I like this personal account because it's not just a montage of exciting moments, but it's still well shot and edited and gives some impression of the beautiful, human, quiet (relatively) and subtle things that also happen there too.

A few more..

Here are a few snapshots... I noticed I was favoring big art.. but there is awesome regular sized art, tiny art, kinetic art.... lots and lots of living art... The white haired folks are founders, I have personal anecdotes about a few of them. There a lot of young supple bodies there, but we got our grizzled desert rats too... I had to include this to chide anyone who feels drawn to go but thinks they are too old. You aren't.

I have no idea what kind of person I would be if it weren't for Burning Man. Beyond the pretense and stigmas which have been lain upon it both by main stream and counter-culture critics, the ethos of Burning Man from the very moment of it's inception was to cultivate a space where individuals felt safe to express themselves as radically as they felt compelled to. There are few places on earth (if any) I have felt freer and more appreciated among other people.

I've only been 7 times... most of them in my 20s. My last visit was 2010. Now if you see photos of this festival and it turns you off, nothing I say is gonna convince you, and if I did, you'd probably have a lousy time anyway. If you like what you see... GO! At least once. It's always changing... it's not what it once was... etc, etc... however. For now, it's still one of the most prolifically creative environments on earth, despite all cynical caveats.

Nobody's too old or young for this thing... though some may be more concerned than I about exposing children to wild adults, I have seen no harm come of it, and I know many who went as children that are now amazing young men and women and do not seem worse off, if anything, the opposite. I've met many elders there as well... hell... the founders all have white hair now, they still go. People from all walks of life, from all over the Earth come here. Just think ahead, and remember you are required to be self sufficient, there is almost no vending... you can get tea coffee and ice at center camp. That's it. I think those proceeds support some local youth program or something. You will also need to take your garbage with you. This is one of the things that sets this place apart. No damn advertising! No one trying to sell things! Do all your capitalism before you go through the gate. If you are a light sleeper, forget about sleeping for 3 days... (that's how long it takes for me before my brain figures out how to ignore sound) people do not go to Burning Man to sleep.

Burning Man is exceedingly diverse, experience wise. Anyone with a camera can take amazing photos worthy of framing. If you don't like whatever your experience is... all you have to do is keep walking. Folks who try to pigeon hole Burning Man stopped in their tracks and made up their minds... if they had gone up the next street they may have seen a man in a barrel with a plucked chicken that would lead them to an epiphany. Come to think of it.. Diogenes would have been right at home here. It's impossible to see all of it. If you need some spark in your life or a kick in the pants to change your perspective... this is one way to go about it.

I have never gone to burning man but ive always wanted to check it out. Last major shindig I went to was Pax Prime in Seattle. Two words. Geek Mecca. 'Nuff said.

That's Larry Harvey.

[journal.burningman.org]

Dude I'll forget YOUR name as soon as you say it to me

Larry Harvey.
I didn't know until a Google image search.

Can't say I know him. Enlighten me?