Nothing Is Impossible: The Real-Life Adventures of a Street Magician by Dynamo Page A
Book: Nothing Is Impossible: The Real-Life Adventures of a Street Magician by Dynamo
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Authors: Dynamo
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feature on me, and, not long after, Channel 4 approached me to make a one-off special, Dynamo’s Estate of Mind , while MTV soon followed suit with Barrio 19 – a programme that showcased street talents around the world.
I honestly don’t know how things would have worked out if I hadn’t had that serious operation. It really was a life-changing moment. Maybe I’d still be doing magic, maybe I wouldn’t. But I do know for certain that being in the hospital filled me with a desire to achieve that hadn’t been there before. I had alwaysbeen driven, but after hospital I had never been more determined, more focused.
My Crohn’s is a lot more manageable now. I might be in pain every day, but I hardly ever get hospitalised. I used to be in hospital every few weeks, but I haven’t had a flare-up for a couple of years at least. My last downfall was a bag of popcorn at my local cinema. I woke up the next day in devastating pain. Dan rang an ambulance and I was in hospital for two weeks. Since then, touch wood, I haven’t had to go back.
When I’m performing, adrenalin kicks in and masks any pain. The magic takes it away and I forget everything: the pain, discomfort, my worries and troubles. Magic literally makes everything vanish.
In some ways, I feel weirdly thankful for my Crohn’s – it gave me the jolt-start I needed. Given the choice, of course, I’d rather not have it, as I’d love to be able to lead a normal, pain-free life. But dealing with it has given me inner strength and I have never let it hold me back. It gave me the focus to realise that I could do anything I set my mind to. Anything.
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CHAPTER 7
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OUT OF THE REALM OF NORMALITY
AS I STRAIGHTENED my tie, I took a good, long, hard look in the mirror. Staring back at me was a twenty-one-year-old guy with total disbelief in my eyes. ‘ How did this happen? ’ I thought to myself. It was 2005 and all the effort I’d put into making my Underground Magic DVD had paid off. We had pressed 5,000 copies and within a few weeks each and every one had been sold. Dan got all of his mates to help us pack and post them.
Now, in recognition of my success, I’d been invited to a Prince’s Trust event at Clarence House – the Prince of Wales’ official residence. I was going to meet royalty – Prince Charles – in the flesh. It was unbelievable. Getting ready in the tiny flat in Walthamstow, north-east London, that I was now paying £50 a week to share, I reflected on how life might have been if I’d been born into royalty rather than on an estate.
Ever since I received the loan from The Prince’s Trust, I’ve been heavily involved with a lot of the events they organise. But my first visit to Clarence House, which is where many of the functions are held, will always be my most memorable. When you are invited to Clarence House to meet Prince Charles, you are scrupulously checked over beforehand. At the entrance, you aregiven a thorough search by big burly guards before you can enter the grounds, then once you’re finally in you get whisked straight to the library.
Built in the early nineteenth century, Clarence House is awe-inspiring. The exterior is all towering pillars and imposing wrought-iron gates. Inside, there are sweeping staircases, a library heaving with books and priceless artworks on the perfectly wallpapered walls. Now that I’ve been more than once, I take the opportunity to notice the finer details. A couple of years ago, Kevin Spacey showed me the first-edition of Shakespeare’s Richard III , while original paintings by British masters like Graham Sutherland and Augustus John are displayed on the walls. The tea is, needless to say, served in the best china.
It’s like going to a museum. I’ve visited Clarence House twice now and I still feel the thrill of exploring such a different environment. But that first time was particularly strange. It was so odd to see all these people socialising in such a formal place – they
I honestly don’t know how things would have worked out if I hadn’t had that serious operation. It really was a life-changing moment. Maybe I’d still be doing magic, maybe I wouldn’t. But I do know for certain that being in the hospital filled me with a desire to achieve that hadn’t been there before. I had alwaysbeen driven, but after hospital I had never been more determined, more focused.
My Crohn’s is a lot more manageable now. I might be in pain every day, but I hardly ever get hospitalised. I used to be in hospital every few weeks, but I haven’t had a flare-up for a couple of years at least. My last downfall was a bag of popcorn at my local cinema. I woke up the next day in devastating pain. Dan rang an ambulance and I was in hospital for two weeks. Since then, touch wood, I haven’t had to go back.
When I’m performing, adrenalin kicks in and masks any pain. The magic takes it away and I forget everything: the pain, discomfort, my worries and troubles. Magic literally makes everything vanish.
In some ways, I feel weirdly thankful for my Crohn’s – it gave me the jolt-start I needed. Given the choice, of course, I’d rather not have it, as I’d love to be able to lead a normal, pain-free life. But dealing with it has given me inner strength and I have never let it hold me back. It gave me the focus to realise that I could do anything I set my mind to. Anything.
----
CHAPTER 7
----
OUT OF THE REALM OF NORMALITY
AS I STRAIGHTENED my tie, I took a good, long, hard look in the mirror. Staring back at me was a twenty-one-year-old guy with total disbelief in my eyes. ‘ How did this happen? ’ I thought to myself. It was 2005 and all the effort I’d put into making my Underground Magic DVD had paid off. We had pressed 5,000 copies and within a few weeks each and every one had been sold. Dan got all of his mates to help us pack and post them.
Now, in recognition of my success, I’d been invited to a Prince’s Trust event at Clarence House – the Prince of Wales’ official residence. I was going to meet royalty – Prince Charles – in the flesh. It was unbelievable. Getting ready in the tiny flat in Walthamstow, north-east London, that I was now paying £50 a week to share, I reflected on how life might have been if I’d been born into royalty rather than on an estate.
Ever since I received the loan from The Prince’s Trust, I’ve been heavily involved with a lot of the events they organise. But my first visit to Clarence House, which is where many of the functions are held, will always be my most memorable. When you are invited to Clarence House to meet Prince Charles, you are scrupulously checked over beforehand. At the entrance, you aregiven a thorough search by big burly guards before you can enter the grounds, then once you’re finally in you get whisked straight to the library.
Built in the early nineteenth century, Clarence House is awe-inspiring. The exterior is all towering pillars and imposing wrought-iron gates. Inside, there are sweeping staircases, a library heaving with books and priceless artworks on the perfectly wallpapered walls. Now that I’ve been more than once, I take the opportunity to notice the finer details. A couple of years ago, Kevin Spacey showed me the first-edition of Shakespeare’s Richard III , while original paintings by British masters like Graham Sutherland and Augustus John are displayed on the walls. The tea is, needless to say, served in the best china.
It’s like going to a museum. I’ve visited Clarence House twice now and I still feel the thrill of exploring such a different environment. But that first time was particularly strange. It was so odd to see all these people socialising in such a formal place – they
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