Can someone please explain Burning Man to me? I mean I know it’s an artsy festival in a Nevada desert that’s supposedly all about self-expression. But, I don’t think I’m getting it. My impression has been that it attracts affluent thirty and forty somethings who rent RVs, wear strange costumes or not many clothes at all, and dance with reckless abandon for a week? Am I wrong, can somebody please help me out? And, if my impression is on target, I’m changing my vacation week.
Burning Man is whatever you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteThat's an answer that probably doesn't help you much, but it's still absolutely true.
If you want it to be about renting an RV, wearing strange clothes or not many at all (Burners call that "radical self expression"), and dancing with reckless abandon, then it can.
If you want it to be about community and togetherness, than it can.
If you want to fuck lots and lots of people, you can.
If you want to take lots of drugs, you can.
If you want to explore modern spirituality (for example at the Temple, the project I'm working on this year - see temple2011.org), then you can.
If you want to bring your kids and show them what human beings are capable of in regards to self-expression, artistic endeavour, and love, you can.
Burning Man is many things to many people. In all honesty, it really has to be experienced to be properly understood.
Once again, that answer probably doesn't help you much (especially as tickets have sold out this year), but I will tell you this:
Come next year. I guarantee you that every single person you meet will welcome you. You will have experiences you could never conceive of. You will make friends that will be with you for the rest of your life. You will believe, more and more, that human beings are capable of AMAZING things.
That's why, when people come through the gates every year, volunteers called Greeters hug every single person as they enter, and cheerily exclaim, "Welcome Home!"
What is Burning Man?
Burning Man feels like coming Home.
Love & Dust,
Maddock
Oh, just one more thing:
ReplyDeleteWhile the average age is probably about 35 years, the entire cross-section is well-represented, from a few months old to a century. I'm 33 and my partner is 24.
Might see you at Home next year, eh?
-Maddock
Maddock - thanks for taking the time to help me understand. Sounds amazing!
ReplyDelete