Michigan-based magician spreads "The Magic of Hope"
(CBS DETROIT) - A world-renowned magician is on a mission to use his gifts to change lives.
"This is something that turned into, 'I just want to do magic; it's what makes me happy," Anthony Grupido said. "I just kept focusing on how I wanted to feel and knew this career made me feel that way."
Grupido is a magician who wows anyone he meets. What sets him apart is he uses his tricks and illusions to start conversations about the importance of mental health awareness.
"Magic evokes wonder and awe, and those are definitely emotions we experience more as children, and I feel like we lose that growing up," Grupido said.
The work that he's doing is not in vain. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every six children in the United States are dealing with a mental health disorder. Studies show more kids are juggling daily life along with ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
Grupido says for some of those kids, breaking free from those problems, can feel close to impossible, but that's where you need a little magic and hope.
He has overcome depression himself. He's in a much better place, and now he uses his platform to inspire others.
For him, magic is an analogy for achieving the impossible. That very belief is the common theme of his presentation, appropriately named "The Magic of Hope."
"Everything that we deem impossible, magicians make possible. To bring that otherworldly experience down to earth and ground it, that's what creates magic," he said.
For more information on Anthony, visit https://themagicofhope.com/.