Old My Brain While I’M Shuffling

Hold my brain while I’m shuffling

1st edition N°1 - Create

Dimitri Arleri 2016 N°1 - Create

DIGITAL VERSION Hold my brain while I’m shuffling Originally published in 2016 as a physical book by Dimitri Arleri

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Index:

Page Chapters

10 Introduction 14 What is a good move? 18 Different ways of thinking 26 Create opportunities 28 Skills 30 Timing 36 Be curious 38 Style 40 Conclusion 7

Preface

“I've known Dimitri for a while, so I had the chance to see every stages of this book you are now reading. What started as a late night discussion between two beers evolved into a little paragraph on a sheet of paper, then into a bigger article and finally this book. Creativity is probably one of my favorite aspects in cardistry, so I spent a lot of time and effort researching this subject and I can tell you that this is the most and probably the only complete book written on this matter. Studying those simple techniques and advices made my creative process more powerful and efficient. I’m sure this will help you going through your creative frustrations and will give you great practical tools to come up with masterpieces.”

Ladislas Toubart 9 Introduction

First of all, don’t get too excited. Creativity isn’t exactly something you can teach or learn, so this book won’t be some kind of magic recipe that will instantly make you the most creative flourisher on earth. This book will, however, help you to understand the principles of the creation of a flourish, and there- fore help you to think in a way that will make it easier for you to create “good” cardistry moves.

I’ve noticed that lately, in the cardistry community, being creative is what defines you as a “good” flourisher, as it makes you stand out from all the others card shufflers on YouTube doing the same moves. And I think it’s great – it means that we’ve come to a point where skill has become a tool and not an end in itself, and that a performance of cardistry can be an expression of something deeply per- sonal, as your moves are the results of your own thinking, thus making this discipline more than just a hobby or a skill, but maybe a true art form. 11

But new does not mean good, and I’ve better, and most of the time, it does. Again, creating something new, that since making a video and posting it noticed way too many people, in car- But the potential of an idea is only isn’t especially brilliant, is necessary, online is pretty much the only way distry and other art forms, confusing as good as the determination of the but it is a tool, and people seem to to “claim” a move as your own, they these two concepts. Being creative creator to create something ama- confuse this with the real purpose: rush to post an awful performance means being able to create meaningful zing with it. So creating a new move making something great. of it as soon as the first idea comes. new ideas, forms, methods, inter- should never be a pride if the move But the worst thing about this is pretations and so on. Meaningful. is not especially good, and claiming I also see a lot of people that create that now that they’ve got their Creating something new just for the a move that isn’t brilliant doesn’t moves just for the pride of being the name on it, they move on to ano- purpose of it being new is irrelevant: make any sense: think about it, how first one to do it, and to take the ther flourish, leaving the first one just like skill, creativity is a tool, not can you really know that what you credit for it. There’s nothing wrong unfinished and still shitty, never an end. Of course, good ideas take created is new? If we can agree that with that of course, if that’s what to work on it again. time: they evolve, merge, change, and people only share ideas worth sharing makes you happy then go ahead: as it is pretty rare to stumble directly on (so, “good” ideas), how could you ever long as the move is awesome, it’ll Keep working on your moves. an idea that is already good. So “new”, know if your not-so-good idea hasn’t make everyone happy. But be care- Always. They will continue to evolve even if it’s not good, isn’t bad, if it has been created before, and not been ful, because this causes a problem even after you have mastered them the potential of becoming something shared already? that I’ve seen way too many times: completely. 13

What is a good move?

“ The move itself is as important as the way it is performed.”

So to be able to create a good move, turnover, for example). Those moves then it also has the potential to is new doesn’t make it interesting). we first need to define what a good are usually considered stunts, as enter the “impressive” category). It’s also important to note that the move is. What is it that makes us most of them are “high risk” moves. perception of a move as interesting consider a move “good”? I consider Now the final category is a little can differ, depending on whether the 3 defining factors that make a By Beauty I mean moves that are bit more subtle. Interesting moves, you’re a layman or a cardist who has move “good” as being: impressive, eye-pleasing; usually this means that unlike beautiful or impressive ones, already practiced and studied this beautiful and interesting. a move contains both good flow and are rarely able to stand on their own. art. It’s pretty common for artists to smooth transitions between each What makes a move interesting may refer to art history in their work; it is Of course, the best moves are a com- stage of the move. A beautiful flourish be for example the way it works, if it obvious in paintings, but also true in bination of the above. Let’s take a does not necessarily even have to uses a certain law of physics, or if it cardistry. For example, when Spencer closer look at these 3 criteria. show any skill to be appreciated can be related to something else out- Clark does a one handed triple shuffle, (though of course, in cardistry, side cardistry... a good example would it doesn’t have the same impact on An impressive move is so because even the most basic moves usually be isolations: these moves cannot, in someone who has seen a normal it apparently displays a good show a bit of dexterity). Let’s also my opinion, be considered as either one handed shuffle before, versus amount of skill: it doesn’t need to keep in mind that the move itself extremely beautiful or impressive, someone who hasn’t. In the first case, be eye-pleasing to be appreciated by is as important as the way it is per- but we still appreciate the effect that the move would be impressive, yes, the audience, nor does it have to be formed: for example, a two-handed it gives. Another good example would but also very interesting (as it refers difficult to do... it just has to look cut like Pandora, which is a good be Chotu’s Spring Spin, which is ama- to a well-known move), and in the difficult to do. If you’re performing example of a ‘beautiful’ move, can zing mostly because of the way it second case, it would just be a “very for laymen, they might think some only be seen as beautiful if it is per- works. These kinds of moves usually impressive” move. In the end, we moves are really impressive, when formed with a good amount of speed focus more on the method, or the don’t relate the same way to a move, in reality they may not be so hard and smoothness. Furthermore, if the idea behind it, rather than the move so it’s important to choose your move to do (the arm spread one-handed speed of the move is fast enough, itself (note: the only fact that a move according to your audience. 15

Of course, those three criteria are very subjective, but in the end, the best moves are usually appreciated as such by most types of spectators (I don’t think I ever met someone who thinks “Under Pressure” is ugly, for example). So the first step is to ask yourself, honestly, whether you think your move matches one (or more) of those criterias. Being honest about your own creations is sometimes hard because of the pride you have in coming up with a new move, but a question you should ask yourself is this: what would I have thought about the move if someone else showed it to me? 17

Different ways of thinking

“ Your surrounding has a huge effect on how you think.”

So what is really going on when one creativity usually creates beauti- tries to create a move? How does ful, random, flowy moves, and it’s it work? There are 2 main types of especially effective for 2 handed creativity in cardistry: the “hand cuts. The problem with only using creativity” and the “head or brain this technique is that you will find creativity”. The key to creating good yourself doing only broken down moves is to mix these methods. Let’s parts of moves that your hands have take a look at each one. already memorized, so the “level” of your new flourish will be limited “Hand creativity” is basically thinking by your current skill level. This is with your hands. You need to have why it’s important to remember a deck in your hands and play with that in order to create good moves, it, sometimes for hours, to see what you must first work on improving flows and what looks good; it’s all your technical abilities. This seems about experimentation. You’ll try obvious, but still I see so many thousands of possibilities before you beginners attempting to come up find something that is good which with new moves after only 1 month you also really like. This kind of of practicing cardistry. 19

Also, since the “flow” of your move- that you come up with won’t actually ments has a lot to do with this type have methods for performing them in of creativity, music is often a good the real world... yet. source of inspiration. I would suggest practicing to different kinds of The idea can be anything: a shape, a music, to see how you react to them packet movement or even something with cards in your hands: music can completely different from cardistry affect your mood, which alters the that you can adapt to cards. It could way you think. Also, try different be a method to do something, the places with different atmospheres: final result or both. With this tech- your surrounding has a huge effect on nique, you can come up with very how you think, so try to use this to interesting or impressive moves. your advantage (note: musicovery.com Although, because the idea you have is a website I often use to jam with my visualized in your head will probably cards; it creates playlists according to be quite unpractical to actually exe- a chosen mood and energy). cute, it most likely won’t be very beautiful, and that is one of the rea- The other type of creativity, which sons why it’s very important to mix in my opinion is more interesting, is the concept of “hand thinking” with “head creativity”: thinking with your “head thinking”. This combined way head (duh...). For this you don’t even of thinking will make it possible to need a deck of cards in your hands: get your crazy ideas out and into you just need to imagine and visualize something smooth and beautiful. moves inside your head. The possibilities here are endless: imagine a Now it’s important to keep in mind move, an idea, and then try to make it that the idea itself doesn’t have to be a reality. With the cards in your head, creative for the move to be creative: muscle memory is out of the way, and making two squares, one on top of the this makes it possible to really think other, with one hand, isn’t a very origi- outside your comfort zone. With this, nal idea – anybody could think of that – you’ll be able to create new concepts, but actually finding the way to get there not just variations of what you already is the creative part. This is what Andrei know. However, most of the ideas Jikh likes to call “technical creativity”. 21

“ Breaking down a move to its essence.”

So, to create good moves, the main Also keep in mind that you don’t A nice way to modify an existing represents a different way to play idea is to combine “head” and “hand” have to build completely new ideas move is to use the SCAMPER method. with the existing concept: Substi- creativity as you wish. The combi- from scratch. Most of the time, I suggest you look it up on Google: tute, Combine, Adapt, Magnify, Put nation doesn’t have to be perfectly your new move will be a variation basically, it’s a brainstorming tech- to other uses, Eliminate, Rearrange. balanced, of course; it all depends of a move that already exists, and nique, or a checklist, which helps you Even if you do it unintentionally, on your style and on the type of that’s totally fine: you can create modify something that already exists you’ll realize that most of your crea- move that you ultimately want to something very different based on a (not just limited to flourishes of tions are in fact just SCAMPERed come up with. well-known move. course). Each letter in the acronym versions of other moves. 23

Something that I also love to do when I try to come up with new cardistry moves by modifying an existing move is what I call “theorizing” a move: it’s basically breaking down a move to its essence, and then trying to understand the move in a really pragmatic way. Here’s an example to make it easier to understand: let’s “theorize” a few fans and put them in a table. Thumb fan Flower fan Riffle fan Naoki 360 fan

Now that you can see all this clearly, it gets really easy to see Plane Flat 3D Flat Flat what you could change in a move, and the impact that it can have. For example, I see that some fans have a pivot point Shape Round Round Round Round outside the fan, and that’s not the case for a thumb fan... what if I switch two of those cells and try a thumb fan with a pivot Degrees 270 270 360 360 point outside the fan? What if I try a Naoki with a “gravity force”? A flower fan with a mechanics grip? Everything just Pivot point Within fan Outside fan Within fan Outside fan gets a lot clearer. Of course, this table isn’t nearly as complete as it could be, so I encourage you to create your own: one that Hands 2 2 2 1 fits the way you think. Also, keep in mind that I purposely chose moves that are very easy to break down, so you’ll have Grip Mechanic Weird Mechanic/Biddle Biddle to get more creative when you “theorize” things like compli- cated two-handed cuts: number of packets, fingers needed, Force Friction Pressure Gravity Friction flow, slide, grip, spin...

When there’s a move that I like, I always try to “theorize” it in my head, as this helps me to understand exactly what I like about the move, making it easier to apply it to my own ideas. Create opportunities

“Good mistakes won’t actually happen if you don’t get out of your comfort zone.”

Another factor that you have to take try to use decks in different conditions for something incredible to happen, The people around you can also into consideration, which neither you of use. Try to experiment with a brand you probably won’t get anywhere. make a huge difference in your nor I can control, is luck: an occur- new out-of-the-box deck, then with creative process. I know that not rence that actually happens quite often a normal broken in deck, and then You can also force yourself to create everyone has the chance to be able and I’m sure it has already happened with a crappy old sticky deck: you’ll by limiting yourself on purpose. This to hang out with other cardists, but to you in the past. Usually by accident, see that you have different results can help you a lot with the “technical it’s a good idea to surround your- without really trying, you’ll invent with each type of deck, because some creativity” that I mentioned earlier. self with creative minds regardless. a really cool move and then spend moves are a lot easier to do depending An example would be to take a two- Not necessarily just card guys, but hours trying to do it again, sometimes on the deck condition (and of course handed move, and try to reproduce it creative people in general: jugglers, followed by months of trying to really with practice, you’ll learn to do the using only one hand. This will force artists, designers, musicians... they master it. Unfortunately, with luck all move with a “normal” deck). you to get out of your comfort zone can all inspire you in your cardistry, you can do is just practice an awful lot and think outside the box. How do and give you insightful input on and see what happens. Also keep in mind that “good” mis- I perform Flirt using only one hand? what you do as an artist. Don’t be takes won’t actually happen if you Well, Kevin Ho decided to use his afraid to share your moves and ask There is, however, a method I have dis- don’t get out of your comfort zone, so index in “Biddle grip” while Oliver for their feedback: their different covered that can increase your chances do learn new stuff, hard stuff, weird Søgård preferred to use his thumb cultural and creative backgrounds with luck. When you’re practicing stuff, things that will make you fail in in “mechanics grip”. I once tried to can lead to very interesting opinions moves that you already know, or while a way that you really don’t expect: if create a one handed cut without using on what you do, even if they never trying to “hand-create” a move, you can you just keep doing a Sybil and waiting my thumb: the result was Angel cut. heard about cardistry before. 27

Skills “Creativity alone doesn’t improve your skills, but skills will improve your creativity.”

Another tip for creating good flourishes... is to stop creating flourishes (huh?). Let me explain: creativity alone doesn’t improve your skills, but skills will improve your creativity. Have you ever seen a complete beginner create an awesome brand new flourish? No, not because he’s not creative yet, but because his lack of skills limit his creativity. Like I said before, the “hand moves” that you create will only be as good as your current level of skill. With the “head creativity” method, it is possible to imagine moves that are beyond your skill level; however, you’re still physically limited to what you can actually do. It will be extremely hard for you to think of a move that is far beyond your skill level, almost impossible, and even if you do imagine something, you won’t be able to visualize it in the way it’s supposed to be, it will be more of an abstract concept than a move. So you’ll have to ignore your creative ambition for a while, and increase your skill level to be able to create those better moves. 29 Timing

“It’s important to be able to visualize every idea you had, even the unfinished ones, even the stupid ones, even the ugly ones.”

Another topic I want to talk about is inspiration and isolation. While it is obvious that watching a lot of cardistry performances and taking part in the community to gain inspiration helps creativity a lot, it’s also true that isolation – taking a step back from the cardistry world – can also help you to think outside the box and create new and very original flourishes.

On the one hand, the community represents the “global creativity” of cardistry, and learning from such (which is totally fine and necessary), will evolve you as the community evolves. On the other hand, isolation, which is also necessary, will allow you to “unlearn” your reflexes and encourage you to create a move fur- ther away from said global creativity, which will potentially be more original and unique. 31

With that in mind, you’ll have to choose the right amount of inspiration and isolation to maximize your creativity. Something I personally do is to alter- nate inspiration periods with isolation periods; a period can last from a few weeks to even years.

On a smaller scale, it’s also interesting to know when you are the most creative, and use this time correctly. For example, I’m more creative during the night; the best ideas usually come to me right before I sleep. And because I know that, I always try to have a deck of cards and a notebook right next to my bed, just in case a great idea crosses my mind. But also keep in mind that ideas can strike at any moment, so it’s always a good idea to carry a notebook – be it physical or digital – everywhere you go. We recently released a free mobile app, The purpose of writing down or called “My Shuffles”, which can help documenting your ideas isn’t just you documenting your ideas on the go; to remember it until you get home, you should check it out. or remember to practice it later, but sometimes an idea can lead to another, and that can happen weeks, months, or years after. This is why it’s important to be able to visualize every idea you had, even the unfinished ones, even the stupid ones, even the ugly ones. You never know what will come out of it. 33

Here’s a fun story: about 6 years ago, I So yes, document your ideas: it’ll be weeks/months/years and the move came up with something very similar to worth it. Worst case scenario, you’ll is starting to look like I pictured it my flourish called Surface. The only real laugh at your old ideas and you’ll in the first place, I usually re-film difference was that I didn’t turn the deck realize how much you improved. it and share it with a few friends lengthwise before doing the spread, so whose judgment I trust. After that, it didn’t really look like anything, but My documenting process usually I usually get enough constructive I knew there was something interesting goes like this: first, I write down the criticism to modify the move and I with that motion. Two years later, after idea or draw something as soon as I repeat those last steps until I’m very reviewing some old ideas I had filmed get the idea, quickly, so that I don’t satisfied with the move. and forgot about, it struck me that if forget it. Then after I get home and I turned that damn deck 180°, I could have tried it out a bit, I try to film make a fan. Two years just to turn the it with my webcam, until I get one deck a little? Totally worth it! Surface is or two shots that are not too hor- now one of my favorite creations. rible. After I’ve practiced it for a few 35

Be curious “Go out, and keep an open mind.”

I often say that if you want to be To me there are 2 type of inspiration good at something, you have to spend when it comes to “other activities”: time doing other things: while it’s Direct and indirect inspiration. Direct important to practice a lot, it is also inspiration would be juggling or magic, necessary to do other activities. What for example: you can directly apply I mean is that, if you only do cardistry certain concepts from them to card all day you’ll get good, yeah, but you moves. For example, the contact jug- will quickly be stuck in your creative gling moves that you do with playing process. Your brain needs to breath, to cards, or the backpalm-inspired flour- see other things. A lot of other things. ishes: it’s all about adapting what you Do sports, do arts, go out, learn a lot want to your own art form. of different stuff, make music, meet people. You need to be curious, and Indirect inspiration is, for example, get interested in everything! This will music: you can’t really turn a song get you in a creative mindset that will into an actual flourish (well, maybe help you when you actually come back you can, but that’s not the point to flourishes. here...), but the inspiration you get will be more abstract and will affect Kevin Ho often talks about how we your creative process overall. should “steal” outside concepts to mix it with our own art. Well, where are you going to steal anything from if you keep focusing on your cards alone? Go out, and keep an open mind. 37

Style

“The presentation is almost as important as the flourish itself.”

When you have created the mechanics adding style to your flourishes is of a move and you have practiced adding a flourish to a flourish.” and mastered it, it’s not yet over. For example, if you created a two- Next you have to create a presentation handed cut, you need to consider The flow of the flourish is also key, so it’s maybe a good idea not to for that particular move, something how to position your hands (far from something to take into consideration: go full speed, so that you can actually that will fit your style. But what your body, towards your body, down, the flow is basically the rhythm and have flexibility with your flow. exactly is style? up, eyes level), how to position your the speed at which you perform the body (your stance is very important move smoothly. It’s all about control. Some people think that your style Style is your choice of moves, the while performing, especially live, so A good analogy for that is rap music: will just come with time and that way you perform those moves, and choose wisely, and remember that it’s pretty cool if a rapper raps really it’s already deep inside of you, but I the way you present them. Creativity it depends on the flourish you’re fast right? But maybe not for the do believe that you have to actually also applies to presentation. Since performing). Also, if some fingers whole song, what is interesting is flow create it to be fully in control of what cardistry is a visual art, not only aren’t needed for a cut, what do variation during the song, and smooth you do. It is true that your style will do the cards themselves matter, but you do with them? If you’re doing a transitions between those variations. probably (and more easily) come from everything that shows, every part one handed flourish, what does the Well, it’s the same with a cardistry your personality, but that doesn’t mean of your body (or just your hands other hand do? Especially if you’re move: some part of the moves might you don’t need to specifically and and arms in the case of a close up performing live, the manner of the look better if you slow down, other consciously work on it. You have to video) also matters. Jonas Haglund presentation is almost as important parts might look better when perfor- think about every detail and how has a nice way to put it, “In a sense, as the flourish itself. med faster. But again, control is the you want your moves to look. 39

Conclusion

Keep in mind that you don’t have to create moves to be a good flourisher or to express yourself: the way you present your moves can be very per- sonal. If you don’t have fun creating, don’t feel obligated to do so: the whole thing is supposed to be fun. Actually, if it’s not fun for you, it probably won’t work.

But creativity in flourishes is as necessary as it is useless: you don’t have to be creative to flourish, but without creativity there would be no cardistry. 41

Credits

/ Edited by Marie Evrard / Book design by Marie Evrard, Ladislas toubart & Dimitri Arleri / Photography by François Dubois & Nicolas Verfaillie / Proofread by Kevin Ho, Tom Kestens & Raphaëlle Dutil

A big thank you to Kevin Ho, who manage to make me look like I could actually speak English, to Ladislas Toubart and Antoine Thomas for all the discussions that led to those theo- ries, to Marie Evrard, who turned those words into an actual cool looking book, and last but not least, a big thank you to the cardistry community without which none of this would have happened. 43

About the author

Dimitri is a 26 year old cardist living in Paris. He’s been creating and studying cardistry for almost 9 years. After building a reputation with his two first videos, he was featured in “Monument”, a instruc- tionnal DVD produced by Theory11. Since then, he’s been performing cardistry shows, headlining at Cardistry-Con, and hard at work creating a new cardistry brand with Ladislas Toubart. When he’s not shuffling cards, he’s probably either climbing a wall, working as a freelance advertiser, or eating smelly cheese. 45

About Touch

We are a collective of creative minds and souls. We challenge ourselves every day to change a refreshing new art: the art of cardistry. Every move, every performance, every project that does that feels like an accom- plishment to us. Sharing our passion and collaborating with other artists is what keeps us going, and what makes us grow as artists. To us cardistry is about evolu- tion, not about perfection, that’s why we don’t mind dropping cards. www.cardistrytouch.com