Burn Your Heart Out!
Sunrise over the Playa is a magical experience. After hours of darkness, when the desert turns into a maze of blinking LEDs and a sea of music, with neon-lit figures dancing the cold away, everyone welcomes the first rays of light with a sense of awe and thankfulness. We’ve survived through yet another night at Burning Man. The soundtrack from the art cars shifts to greet the sun; shadow dancers transform into tired yet beautiful creatures bearing the marks of adventures on the Playa. Where did all the glitter come from? Furs and coats are shed, heart-shaped sunglasses donned, leftover granola bars shared, and an art car handing out ice cream pops up out of nowhere. The world feels fresh and new, if a little dusty. Cycling back to one’s camp at 8 am in the morning, stopping to marvel at another art piece that wasn’t there yesterday, Burning Man unfolds in all its beauty and possibility. A giant playground for everyone with an open mind and a child’s heart.
Someone said, “Calling Burning Man a festival is like calling the sun a lightbulb”. I think that’s true. Burning Man is not a festival - a festival is about consumption, of music, food, merchandise. Burning Man is about contributing, about exchanging, gifting, about going with the flow, and seeing where it takes you. No line-ups, no food carts, no wrist bands. Just great music everywhere, art that makes your jaw drop, random coincidences, and thousands of Burners who shed their real-life identity to explore a more loving, crazy, open, radical version of themselves. It’s an experiment in an alternative society - what the world could be like if we chose to be a little less selfish and a little more open-minded, when your job, race, sexual orientation, and age wouldn’t matter. That’s what makes people fall in love with this place; that’s why first-time Burners are greeted with “Welcome home!” and a hug when they arrive.
This year was my second “Burn”. I don’t claim to be an expert, and in fact, I only begin to realize how little I know about the world of Burning Man. What I took away this year was that no two Burns are alike. Each year is totally different and a new experience, depending on who you go with, who you camp with, what you want to learn, see, and do. Burning Man can be a week-long drug-fuelled rave, or an introspective experience with lots of meditation, yoga, and vegan food. Between both ends of the spectrum, there are countless variations. The Burn that is right for you will find you.
I could write more about the idea and the principles behind Burning Man, the art I saw, the music I heard, the gifts I received, and the crazy coincidences that happened every day. However, none of that will transport what this week is really about. It’s such a personal experience that posting pictures and videos only captures its surface. Also, there are a lot of these already out there, by people much more talented in their medium than I am. If you’re interested, check out The Atlantic’s pictures, watch this GoPro drop from a drone onto the dancefloor, or look at some art featured in this Guardian article.
What I took away from my seven days on the Playa are the people I met - people such as Alex, Horny, Glitterballs, Thatcher, and Genie. They are probably the best gifts anyone could have given to me on the Playa. The one thing that really stands out to me as unique about Burning Man, and that can’t be conveyed in a picture, is that it’s a fast-forward button for any friendship. Both in the best and the worst sense. It’s emotionally challenging and tiring, but it makes that week in the desert so incredibly rewarding that thousands of people, including myself, travel halfway around the world to be part of it once more.
