Editor’s Note: The Magic in Us

Magic becomes art when it has nothing to hide

Ben Okri

When you say the word magic, most people think of veils. Not literally, but of the idea of having things happen behind a screen in a manner that makes it impossible to explain them. Of this kind of magic, I know nothing.

There is, however, a different kind of magic as alluded to by Okri in his quote. The magic of things that can be seen clearly and fully but still remain amazing. We feel this kind of magic when we read stories that speak to us deeply and stories that take our minds to shores previously unimaginable. We feel it when art in any of its forms jumps at us. It is why we delight and why we cry at expressions that touch us deeply.

We make it ourselves when we harness our powers of expression and show ourselves to the world. It also exists in the world around us. It is why we marvel at the beauty of nature; at the light of the stars and at the motion of the oceans. Magic is not only that which is far removed from our understanding or that we can only hope to experience. It exists within our reach in the worlds inside and outside each of us.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *