A magician is a person who performs visual illusions and feats that viewers tend to believe as true — though the practice is just an art of tricking the viewer’s eyes and minds.

 

One such magician lives in Becker and has made a good living doing such things.

 

However, that local magician wants people to realize his magic show is more about revealing truths and beliefs that bring people closer to a relationship with their God.

 

Curtis Hed, 54 of Becker has been practicing magic since he was a six-year-old boy. By the age of 10, he was visiting local libraries and reading up on how to become a magician. Over the years he has perfected his craft and has entertained hundreds and thousands of people at shows who appreciate his deftness and expertise.

 

He has done shows in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.

 

Many in the Becker community have seen Curtis perform at the schools, area churches, the library and the community center. He thoroughly loves performing his act — but he wants people to understand his shows are more about his message than his mastery.

 

“I use my magic act to communicate the idea we can all be fooled pretty easily if we allow ourselves to believe without the facts,” Curtis says. “Those who see my tricks and are amazed don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and how the show fools people’s minds.”

 

Curtis says he is not an overly ambitious magician who wants to become famous or make a lot of money doing his art, but rather is more interested in using his talents to better further God’s kingdom.

 

“I love telling stories and explaining things in allegories and parables,” said Hed. “I want to help build up the Body of Christ.”

 

Hed is a graduate of Minnehaha Academy (Class of 1980) and of Bethel College, where he studied theater and business. Hed and his family years ago had a home in Big Lake before the city bought out their property and home along Eagle Lake Rd. to rezone commercial.

 

Currently, the property their old home sat on consists of the Kwik Trip property.

 

 

Hed and his family relocated to Becker several years ago where they purchased a lot and built a home they currently reside in. Curtis did the design of the home and most of the construction.

“I am always messing around with stuff and like to figure out how things work, or how to make things work,” Curtis said. “Our home is a reflection of that.” 

 

Curtis likes to motivate and entertain people — especially children — with his visual tricks, his comedic anecdotes and his storytelling. He loves to promote literacy in children when he visits schools and libraries. His messages always target the youth but also includes advice to parents and teachers to be sure and motivate children to read and be read to.

 

“Reading to our children, even though we struggle, shows our children just how important reading is,” said Curtis, who himself struggles at times with sounding out words. “My shows show them that if something is important, it is worth the struggle.”

 

Curtis is a deep thinker and is constantly working on new tricks, games and projects. Along with his self-learned magic, Curtis has created a couple of original card games that he tends to play with his family from time-to-time.

 

He’s also currently working on a book that was inspired by the books of C.S. Lewis. Hed’s book focuses on God’s love and he helps people understand the term to a greater degree through Greek translations.

 

“The ‘love’ word found in John 3:16, is translated from the Greek word Agapeo — which is a desire for unity,” Curtis says. “It expresses the deep and constant love of God towards His children, which produces and fosters a reverential love in us toward the Giver.”

 

Hed says he thinks the author John was proclaiming that love is an action and a choice — not just a feeling.

 

“We choose to love God and we choose to love our neighbors,” he said. “Why? Because God first loved us.”

 

Hed’s book is 10 years in the making and is still a work in progress. In the meantime, Curtis promotes his magic act and relays his moral messages to whoever is willing to open their eyes and ears.

 

Like magic, people can be fooled into thinking truths about certain things without really knowing the facts behind it. As with the Bible and one’s faith, people can believe certain things they’ve been told, but without digging deeper and finding the truths for themselves, it all can be a grand illusion.

 

Hed wants to use his illusions to get people to not just accept things for what they seem, but to seek the truth in a more meaningful way.

 

Jesus used miracles in His teaching and Curtis uses magic. Both sought/seek to enlighten.

 

Hed is married (Maria) and they have two sons, Nathaniel (16) and Brody (18). Maria is an eighth-grade science teacher in Becker.

 

His website is curtished.com.