College Student and Magician Krystyn Lambert on Inspiring Teens Around the Globe
Krystyn Lambert, 21, lives a double life: the UCLA philosophy student also happens to be a world famous magician. At twelve years old, she became the youngest member of the junior society at the renowned Magic Castle (the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc) in Hollywood. She continued on to star in to be part of the American Documentary Showcase, which brings notable American documentaries to foreign audiences to offer insights into American culture. The government selected Krystyn to travel to Thailand and share her life story. Most recently, she gave the closing speech at the TEDxTeen 2012 conference in New York. Read on to learn about how Krystyn first got into magic and what it's like to be a young woman in a male-dominated business.
Photo: Krystyn with her props1/8"Growing up, I was involved in acting and I did quite a bit of television and stage work. I'm very logically driven, so when I encountered magic, where there is no explanation and the impossible is seemingly possible, that really fried me. When I found out how the tricks were done, I realized magic is actually a very logical process. I got obsessed, and nine years later, I'm still obsessed. It also incorporates all of the elements of performance that I was always really interested in. At this point, I'm my own producer and I have the creative control to create my dream."
2/8The U.S. Embassy asked this 21-year-old performer to travel the world and inspire audiences with her magic tricks.
Photo: Krystyn Lambert3/8"I think that magic naturally inspires us to wonder. It inspires us to ask questions and to reevaluate what's familiar in the world. You can see this scarf one minute, and it can vanish the next. That doesn't fit within our familiar conception of how the world works. It's those sorts of things that trigger us to wonder. Things we can see as so mundane, typical, and average really aren't if you look at them in a certain way. It inspires people to explore their interests."
Photo: Krystyn on stage4/8"I'm interested in mental magic and playing around with people's thoughts. I'm not psychic; I don't believe in any supernatural phenomena like that at all. Most of what I learn is from old magic texts. I read about magic history and the way that certain tricks were performed fifty or one hundred years ago, and see how they can be adapted for today."
Photo: Krystyn in Thailand5/8"Two months ago, in January, I went to Thailand. The U.S. State Department sent me over to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. I traveled around to high schools and universities all throughout Thailand talking about my life in magic and in the American university system. I told kids about the importance of a liberal arts education—it's about pursuing your own interests and not just going to college for a job or because that's what you're supposed to do. When you're following what you're truly passionate about, that's when you're going to be the most productive, excited, and effective in the world. It was really exciting to communicate that to those kids."
Photo: Krystyn Lambert6/8"When I first joined the Magic Castle junior program in Hollywood, I was among all pre-pubescent boys! I always felt like I had to go to extra lengths to prove myself as a girl magician. At this point, people know that I'm serious and that I'm not just a dancer who learned a few magic tricks. This is really my passion and my love. There are issues I have to deal with, though—for example, magic is designed for men in suits, and I don't have pockets, so where am I supposed to put things? It's actually really encouraged me from a fashion standpoint to try to figure out ways to compensate through what I'm wearing."
Photo: Krystyn in her favorite outfit7/8"When I perform, I like to do a spin on the classical performance style. A lot of magicians wear a full suit, but I'm a girl and I'm not going to wear a big suit. I'm definitely a big fan of the funky formal style. I'll wear a tight and shiny suit, and I'll pair it with floral-print platforms and dress it up with accessories."
Photo: Krystyn Lambert8/8"It's really cool to still be in school and get to pursue my interests. I love studying philosophy because I think it has correlations to magic. I balance everything going on in my life with a tight schedule—it's all about time management. It takes a lot of time to hone the craft of magic, keep my grades up, stay in the honors society, and be a real person at the same time. It's a balancing act."
