This year I'm gonna party like it's 1999.

[jasonwentcrazy]

It's not uncommon for many people to say their Second Year was their favorite. This makes sense since the first time you go to Burning Man you're too blown away to really grasp the full scope of what you're witnessing and participating in. When you go the next time you've got a great idea of how to really do things and, for me, I really found out how to bring my best self to the playa in my second year. [If that makes sense.]

Beginning in 1998 I went to Burning Man every year and in 2004 I just stopped going. No real reason for not going since then save for the usual life stuff. But Burning Man was never not something I continued to love and value and celebrate regardless of being in BRC or not.

I'd been meaning to give Burning Man another visit as I'd heard so many people say how it'd changed too much and had gotten too big and all the rest of the mumbling that earlier Burners seemed to have about why it sucked. So I decided to go sort of last minute and the only crummy thing I have to say about my experience was the ticket stuff. I learned the hard way about waiting and it's definitely not like it was in the earlier days. But everything after the ticket situation was head-shakingly amazing. In most ways it was like my first time even going.

Burning Man now compared to what it was a decade ago is certainly bigger and in my mind [when it comes to Art] bigger is way better. No sense in really getting into all of the things that I saw evolve in that decade I was away. Everything did really. I guess it's safe to say that the Burning Man of today is somehow a manifestation of the Burning Man we envisioned in our minds a decade prior. The Man in 1998 and 1999 was on a platform made outta bales of hay. In looking at old photos from then he looks so dinky compared to now. [Fucking hell! The Man in 2014 was just inconceivably massive. Holy shit.] But standing at the foot of the Man in 1999 I never thought of him as anything but spectacular and monumental and even massive. Back then I imagined him to be as huge as he really was last year.

There were less lights a decade ago and el wire was not easy to get or cheap to buy. But the playa was blinding in my mind back then. The night glowed brightly back then and today with the proliferation of LED lights being everywhere and cheap the playa is as bright as I imagined it was back then.

Less imagination is required now in some respect. But more is happening and there is a whole lot more of it. And, again, when it comes to Art and Beauty and Spectacle and Expression I say bigger is better and more is even better still.

I'm going again this year and I'm looking at this one as my Sophomore trip. I had to start over again in many ways so last year I felt like a Freshman and just took it all in. I've always been very fucking good at Burning Man. I was born for it in a lot of ways. And it's like riding a bike I guess. You'll never forget how to do it.

But if last year was a new first for me then this year makes another Second Year for me and, yup, I'm totally going at it like it was 1999.

See everyone out there. Again.

[lucky420]

Hola and hello...


Love your post

[Savannah]

Welcome, Jasonwentcrazy!

Great post--and I love the avatar.

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[Just_Joe]

Pleased ta meetcha, Jason.
I really enjoyed reading about your One thousand thousand project.
Will you be slogging through it on the playa?

[jasonwentcrazy]

Pleased ta meetcha, Jason.
I really enjoyed reading about your One thousand thousand project.
Will you be slogging through it on the playa?

Thanks for the kind words! [To everyone!] In a lot of ways the One Thousand Thousand project really got into super-high gear because of Burning Man. Since those things are 5x7 they have always been able to be mailed out as postcards and I had them delivered to random people by way of the Black Rock Post Office. I did 2,000 of them in 2000 and I'm making pieces especially for the playa this year too. I'm signed on to volunteer for Playa Info this year and will be passing stuff out there like a bad rash.

This was one of the three pieces I did for a separate project called 52 Weeks:



Making art on the playa is fun!

http://www.anti-product.com/mchenry.html

[smiffman]

Sup, I partied like it was 9991 last year and am still feeling the effectstacy............

[trilobyte]

Rock it the way you want, and your mileage may certaintly vary.... but why party like you're 16 years younger and dumber? Party like 1999 was 16 years ago and you're gonna blow the doors and wheels off this thing, using all the energy and wanderlust from your youth but all the wisdom (and maybe hangover avoidance skills) you've gained in the years since?

That said, it's a pretty bitchin' Prince song... and really, party like it's any year you damned well want. Welcome aboard, and hope to see you out there!

[jasonwentcrazy]

...using all the energy and wanderlust from your youth but all the wisdom (and maybe hangover avoidance skills) you've gained in the years since?

I can certainly look back and feel like I'm a friend to my younger self for sure. But I don't need to relive, re-enact or re-do anything from when I was younger. I feel kind bummed for anyone that would. [I thought that part was implied.]

My Second Year happened to be 1999 and this year is kind of my second Second Year. Using the Prince bit was just a decent enough bookend/post subject is all. In hindsight I think it'd be best described as saying 'I'm gonna participate like it's 1999' because, yeah, that's my idea of a good time.

[I'm SO looking forward to this one or sure!]

[Drawingablank]

Welcome.