Yeah, as a teenager I was fortunate to get early formal training and direct mentoring in the 'magical arts' from some well-known masters of the craft. While my career as a full-time performing pro didn't outlast my early 20s, that way of thinking and seeing does tend to inform my perceptions in ways I can't really turn off. I used to jokingly refer to it as 'my misspent youth' but training in the creative aspects of magic has also proven surprisingly useful in my tech startup career.

The most valuable part was studying formal magic theory - a rather academic specialty focused on human perception and psychology. Very few magicians ever get into it because the vast majority of magicians don't invent their own tricks. Even David Copperfield buys almost all of his tricks from specialized magical inventors you've never heard of, often under exclusive 'performance rights' contracts (which can be fairly lucrative). Most magical inventors don't actually perform magic professionally themselves, in much the same way that many great song writers and music producers aren't singers. To me, magic theory is still the most fascinating and enjoyable part of magic.