Humans of Magic

Will Hall is an MTG streamer and caster.

0:01:30 the Ukraine stream happened by accident

0:09:36 legal drama with Will's 24/7 Ukraine stream

0:16:28 wanting to give to others - where does that come from?

0:23:10 on injustice and stopping robberies

0:27:18 how Will became a Royal Marine

0:39:09 the YouTube grind - what works, what doesn't

0:52:58 Will's caster origin story

1:00:35 life goals

1:10:23 grinding content - "consistency is the key"

1:15:07 James's Humans of Magic grind

1:21:26 Will's advice for James

1:29:36 Will's casting "low"

1:35:09 does Will have imposter syndrome?

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Anna Margaret is a scientist, cosplayer, and content creator.

0:00:45 setting boundaries and people-pleasing

0:04:06 from Disney party princess to content creator

0:08:48 on being bubbly and happy

0:11:41 science - and talent - runs in the family

0:22:56 postgraduate aspirations and forks in the road

0:28:44 misconceptions about content creation

0:33:51 people in Magic are awesome / representation in Magic

0:35:57 the initial creator "spark"

0:43:23 the cosplay mindset

0:52:10 internet virality and negative feedback loops

0:58:02 focusing too hard on "content" numbers

1:00:11 Anna Margaret's content goals

1:11:47 Star Trek fandom (impromptu Star Trek podcast ALERT)

1:35:45 what you want as a creator vs. what your audience wants

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sean Brown is a designer, musician and writer from Australia.

0:00:40 Sean's Australian-Filipino roots

0:08:33 spirituality vs. personal responsibility

0:14:02 current relationship with Magic

0:29:51 exploring a new career direction

0:40:01 "the progress is the point"

0:48:42 Sean's current career - the good, bad, ugly

0:56:52 James's current relationship with the Legacy format

1:00:38 on journaling and trying new things

1:05:08 Sean's music career and current artistic influences

1:11:23 today's music discovery process - is the mystique gone?

1:16:29 an alternative to "basic" content consumption - intentional curation

1:21:26 new AI technologies - ChatGPT and Midjourney - what does it mean for us?

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Lexi McQueen is a performer, world builder and dungeon master. She is known for her creative work in the Tabletop RPG space.

0:01:25 selfish vs. selfless Saturdays

0:06:01 growing up as a black Christian

0:10:56 how Lexi's parents influenced her

0:18:42 Lexi's current spiritual beliefs

0:20:49 optimizing for the self // this anime gets DEEP

0:26:12 hinge-points (forks in the road)

0:34:47 college

0:40:34 on coming out

0:56:00 religion as a community-builder

1:02:49 complicit participation in communities and platforms

1:12:06 why Lexi chose to be a TTRPG creator

1:17:03 commoditizing ourselves // internet sensory overload

1:25:43 why James is a creator

1:27:20 "taking back storytelling for myself"

1:31:17 how Lexi became a storyteller

1:43:38 subverting expectations as a Dungeon Master

1:50:40 leading a playgroup or campaign

1:56:54 being a queer black woman in the TTRPG space

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Michael "Cliffy" Clifford is a Magic player and full-time poker professional.

0:01:45 who is Cliffy - his Magic origin story

0:09:54 Cliffy and James's shared love of the Legacy format

0:13:25 how to learn (and improve at) Storm Combo in Legacy

0:21:35 Lurrus the Storm Combo GOAT! and other super-broken cards

0:24:20 dropping out of college to pursue full-time poker

0:34:54 poker level-ups - game selection and immersive study

0:41:14 working as a casino money-counter

0:52:02 worlds collide - rational vs. irrational gamblers

1:00:06 online vs. paper Magic - are they the same game?

1:05:58 on exploitative gameplay and "action" tells - in poker and Magic

1:13:23 game theory optimal in poker - what is it?

1:22:38 can a bot "beat" poker?

1:29:30 poker cheating accusations - Mike Postle, Garrett vs. Robbi

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

DeQuan "PowrDragn" Watson is a Magic YouTuber and content creator.

0:01:15 does DeQuan experience Magic content "burnout"?

0:03:47 the creator deckbuilding process

0:08:05 "I monitor everything"

0:10:46 don't do the same thing and expect a different result

0:12:57 DeQuan's creator origin story

0:16:44 on doing the work - streamer research

0:19:25 YouTube primary, Twitch secondary

0:25:56 YouTube monetization - celebrate it!

0:27:24 on being results-oriented as a creator, and finding your own way

0:31:02 growing on YouTube in the early stage

0:35:30 is DeQuan the same on-camera vs. off-camera?

0:38:35 things DeQuan tried that didn't quite work

0:41:06 the "PowrDragn" name

0:43:19 new Lord of the Rings set - general impressions

0:45:40 new Lord of the Rings set - race and representation

0:53:56 "how do we get out of our own heads?"

1:01:31 being a gaming nerd in black culture

1:08:51 DeQuan's upbringing

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Filipa Carola is a Portuguese MTG caster and content creator.

0:01:40 jack of all (Magic) trades

0:08:22 Filipa's creator origin story

0:16:20 on attracting a competitive audience

0:19:45 on changing goals, careers and countries

0:23:51 Filipa's evolution and approach as a caster

0:31:45 working with Will Hall and HarryMTG

0:36:38 how to grow as a streamer (at the very beginning)

0:44:15 Twitch vs. YouTube - community vs. virality

0:47:47 content creation as a full-time vs. part-time job

0:57:22 what's it REALLY like to be a female Magic player?

1:07:51 "I felt like an outcast" / paying it forward in a positive way

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Zan Syed is a game designer and entrepreneur. He was the 2019 Star City Games Player of the Year and Captain of Team Lotus Box.

0:01:15 reminiscing about Atlanta

0:07:48 Zan's multicultural background

0:12:21 how Zan's Magic journey began

0:20:14 the level-up process and mindset

0:26:35 on outworking the competition

0:30:52 why Zan is creating a new card game

0:42:02 making a new game - the challenges ahead

0:48:06 skill-based vs. variance-based game design

0:57:53 why Flesh and Blood (and Lost Ark) succeeded as games

1:05:20 lessons from the startup life

1:12:35 "Magic has the essence of something that needs to exist"

1:16:15 is Zan still involved with Magic?

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Mani Davoudi is an Esports and MTG Caster from Vancouver, Canada.

0:01:15 when James first met Mani

0:06:51 growing up in Vancouver, Canada

0:14:20 university life, ADHD, and lacking direction

0:25:21 getting out of a funk / leaving Magic

0:33:04 playing Magic with a new mindset

0:38:01 WINNING a Modern Grand Prix with some unlikely help

0:46:39 what Mani would tell his younger self

0:53:21 becoming a Magic caster

1:00:12 getting better at casting

1:06:07 preparation for Pro Tours as a caster

1:15:13 on putting the work in - and being a team player

1:20:56 future casting goals

1:26:59 Mani and Maria's new show - Desk After Dark

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Sahar Mirhadi is a Magic player, games researcher, and founding member of the European Legacy Masters invitational series.

0:00:45 "can be heard before being seen"

0:05:57 Sahar's Iranian heritage

0:13:51 James's background and language talk

0:17:46 Magic origin story

0:22:26 a career in marketing (and why she had to leave)

0:30:53 going 9-0 in Day 1 of a GP

0:39:45 James's dalliance with Legacy

0:47:32 accessibility and representation in older Magic formats

1:06:21 on tying one's identity with an online persona

1:15:38 picking up a new Legacy deck

1:18:07 European Legacy Masters

1:31:33 the ELM task force model

1:41:00 regarding niche Magic formats

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Show notes: humansofmagic.com/

Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic