There’s an adage known as Sturgeon’s Law, coined by sci-fi author Theodore Sturgeon, which states (in paraphrase) that 90% of everything—be it movies, books, music, or yes, even magic tricks—is crap. In a TED talk back in 2014, magician Helder Guimarães tries to find out why that’s the case. To do this, he uses a deck of cards, a dollar bill, a stuffed giraffe, and the audience’s participation.

To him, the reason why most creations aren’t good is because “we stop thinking too soon.” He expands on this, first by performing a failed magic trick, and then telling stories about the power of secrets and coincidence, eventually tying these tricks together into a cohesive narrative. Spending time to draw out that hidden potential is vital in any creative field, and here, what began as a crappy trick is now turned on its head, and has become art.