Not too many people know much about me or my beginnings in magic. So I thought I’d set the record straight. My start in magic was a little unconventional: it involved a straitjacket!

Near the end of my senior year of high school, it seemed everyone, except me, had their life or career already mapped out. I didn’t have a clue. While I had interests in many things (drafting, gardening cooking, etc.), nothing really shouted out “Hey, this could be a good career.”

It sounds strange but while I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, I did know what I didn’t want to do. My father and grandfather (his father) are bakers (sweets and bread). As much as I liked baking, I knew that’s not what I wanted to do. I also knew that I didn’t want to be stuck in a cubicle all day, chained to a computer. College didn’t really appeal to me for a couple of reasons. I knew my parents and I couldn’t afford it and I didn’t have the confidence that I was smart enough to go, especially with the grades that I was pulling in high school.

Growing up, I was an only child and I danced to the beat of my own drummer. I was (and still am) very quiet and shy. I always had an interest in magic and even had a few small pocket tricks that I would do for myself. If magic was on TV or live at a fair or festival I would watch it, but I never thought about being a performer. My attitude soon changed, when I saw David Copperfield on TV in his Alcatraz Special. It sounds crazy, but something clicked inside of me when I saw David wriggle out of the straitjacket. In that instant, I knew THAT’S what I wanted to do. Was this a metaphor for my life - wanting to break free? I wasn’t quite sure how to become a magician, but I was excited by the opportunity.

The next day at school I announced my plan to the world (well, to my friends) and I was met with skepticism. They were good at pointing out all the things wrong with my plan (your shy, you don’t talk in front of people, only boys are magicians, etc.) but really didn’t offer any words or encouragement. It didn’t matter what they said because oddly, it felt right to me. My parents always encouraged and supported my interests. Little did they know what they were in for.

In the next few months I saturated myself with magic. I found the magic tricks I had as a kid and started practicing them and visiting the magic section in the library to learn all I could about this art. Like a sponge, I was absorbing both the history of magic and seeking out how to do tricks. I found Harry Houdini and read all I could about him and gravitated toward escapes. My parents were supportive but more importantly thrilled by this metamorphosis that was happening -- that I reading! That was a magic trick in itself as I hated reading as a kid.

My friends, although still not convinced about this ‘magic thing’, were amazed by what I was doing. I could see it in their faces, I was really fooling them with magic. I had the power--and I liked it! I felt alive, aware and even confident. Magic started permeating my school studies. I wrote book reports on famous magicians, in art class I drew huge magic posters that were in student art fairs, and in computer class I created a program that was a quiz on magic history. My grades in school improved, so much so that in my senior year I was on the honor roll!

With my parents, we navigated a trip to Waukesha to the Joke Shop that sold magic and novelties. The owner Jeff Campbell was super nice and encouraging and I bought a bunch of tricks with money saved up from babysitting and doing odd jobs. My repertoire was growing and I was developing quite a knack for performing. I learned about rope ties and chain escapes but I was still thinking a lot about Copperfield and that darn straitjacket.

Around the time of my high school graduation, dad and mom asked what I wanted for a gift. My friends were asking their parents for luggage, trips and even cars. I was a simple girl with a simple plan--I WANTED THAT STRAITJACKET!

I must explain that my parents aren’t like most parents. They have a silly, weird, warped sense of humor and my friends all refer to my mom and dad as the “cool parents”! So, I’m proud to say, for my high school graduation I got...a straitjacket!

The one I requested wasn’t gimmicked, it was a legit straitjacket. (I was a purest back in the day.) Needless to say, there were no directions on how to get out, because it was designed to restrain you. So it took awhile to learn how to get out.

The first time dad put me in the straitjacket, it took me well over 2 hours to get out. My parents were laughing hysterically at this sight, my friends on the other hand were talking about secretly pooling their money together to get me some psychological help. I trained every day, three times a day, for two months wriggling out of the straitjacket. I got my time down to an impressive 33 seconds. Once I knew I could get out, I started developing my routine. It’s changed throughout the years, and along the way I’ve even won several awards with the act.

It started out dramatic with strobe lights and has morphed into a comedy routine in which I escape from the straitjacket (same one from graduation!) while on roller skates while wearing a dress. To this day I have a soft spot in my heart for escapes. In addition to my magic show, I’ve also performed an all escape show.

So that’s me in a nutshell, so to speak. Until next time.