‘Performing Magic Became My Life-Saving Therapy’: How John Kippen Turned His Difference Into a Superpower

Life is challenging enough for people, let alone navigating it with a disability. After surviving a brain tumor removal surgery, it took John Kippen ten challenging yet rewarding years to make peace with his circumstances. Yet, he found hope in one thing that has always inspired him to explore the world of illusions—magic.

A force of nature in his own right, John is truly one of the most remarkable and inspiring individuals anyone can ever stumble upon. His impeccable performances as a magician have captivated audiences across the globe. In addition, John has a certain warmth in his personality that immediately draws attention closer to him and his acts. The difference manifested in his facial features after his surgery, and the consequent facial paralysis dissolves into a mere illusion behind every trick for the performer.

In 2002, John faced one of the most defining tribulations of his life. He had to undergo a surgical procedure to remove a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. In one of his TEDx talks, John joked that the tumor was like an alien that invaded his head.

“Most of us don’t have a choice in our plight. I had brain surgery. I did not ask for a brain tumor; I did not order it from Amazon,” John said in the same TedX talk. He went on to explain that he had a four and a half-centimeter acoustic neuroma tumor. “Sure, I can joke about my condition now, but that came out of many years of therapy and overcoming my depression.”

On top of his magical life as a performer, John is an established entrepreneur. He has owned an IT consulting business for the past 31 years. Having the freedom and luxury to control his time and not be confined to a particular day-to-day routine, a benefit of being one’s own boss, gave John the freedom to perform whenever and wherever he wanted.

In an interview with Jason Andrew Davidson of the Genii Magazine in 2019, John said, “Magic literally saved my life.” He described his surgical procedure as a devastating turn, leaving the left side of his face paralyzed. However, through his battle, Magic became the only avenue for him to interact with people and get himself out of the house. It was then that John decided to take things further and join the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA), a world-famous club boasting a community of top magicians performing at their renowned clubhouse.

“I found the best therapy for me to regain my self-confidence was performing magic. I’ve done a lot of magic as a kid but remembered how much joy it brought me. I was lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, California, only a few miles away from the mecca of magic—the exclusive Academy of Magical Arts, better known as the world-famous magic castle,” shared John.

Performing at the AMA became John’s goal, and little by little, he built his acts, performing impromptu magic inside the club. “The more I performed, the more I realized that audiences liked my magic. My deformity disappeared,” John said.

After years of battling the voices inside his head for over a decade, John found a stronger force that helped him discover the confidence and potential he never knew he had. “Overcoming the adversity of a brain tumor removal and subsequent facial paralysis gives me a unique perspective on how to turn a difference into a superpower,” shared John. He now combines his illusions with his motivational message and speaks professionally.