Original 1979 Pac-Man Drawings by Toru Iwatani
But I’m pretty excited for Burning Man this year, and this is why.
This is the time to jump around all excited at the mutations occurring in this petri dish of an experiment in community. It’s a moment in time – perhaps a paradigm shift of magnanimous porportions. I for one don’t want to miss seeing it in action, whether it rises like the Phoenix or crashes and burns in a blaze of glory, I want to BE THERE!
I believe change isn’t bad. We are a radical bunch. Sometimes that means there’s uncomfortable, radical change. So what if…
What if, dare I say it, this year is the BEST Burning Man ever? What if virgins and vets alike DO SOMETHING OUTRAGEOUS and dare I say it, perhaps different than what we expect?
I entered the Burning Man world in child-like wonder back in 1998 and choose not to deviate. I will continue to be curious and say “What if?” with a positive, open and grateful heart for the past experiences I have been graced to have had and for WHATEVER experiences await me. This isn’t Disneyland, it’s Burning Man. I’m quite excited at the prospect of having NO idea what to expect out there. Kinda reminds me of the good ole days. (People brought it and rocked it then too… even virgins…)
I’ve been torn over the past several years: I’ve loved the return of some well loved theme camps who’ve beautifully brought it bigger and better year after year (and respect all the hard work and detail they’ve done- drink!), but I’ve also wondered where the surprise of not knowing what to expect at all has gone. Has it been a fair trade? I remember my first years going, I didn’t know ANY of the theme camps because so many were new each year. Many theme camps came one year, blew it up big or made an amazing small splash and didn’t return the next year (or did something completely different under new names the next years, like my burn family did). That was a great Burning Man experience IMHO.
And dare I say something radical? What if only a small percent of established camps get tickets at all? Why is there an assumption that the other percent with tickets AREN’T going to bring something KICK ASS to the playa? How cynical are we veterans? And what if established camps had to band together, in classic barn raising style, (a great opp to build community! Drink again!) to create amazing camps not exactly like their previous iterations? I for one, am friends with several established camps and though I may not bring a theme camp this year, I am more than ready to lend a hand, a hammer and a hug to those who are bringing it.
And why is there some inference that amazing has to be BIG? I still remember Analog PAC Man camp. By far one of the most interactive, fun and creative theme camps of all time that was of a most nominal cost (a couple helmets, some black lights and balloons). We ran around wearing florescent biker helmets, popping glowing balloons with a push pin, people, and it was brilliant and AMAZING!
Apparently, I’m feeling a bit like Andy Rooney today. Sighing with love.
Ready to participate in whatever awaits me. And if your camp needs help or you have extra brain or brawn to help, pre-playa, on playa or after, consider joining Burn 2012 Barn Raising Facebook group and tell us what you need and what you can offer. Participate!
Theme Camps Seeking Participants
10:21 am on February 17th, 2012
AMEN!
10:27 am on February 17th, 2012
so u got a ticket then i take it?
yah well not exactly lookin good for those that didn’t tho esp since BMORG has now decided to use the STEP tix 4 “important” Burners.
sorry jus so not impressed after 25yrs of holding this fest u think they would have better thought out the consequesnces of holding such a lottery 4 tix.
super lame
signed Dis-a-feckin-pointed
10:39 am on February 17th, 2012
forgot to mention whats with the hike in tix prices this yr as well?? $390/$420 like that’s jus crazy esp since doesn’t sound like theres gonna be any new infrastructure. if u find out what they r planning on spending it on let me know.
10:55 am on February 17th, 2012
OMG I wanna play analog pacman so badly.
I would totally agree with you, except for the cultural continuity cherrypickin’ that is about to happen.
I might have gotten a tic in open sale, but it looks like I won’t. Let us know how it goes ok!
11:32 am on February 17th, 2012
Analog pac man camp…let’s bring it back! Um…if we get a ticket of course. I love your optimism and hope for the same thing but also know how I felt on my first Burn – I wanted to experience everything and although I contributed it wasn’t anywhere near the same level as my second year when I fully understood it and was ready to participate and give back to something that had brought me so much joy. I think that will to give back must grow with every Burn and hope that I can make it third time lucky this year and help a virgin burner have as great as experience as I did on my first time. We need a mix of old and new.
12:16 pm on February 17th, 2012
@fancipants – U read ur JRS wrong… The 10,000 open sale tix are going to established theme camps not the STEP tickets… And STEP is only being made available to those who weren’t awarded tix in the open sale. I love Kate’s attitude and viewpoint and I totally agree. We have to work hard together to make this the best burn ever! Negativity will not get us anywhere.
1:05 pm on February 17th, 2012
You hit it right on the nail. In a way I have been excited about this one, because for once even the veterans do not know what is on the horizon. And like how the elements and other factors force the art and community in new directions, this is a new factor and it will make it even more interesting what exactly comes out of this. As you said, for all we know better art, better people and a stronger community might be the final outcome. Will anyone complain then?
I know I am ready to participate and contribute.
1:06 pm on February 17th, 2012
PS: I don’t have a ticket, but am applying for the STEP and the low-income as well as hoping to get a ticket (from a big camp that I am a member off). But I will make it out to the playa somehow!
2:29 pm on February 17th, 2012
Thanks, Rockstar! I’m down with this program. I’ve been reading the complaints and concerns and thinking to myself… “Hmmm. Burning Man might be chaotic this year! Full of unexpected experiences and chance encounters of the third kind. An inexpressible combination of overstimulation and totally slowed down.” Just like always
Peace and love!
5:22 pm on February 17th, 2012
a lot of us were excited about the prospect of a totally unknown year. now the borg quashed it by doling out tickets and preventing a lot of us from our last best chance to get them while ensuring chosen camps will return. we all want to be there and will chase all avenues until the end, but it’s going to be an uphill battle just to find a ticket from the east coast. scared to death of getting scammed out of the little bit of money we’ve been saving for the event. rites of passage 2.0
7:54 pm on February 17th, 2012
I’m a 14 year burner. Volunteered for most of those years somewhere. I didn’t get a ticket and it’s just perfect. Time to let some new blood pulse through the event. Give it some new life. I’ve witnessed enough sloppy camps like Thunderdrone grow old and tired. Yay! for the change. I’ve also heard that only 4 or 5 thousand of the tickets sold are newbies. Given the event is 25 years old, we have burners everywhere and last years reports were so positive that everyone wants to come home. It istn’t the newbies. It’s us. We are they!
8:59 pm on February 17th, 2012
Tickets on stubhub STARTING at $940.00
Tickets on ebay can be as high as $1500.00
Id love to share your optimism for this years burn but if this is any sign of who’s gonna be there this year then I have to keep it real. It seems like the only newnese that we have to look forward to is Rich Yuppie With Parents Creditcard camp. And thanks fancipants for pointing out the elephant in the room. A HUGE hike in ticket prices this year, for what exactly? To weed out undesirable elements from the burn perhaps? Whatever the reason, I hope everyone who goes has a great time, I won’t be joining you on principle. Free the burn from the borg, unless your down to go to “Burning Man Inc.” TM
6:18 pm on July 17th, 2012
I think this is a very good perspective. I was nervous about working the medical tent this year because of all the virgins that might hurt themselves, but we eventually had to sell our tickets back to STEP because we can no longer go
But maybe the weather/sand storms will be so bad this year that the virgins who can’t hack it will never come back, and those that embrace it will be a welcomed addition to the community.