... on the Return of a Card...pt. 2

I'm curious... what do you actually do in your pick-a-card effect in order to convey the thematic aims talked about in your initial post?
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A man named Michael Kamen answered this first question better than I can. My perception of the interaction between conjurer and participant works more like sense and memory rather than memory acting to ensure I stay on track. My patter aims to reinforce individuality and trust without outright pointing to them, so a lot of times it's "touch and go" and "strike while the iron is hot." Sometimes I'll gently cue the idea if I sense we're getting off track. It feels like dangling a spoon lure in front of a bass, fingers crossed.

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How do you make sure it is interpreted in a way that is consistent with your artistic aims?
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This is a lot touchier. I get the feeling it's a lot like asking how I make sure my kids grow up to be productive members of society. How does a parent make sure that the kids grow up to be ok? Answer is: We do the best we can with what we've got. We teach basics (read: skills), we reinforce them, and then WE LET THE LITTLE CRUMB SNATCHERS GO out into the world on their own. And then we watch them. If they stay out of jail, we've done our job. If they don't, then we're stuck with the problem.
In different terms, the same thing applies here. Throughout the selection and return process, I lay the foundation for our relationship, and then reinforce it as the needs arise. I keep the game on track. The best way I can tell if I've succeeded is by watching them after the trick. I offer them their card for keeps, and if they keep it, I've done my job. If not, then I'm stuck with the problem and I need to figure out why they didn't want to keep the card.

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How do you construct your procedures?
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I'm not sure how you use the word "procedure", so I'll take it trick by trick, then towards routines. Trick by trick, I construct towards the elimination of sleights. I avoid force against force. I prefer simplified approaches over complicated ones. I avoid distractions and anything that makes me have to pay more attention to handling. And I don't do multi-phase routines, such as Ambitious Card, as a pick-a-card trick. In this case, the participant shuffles, and when they're done, the card sitting on top of the deck is the best one to use. Ambitious Card is not a pick-a-card trick for me.

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How do you choose your effects?
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This takes a long time for me. I really just have to feel the effect. Something or another about it will resonate with me, and I'll ask myself if there is magic in it, and if so, what exactly is its Magical Nature? (That step takes the longest.) If I can figure out what that magic is, then I decide if that's what I should be doing, based on a lot of things. Then I put it to the test to see if my analysis was right. It's lengthy, it's time-consuming, and it's dull and dreary for anybody that just wants to do tricks. I don't do this stuff for a living, so I have the time to think and test.

This think-out on the return of a card is the result of this process. What exactly is the magic of finding a selected card lost in a shuffled deck? Is it chance? Is it manipulation? Or is there some hidden connection between the magician and the spectator that the magician controls?