Meet Dal Sanders

We recently connected with Dal Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Dal, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I should begin by saying that I don’t think that Creativity is a gift, a talent or something you are born with. I believe that creativity is something that you do. It’s a skill that you learn and, over time, develop it into one of the tools at your disposal to accomplish useful and meaningful work.

With that understanding, keeping creativity alive is simple, you just decide to do it. You choose to do creative things every day. The more you do it, the better you can get at it. It’s just like any other tool, the more you use it, the better you get at using it.

I think that creativity is a two step process. If you can do the first step then you can do the second.

Step 1. Throw some mud on the wall.

Step 2. Decide if it looks good or not.

Now I’m not suggesting that you literally get some mud and toss it around. That would tend to alienate those people you live with even more than being a magician does, but it really is that simple. Being creative is not something you are born with. It is a choice you make.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

For more than 40 years, I’ve had the privilege of making a living as a professional magician. This art has carried me onto stages across the United States and around the world, creating moments of wonder for audiences of all ages. My wife and I even had the joy of hosting an internationally syndicated children’s television show.

Alongside my stage and corporate performances, I’ve spent much of my career creating educational magic programs for kids—shows that teach reading, character building, science, leadership, and the importance of being a friend instead of a bully. It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey: using magic not just to entertain, but to inspire.

My six word autobiography would read, “Make People Laugh and Say WOW”.

For the past decade, we’ve also been teaching magic to children through our company, The Dallas Magic Academy, using the internationally acclaimed Discover Magic program. Over the years, countless adults have asked us to offer beginner magic classes for them as well. Without a dedicated program in place, we hesitated to take on adult groups—but recently, I got an idea that could change everything.

I call it Magic Flights and Bites. It blends hands-on magic lessons with wine tasting and appetizers for an evening that feels part social mixer, part creative workshop, and part “how did you just do that?”

Basically, a professional magician leads a small group through a series of easy, beginner-friendly tricks while everyone enjoys curated adult drinks and appetizers. By the end of the session, participants walk out with ten or more magic tricks they can actually perform, plus all the props and instructions to take home. It’s casual, social, and approachable even for people who have never picked up a deck of cards or a magic prop in their life. On top of that, they have enjoyed an evening with other adults.

Surprisingly, this is a new, unique idea that doesn’t seem to be employed anywhere else in the country. There are things similar to this concept including paint and sip, pottery and sip, mixology workshops, and tasting events. Magic Flights & Bites stands out because magic taps into something more universal. People loosen up, laugh, and connect naturally when they surprise themselves with what they can do.

This unique experience is designed to travel. Restaurants, lounges, breweries, high-end bars, corporate offices, and even private homes all work beautifully. Though the concept was born in Dallas, it easily fits groups throughout North Texas and can be brought to communities across the United States.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I had a severe speech impediment as a child and my speech therapist decided that I needed to learn to speak by reading the classics aloud. While other children were reading the Dick and Jane stories in their reading circles, I was reading Shakespeare’s plays. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is true. Because of this, I gained an appreciation of performing on stage at an early age.

Also, as a child, I loved puzzles. Not jigsaw puzzles but puzzles made from bent nails, springs and horseshoes. I also loved solving mathematical puzzles. These kind of puzzles were a precursor to my learning magic.

The final thing that brought me to where I am today was college. I studied Elementary Education. I never spent a day in the classroom but I did learn how to teach. This has paid off not only in my magic classes, but also in the way that I wrote the educational school shows that I’ve produced.

I’ve had many mentors over the years, from magicians to educators to directors, agents and producers. All of these people shaped who I am today.

That leads into my advice for people as they go through their own journeys. Find mentors that can help guide you. Pay attention to them and listen to them…REALLY listen. Keep a journal of the wisdom they share with you. The longer you keep that journal, the more you will grow. Over time, that journal will morph from a book of other people’s ideas into a book of your original and creative ideas.

Everything you have learned, every experience you have had and every person you have met has led you to where you are right now. All of that knowledge and all of those experiences have shaped you and created the person you are…even those negative experiences.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

We are looking for program partners for our Magic Flights and Bites magic workshops for adults. Our program brings fresh programming opportunities for restaurants, lounges, breweries, wineries, and event centers. For venues, it can help increase foot traffic, fill slower nights, and offer an experience that guests can’t get anywhere else. Event planners, team leaders, HR coordinators, and community organizations appreciate the turnkey nature of the workshop. All props, materials, and instruction are handled by the instructors, making the event easy to run in almost any setting, including: restaurants and lounges, breweries and wineries, private dining rooms, corporate offices, homes and other community venues

Because the format is flexible and self-contained, it also fits well for groups searching for “unique date night ideas near me” or private events that need a memorable twist.

We are looking to expand our reach for our children’s magic classes and camps too. We partner with schools, summer camps, HOAs, country clubs, park & recreation centers and anywhere children gather.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All Photos and graphics by Aaron Stone

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