“Academy alumni want to know the inside-out, upside downs of thing. Take the assumptions, the cliches of life, and want to know why people think, believe and do what they do.”
– Julie Hein
“Curiosity has drawn me to six explorations at the Wizard Academy. Each time I went home thinking, ‘What an interesting bunch of people.'”
– Geno Gruber
“Those who were living in the Quantum Field before anyone else…” – Kita Szpak
“Wizard Academy: For those who want to know why…” – Douglas Burdon
“Our kind of crazy: We are dreamers, doers, and builders of worlds. Words are our tools and truths are our goals. Wizards and shapers of thoughts, we know that where the heart goes, the mind follows.” – Phillip Mahan
“Brand of Crazy? A third gravitational body? Seek opposing truths. Dislike poetry. Read anyway. Disbelieve. Hope in faith. Start businesses. Lack ambition for money or being boss. Wish to die saving a life. Attracted to contradiction!”
– Ryan Carter
“We are the ‘Believers in Searching’ tribe.” – Chuck Wolfmueller
What kind of people attend Wizard Academy? What is our brand of crazy?
“People who know humans have innate creativity, and they aren’t afraid to express it in all areas of life (personal and professional). People who are haunted by seeing patterns, rhythms, repetitions, oddities, and deja vu moments that never let them forget they are in the matrix (and they are enlightened enough to control it). People who wear ‘crazy’ with pride and know it’s a strength… not a weakness. People who feel misunderstood most of the time except when in the presence of others within our ragtag band of ne’er-do-wells at Wizard Academy. (Doesn’t have to be exclusive to WA… I believe there are sleeper cells of us everywhere, but you get the point… in the end… ouch.) 🙂 Thank you for attending my Ted Talk.” – Michael Szapkiw (pronounced “Zap-Q”)
“I’ve thought a lot about the people I’ve met at the academy over the years. Some are creative. Some are technical. Some are loud. Some are reserved. Some are successful. Some are struggling. But I think the one thing that ties us all together is that we’re curious. I just read 5 pages of rabbit hole before this… so what are we curious about? I’m going to leave that out.” – Dave Weiss
“Wizard Academy is a meeting place for people who dig deep into the why and how things work – Why and how people do what they do. Behaviors that seem random. But aren’t! The secret society – keys to the kingdom stuff that should be whispered in back rooms behind locked doors. Preferably on the other side of a dangerous maze. Everyone who makes it through a rigorous initiation process should swear to use the gained knowledge only for good. At penalty of death! But on the surface – for outside observers – it’s just a cool business and communication school.”
– Robert Snyder
“I have a friend that is looking to turn the construction industry on its head. He paid me a compliment a couple days ago… He said that I had adapted very easily to this new way of looking at construction. I was surprised because I am the opposite of an early adopter. My gaming system is an XBOX 360. I prefer Android over iPhone. I drive a ’98 F-150 pickup. But I have learned, through reading the MMM since 2005 among other things, that if you see a good idea, even if it has many rough edges that need to be honed, chase that “impossible dream.” So maybe it can be put into words: Impossible dreamers!”
– George Ghesquire
“My brand of crazy embraces uncertainty. It savors the connections that most people miss. And, it questions everything. It’s not afraid to look behind the curtain. In fact it’s always looking behind the curtain. And, my brand of crazy knows how to kick ass when we’re serious, but never takes life too seriously.”
– Vi Wickam
“Sycophants to start, myself very much included, the hero worship is huge and defining. For some it’s a shock for some it’s paradise and for some it’s an adaptation. The second commonality I have noticed is an above average to genius level of IQ, seriously. I have never met anyone of even just average intelligence. Third is what I would call an abstract thinker, no matter their education of left or right leanings of intellect etc….they are almost all able to see things from multiple directions and perspectives and to respect the intellect of those who disagree with them. Last commonality I noticed was this: Leaders who want to serve, not be followed. They will accept followers but they prefer to share the lead for great change and good and to help create the next generation of ‘influencers’ (stealing a modern overused term). After that it’s crazy how different the groups are…. I mean super huge non-sequitur different! That part is amazing – which to me means it’s about seeking knowledge that they hunger for but have been unable to find anywhere else and it’s about the mental challenge and journey not the destination. Hope that helps and I hope it does not offend.”
– Bob Braudrick
PS: Hope you guys are doing great!
The Type of Person Who Attends Wizard Academy…
is not satisfied being a mere magician. Miracles of the magician dance before you, entertaining, illusive, fleeting. The boring jackass in your head knows there’s a trick to it, right? Persistent belief in magic is a kin to enduring belief in the Tooth Fairy. Wizardry? Now that’s different. “Here’s where you will try to trick me”, bleats the watchful donkey. Wizards percolate in prismatic pastures of potential phenomena, plucking ideas. The donkey thinks ideas are his. The wizard knows ideas have the donkey. That’s the root of wizardry, and why it is real magic. Think it’s easy to persuade a donkey? Never tried, but they have a stubborn reputation. Every try to persuade a human being? This requires serious training. Welcome to Wizard Academy, where wizards in training take ideas and forge them into swords. Words won’t do. Ever try getting a person to accept ideas foreign to them? Words crafted of musical sounds become swords to pierce the mind. Finely honed words are vital to slice past wily gatekeepers. Whew! You’re in. Now cast a spell. Wizards in training are eager to practice spellcraft at Wizard Academy. What is a spell but putting the right words in proper sequence? You’ve plucked an idea from the field of potential you are yearning to proclaim. You’ve cast the idea into a salient sword capable of slipping past the mental gatekeeper without sting. Finally in the mind, you must now cast a spell, causing a cautious person to accept an idea you found, formed, and seeded. If sentences are spellworthy, people will welcome and allow fruitful ideas you caringly spread to root, ripen and nourish. The type of person who attends wizard academy wants to be a wizard… because wizards know real magic. – Troy Allen Hester