InSleightful Thinking: How Magic Unlocks Creativity — Even for 4-Year-Olds!

These delightful 4-year-olds LOVE magic, but what they don't know (yet) is how it can help them be even more playful and creative - now and in the future!

How Magic Can Spark Creativity (At Any Age!)

Did you know?Both watching magic and learning magic can measurably improve your creativity.

Studies show that these experiences relax what’s called cognitive fixation — the mental trap where we see a situation in only one way and can’t imagine alternatives. They also promote divergent thinking, the kind of thinking that leads to creative breakthroughs.

💡🎩 In fact, a 2023 study published in ScienceDirect found that elementary students who watched and learned magic performed better on divergent thinking tasks than students who practiced other art forms — or who did neither.

A Real-World Example: Preschoolers and the Magic of Divergent Thinking

I had the chance recently to witness this firsthand — and with some of the youngest "creative thinkers" imaginable.

As I shared in a recent post (2/22), I performed a magic show for a group of 3–4-year-olds at Three Circles Studios. You might think kids this young wouldn’t "get" the magic. Believe me — they got it.

Totally absorbed in the magic lesson.

Not only were they engaged and eager to participate, but they experienced the magic with pure wonder and laughter. It was absolutely delightful.

After the show, we all gathered at a table, where I taught the kids (and their parents) a couple of simple magic tricks:

• How to make a coin disappear

• How to make three tissue balls appear one by one under a stack of Dixie cups

These little ones stuck with it for about 20 minutes — quite a long time for preschoolers! You could practically see their wheels turning as they experimented with each trick.

The parents quickly saw how this kind of playful exercise wasn’t just fun — it was helping their kids think in new and creative ways. Magical gestures, imaginative words, and a sense of possibility filled the room.

One moment that especially stood out:

• We were trying to make something happen in reverse.

• One little girl chimed in: “I know how to do it!”

• “How?” I asked.

• She beamed: “By saying the magic word backwards! Cadabra Abra!”

Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.

"Cadabra Abra!"

Why Magic Is a Powerful Creativity Tool

Of course, magic isn’t the only art form that can help unlock your creative thinking. Engaging with any art form can produce similar benefits.

But magic may be uniquely powerful:

• It invites us to imagine impossible outcomes.

• It encourages us to suspend disbelief.

• It teaches us that seemingly "fixed" realities can be reshaped.

In upcoming editions of InSleightful Thinking, I’ll dive deeper into why magic can be one of the best vehicles for sparking amazing creative results — in life and in business.

Try It Yourself

Here’s a simple challenge:

• Visit your local library and pick up a beginner’s magic book.

• Learn how to create one or two miracles.

• Perform them for real people.

You may be surprised by how the process inspires you to think differently — and how that mindset carries over into your professional creativity.

Or if you’d rather not learn magic yourself:

• Treat yourself to a live local magic show.

• There are plenty to discover — a quick search will reveal options in your area.

Either way, you’ll walk away amazed — and, I trust, inspired.

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