This was my 7th year returning home to Black Rock
City.
This is my 7th tale
trying to capture a piece of what makes it so special for me...
-Halcyon
The act of declaring yourself an artist is a bold one. You are saying,
“I consciously alter my environment. I shape the world. I create.”
This is a massive
stance to take.
Because we are expected to walk a well worn path of consuming. So much
of society depends on it.
Yet, so much of being
a human being is contrary to this path.
I think the grand battle of being human is forcing yourself to live an
active life. I don’t mean physically active, I mean ACTIVE
vs. PASSIVE.
So many of our societal systems are designed for us to be passive. No ruler or corporation wants to deal with active decision makers.
And, in case there is confusion, “choosing” what brand to buy is NOT active living.
This scerario does
not bode well for the artist. Unfortunately, the artist does not fit well
in a society that prefers passivity.
(side note: I would argue that “the artist” is not a type
of person, but simply the state that EVERY person gets to when they are
actively living.)
So is there anywhere where the artist (or state of being an artist) is welcome and at home?
See: Black Rock City.
Things are different
in Black Rock City.
By design, Burning Man asks us to live actively.
As the tickets say,
NO SPECTATORS.
PARTICIPANTS ONLY.
You are expected to
be active.
You are expected to choose a conscious path.
You are expected to alter the environment with your laughter, sculpture,
or song.
This concept is much
bigger than you might think.
It is this that makes us free.
It is this that makes us gods.
Of course, don’t
grow a beard and put on a flowy robe right away. There are many types
of gods.
Gods of creation.
Gods of mischief.
Gods of wine.
Gods of dancing.
Gods of sex.
Gods of fire.
Gods of destruction.
On the playa, we all summon our divine nature and steer our world actively in the direction we want it to go.
I want more smiles
in the world.
I want more dancing.
I want more fist-pounding beats.
I want longer hugs.
I want more kisses.
Now substitude “I created” for “I want” and you define the path of a Playa god (aka “a participant.”)
Some people/gods/artists
want more fire. Some want more chaos. Some want consensual violence.
Fine. Those aren’t on my list, but there is room in Olympus for
all the gods’ whims. (except maybe “Toby, god of killing
everyone around him.”)
As gods, we have an innate need to GIVE. It’s what gods do. They shape worlds and share their gifts.
Some gods share their
beauty. Some share their chariots. Some share fresh tuna. Some just dress
like gods and goddesses to remind us of who we are. But all shape the
world. All create. All impact their environment.
(Even the drunks with bullhorns.)
Black Rock City is
the cumulative effect of 30,000 gods shaping our temporary desert world.
And somehow it works.
And somehow it transforms.
And somehow it feeds the gods inside us.
And, eventually….
Hopefully…
We realize that we are gods in the “real” world, too.
Our power may be diminished away from our true home, and we may be jeered
by heathens, but we still have the ability to live actively.
We still have the ability to alter our worlds.
And if we can hold
on to that lesson,
even a little bit,
then there is hope for each of us…
and our planet.
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