency in Toronto, or to all you beautiful people on Meta. How we got onto the topic of body dysmorphia amongst men from a fire-juggling unicycle ride…I don’t know. But here we are. Good day, Thanks for believing, -AK P.S. Gentleman, are you in the southern Ontario area? Caleb does house calls and it’s an experience I HIGHLY recommend. Check out ALL of his work. 💈 🎵 😎 P.P.S. @jigsawcasting thanks for always providing me with such fun challenges. I had a blast today 🚀 ✈️ 🙌 !!

What goes up, must come down. The art is in how you manage to accommodate the landing. Elon’s getting spaceships to land back on earth so he can re-use them. I’m playing ring toss with my @ouraring ! 🤷‍♂️ What did you do to make today a little different?!

When you’re just trying to focus and she goes and says something that gets you all frazzled! My balls were all sandy after this, and I had to dip them in the lake to wash them off. Luckily they weren’t all blue, otherwise I might’ve lost them in the water. 😬 🤣 🤫