IT is enriching for students like me to pick up enjoyable and rewarding hobbies during our relatively carefree school years.

Hobbies are an engaging way to spend time while also inspiring creativity.

This year, I have become increasingly engrossed in the surprising, showstopping world of card magic.

I once thought my only hobbies would be playing computer games or listening to music, but it has been a welcome change to have a spark that brings wonder and marvel to the people around me.

How does one begin one’s journey in card magic? Well, I have discovered that the Internet is a great place to pick up hobbies.

Although it is said that “a magician never reveals his secrets”, I can say that I found YouTube to be an amazing resource for a beginner my age.

It is a melting pot of professionals from all over the world sharing their insights and teachings, with magicians like Jeremy Tan and Jason Maher being some of my biggest sources of inspiration.

In fact, I reached out to Tan, a renowned magician in Singapore, as I was curious about his origin story. When he started out, he didn’t have access to online platforms.

Instead, he was inspired by “the TV Magic Specials that I’d watch when I was a kid”. He also credited his father and brother – who were not magicians themselves – as the first people he saw performing magic.

I was pleased to learn this, as I was also inspired to pick up magic when I first saw my brother displaying a card flourish. Awestruck, I wanted to become skilled at handling cards.

Hurriedly, I got my first deck from a neighbourhood convenience store. Unfortunately, this quickly proved to be a case of “you get what you pay for”.

The cards were too unwieldy, bendy or thin for some tricks. The ink also wore off just days after I had bought them, staining my fingers and forcing me to squint: “Is that an ace or a four?” Clearly, it was time for an upgrade.

So, after a few weeks, I forked out my allowance to get a shiny new deck – an American brand of playing cards widely regarded as one of the most affordable yet reliable in the world.

Compared to the off-brand deck I had before, my new cards handled like a dream, and it felt like I was on track for the next phase of my voyage into magic.

Throughout my journey so far, I have gone from learning basic shuffles and simple card tricks to more advanced sleight of hand and flourishes.

But as the tricks get more challenging, so does managing the stress and anxiety of performing for others.

I have found that the best way to combat this fear is to practise consistently until a trick becomes second nature, often recording myself to see what I can improve on.

When I asked Tan how he overcame performance anxiety, he shared that he doesn’t think of it as nerves, because he’s more excited to share his magic with others. His perspective made me realise that performing isn’t about passing a test; it’s about giving people a shared experience of wonder and mystery.

He further advised that “as you perform more, you’ll find your own performing style”. Because of that, I have been trying to incorporate more of my personal flair into my tricks, making performing magic all the more rewarding.

If you don’t have a hobby yet, just keep an eye out for anything fun that captures your curiosity, and then give it your best shot.

For me, that means staying consistent, stepping out of my comfort zone, and of course, adding my own magic touch.

Avinash, 15, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team. For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.