Magicians may never reveal their secrets, but they do sometimes disclose little nuggets of their philosophy. Darcy Oake, an illusionist who made a splash appearing on Britain’s Got Talent, shared a few insights and opinions about his work in an interview with the Saturday Star. The newspaper asked him about using live birds and how magic impacts his love life, but Oake’s most striking advice came in how he approaches failure.

“I always say a trick never fails, it only gets longer!” he said. “Usually if something is going to go wrong, the magician knows long before the audience and can make changes to cover up. The great thing about magic is we have the element of surprise on our side.”

He’s not wrong; turning a slip-up into a success is usually a hallmark of the best performers. Good food for thought.