On Burning Man
Because it’s still top of mind after returning from my 5th annual pilgrimage to the Black Rock Desert, I’d like to write a bit about Burning Man.
I’m not going to give a primer on the dust-laden festival because Wikipedia does a great job of that, but rather share my own personal impressions on what Burning Man is and is not, since false impressions seem to abound.
Sex, drugs, and EDM — While these are in no short supply in Black Rock City, to characterize the festival by its most hedonistic elements is misleading at best and bastardizing at worst. This year the youngest burner I met was 20 months old (and it was her second burn!) and the oldest was over 80 years. Black Rock City has a population of 70,000 people, and like in any decent-sized city, one can find whatever vices they’re seeking. No doubt that Burning Man has more drugs and orgy domes per capita than elsewhere, but if you’re not looking for them, you won’t find them (though the EDM will find you).
Free personal expression — To me, the defining element of the festival is the complete lack of social norms. There is no concept of “innappropiate” so long as the 10 principles are respected. People wear anything that expresses them or nothing at all. You can say or do just about anything without being judged, to the point that San Francisco looks prudish by comparison. It’s an incredibly freeing environment that encourages participants to push the limits of their personal identity.
Art — Mind-blowing art. It’s hard to express how incredible Burning Man art projects are to the uninitiated. Think massive structures the size of a building, with dozens of moving parts and tens of thousands of LED lights… and all donated. Martin Mull said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture, and that’s how I feel trying to write about Burning Man art. You just have to see it.
Humanity — I don’t think it’s any accident that the godfathers of Burning Man chose a barren, dusty desert landscape as it’s home. The Black Rock Desert is a blank canvas, completely devoid of life for 95% of the year, which makes it the perfect place to host the ultimate tribute to all things “human”. If aliens wanted to study our species in sterile laboratory conditions, this would be the place.
Before closing, I should emphasize that Burning Man isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. It’s really, really hard to do. Daytime temps often exceed 100 degrees and nighttime lows are in the 40s Fahrenheit. You’re never totally clean because playa dust is inescapable. You would literally die within a day in the Black Rock Desert without shelter and water. Sleep is hard to get with the constant sound and stimulation. There are no restaurants, hotels, or stores. It’s expensive, inconvenient, and takes months of planning to do right.
I can’t wait until next year :-)
