The magic behind Zak Mirz' magic
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas) - Believe it or not, Zak Mirz' journey to becoming a world-renowned magician started before he knew how to walk or talk.
Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was one year old. He says when he found out, around 7-years-old, he wanted to keep it a secret and that's how it all began.
"Magic was one of the only art forms for me to run to because it's an art form all about secrets," Mirz shared.
The first time he actually saw magic was watching David Blaine doing a card trick as a young boy. That's when he had an "aha" moment.
"He took a card and he gave it to a kid," Mirz recalled. "That card changed in the kid's hand and I was like, 'That's what I'm gonna do for the rest of my life."
And he did exactly that. He recently fooled longtime magicians Penn & Teller on their show and he even became an advisor to Blaine's, "The Magic Way."
"Magic's one of the few industries where the heroes you look up to, and the heroes that got you started in the industry, you get to work under them, you get to be around them—it's a small circle," he said. "So, you never know when one day David Blaine is on a motorcycle facetiming you and you're like, 'How did you get my number??'"
When people ask Mirz how he did a trick or they say it wasn't real, he says he takes it as a compliment.
"Obviously magic is not real," he said. "But the experience of magic is very real to all of us. So, when we do our job correctly, you can experience ah and wonder and all the amazing things that come with magic."
Mirz says bringing joy to people through magic is what matters most to him, so he's intentional with his craft.
"The amount of success you get is directly indicative to the amount of failures you incur, as well," he explained. "So, you just kind of try things, hope it works out and if it doesn't, you adjust it, hope for the best next time."
Zak Mirz will be performing magic tricks for the community during the Sunday's Parade of Lights from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in downtown Fort Worth.
He also has his first magic special, "ticket for one," coming to YouTube Dec. 14.